The Green Monster

By Michael E. Oppitz

Testomonies:
A truly inspirational short story. Once I picked it up and started reading, I couldnt put it down.
Jake Bechard Lees Summit, Missouri
It is wonderful to read a story about our youth and how their attitudes can be changed by a simple act of hard work, determination and persistence. I wish there were more stories like that to read.
Thomas Anderson Shawnee, Kansas

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: May 13, 2011
• ISBN: 9781462871681

Michael E. Oppitz

Michael E. Oppitz wrote most of RIVER RAT while living in Alaska with his wife, Laura. He enjoys everything the wonderful and majestic State has to offer including hiking, camping, fishing, birding, wildlife viewing/photographing, reading, cooking and so much more. Upon retiring, he and his wife plan to live with their daughter and family in Kansas.

Book preview

CHAPTER ONE

The little town of Gardner, Kansas, a southwest suburb of the Kansas City area, was a quiet farming community just twenty five to thirty years ago. The population explosion that occurred throughout the Midwest found its place in the suburbs of Kansas City as well. Its location is what has attracted a housing boom, increased opportunities for businesses, community involvement and services, churches and also schools that offer a quality, small town lifestyle. The beautiful city lake just north of town has small houses, and in some cases, shacks that were built just after World War II. The housing boom found its way to City Lake as well. And now, there are two and three story houses dotting the shoreline. The old high school is now a Middle School, and the new state-of-art high school, which occupies over 1200 students, is on the west side of town. The town is located adjacent to the Interstate. Commuters have easy and convenient access to all of Johnson County and the entire Kansas City area. It also offered an opportunity for the Rodriguez family to start over in a small community as their father battles with cancer.

Jorge Rodriguez wouldn’t necessarily be considered disadvantaged because he lives with his Mother and ill Father in the trailer park on the east part of town. The trailer park has old and new trailers with two open sewage pits. When the wind is just right, one can smell it from every direction. His trailer is a faded lime green that is fifty feet long. It is so old that the heating circulation lines don’t pump heat to the far end of the trailer. He and his family have learned to use the far bedroom as storage.

Rodriguez came from a moderate lifestyle in northeast Oklahoma where he attended a Middle School the same size. Life was a challenge for Jorge, but yet, school was a haven for him to be with his friends, especially in wrestling. Each morning before leaving for school, Jorge’s Father was still lying in bed. It took him a little while to wake up and join the rest of his family since he took disability leave after being diagnosed with colon cancer. A lot of his energy and zest for life had already been zapped from his body before being diagnosed, and the doctor’s prognosis of his condition was not in his favor. It was common place for Jorge to come home from school to find him in a bad way needing medical attention or taking him to the ER at the local hospital. They were simply buying him time for what amount he had left.

Jorge was of medium size compared to his friends for a thirteen year old. He was good looking, and he had fun wearing several hair styles depending on what mood he was in at the time. His slender frame supported a muscular build which was due primarily from wrestling. His light brownish skin attracted lots of attention from the girls; however, that didn’t seem to interest him at the time. He had so many things on his plate, girls weren’t part of his timeframe.

Even though he was an average student, his teachers were always asking him to volunteer for different clubs and after school activities because of his enthusiasm. Jorge was a very attentive student, but his time was divided between his commitment to wrestling, keeping up with his studies and helping out at home taking care of his Dad and helping his Mom around the house. Ever since his Dad became ill, his responsible nature was more dictated by need rather than by want. But, since his home-helping chores became routine, his responsible behavior kind of became second nature.

His mother has a talent working with her hands whether it is knitting, sewing, growing plants from seeds, dress alteration, or art. They were simple pleasures that kept her busy at a leisurely pace when she, Jorge and her husband lived in Oklahoma. In order to get away from the strangling lifestyle in Oklahoma, Jorge’s Mother decided it was time for them to make a new life for themselves. They left their other home which was a constant reminder of the personal and financial struggles along with the constant doctor’s visits they had to endure for several years while Jorge’s father was sick. Now that Jorge has found a Middle School where he can lose himself in studies, sports and social interactions, his involvement in sports and taking on other responsibilities to help out his family will soon be tested once again.

CHAPTER TWO

Jorge was getting ready for school going through his normal routine of putting on his favorite pair of holy jeans which still happens to be in style, a white t-shirt with Van Halen written all over it, and combing his hair straight back to give him that 50’s greaser look. Jorge’s room was a simple room that measured only ten feet by twelve feet. Inexpensive paneling covered the walls to give it a remodeled appearance. There were not many posters covering the walls except a few photos of Jorge and his friends and wrestling. The linoleum flooring had gaps in between them allowing room for dirt and other things to get caught. The bed was nothing special, but a single bed that was comfortable was all a growing boy needed to rest his bones after a