Phoenix

By John Brown

What happens to a person left destitute with none of lifes normal chattels. Without property, clothes on their back, no money and alone, burned, broken and naked in the desert. Nineteen year old Paula Smythe faces such a world. All that is left her is an indomitable will and spirit to find a way back to a new life and destiny.

Follow Paulas journey out of the desert and into the town of Misery Flats and meet Mary, the town nurse and her son Gary who help her on the road to recovery. Continue with Paula on her journey as she grapples with the demands and rigours of an education she never would have envisioned. Meet the people who help and the others who dont. But once on her path to a new destiny her inner strength, resources and faith give her the courage to stay the course.

The surprise conclusion confirms she has overcome the demons of her past and has now found her place in the world exactly where she wants to be.

If you have ever felt completely down and out and need a lift, think of Paula.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trafford Publishing
• Release date: Oct 27, 2016
• ISBN: 9781490778129

John Brown

John Brown (1800-1859) was a staunch abolitionist who came to believe that violence and coercion was the only way to stop the scourge of slavery in the United States. Fiercely religious and believing himself to be the instrument of God sent to earth to personally abolish slavery, Brown led a life of activism and violent resistance, finally deciding that the best way to set off a slave liberation movement would be to capture the Federal armory at Harper's Ferry, Virginia, arm the slaves and then lead a violent rebellion that would sweep through the southern states. During the raid, in October of 1859, five men were killed and many more injured, but Brown and his forces did indeed take over the armory. Very few slaves joined his revolt, however, and the armory was soon retaken by the local militia and US Marines, the latter led by Robert E. Lee himself. Brown was tried immediately, found guilty and hanged in December of 1859, the first person to be executed for treason in the United States. John Brown delivered the following speech at the conclusion of his trial on November 2, 1859. He would be executed a month later and become a hero and martyr to the abolitionist cause.

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Copyright 2016 John Brown.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written prior permission of the author.

isbn: 978-1-4907-7811-2 (sc)

isbn: 978-1-4907-7812-9 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2016917741

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Contents

Acknowledgements

Beginning

Moving Back A Year

A Few Weeks Later

One Year Later

The Next Morning

Two Weeks Less A Day Later

Two Weeks Later

The Next Week In The Clinic

High School

Last Night

Graduation

Several Weeks Later

University

Graduation Day

Harvard

Three Years Later

Back In Misery Flats

Six Months Later

Dedication

To

Jaime Crowe

Who has breathed color and life into all my books.

Acknowledgements

Writing can be a lonely activity at times but the final product is never done alone. No one contributed more to my writing from day one than my friend Neil Agnew but he bears no responsibility for any errors or omissions. I am only sorry he is no longer here to tell me what he thinks of the final product. I would also like to thank Susan Fleming, Marian Robson, Don Barr and Richard McCallum for taking the time to read drafts and provide valuable information for improvements. My partner Helen Ho, as always, keeps me on an even keel and my writing in a realistic perspective. Jaime Crowe’s creativity provides the spectacular cover.

Please note this is a work of fiction with no relation to actual persons or events.

Beginning

The desert sky slips from sunlit blue to purple. The sun hugs the horizon briefly until extinguished by the lights of the distant Las Vegas skyline.

Far, far away in the depths of the desert, Paula, a gorgeous young blonde woman of nineteen years, stands bound and naked on top of a pile of custom furniture, designer clothes, original art, and the latest electronics, all stacked around a candy floss pink Porsche. She looks down on all that she once owned.

On a nearby hill, Giuseppe (Joe) Maldonna, 45, observes from the open rear window of a black limo. He sips from a silver flask and draws on a newly lit Cohiba Esplendido.

Two men dressed in black stand on the pile beside Paula. One douses the pile and the second flicks a Zippo and drops it on a long white evening dress before running for cover. Flames lick over the dress and through the rest of the clothes and furniture until the Porsche gas tank explodes, scattering wreckage over the desert.

The limo window slides shut and drives away.

Moving Back A Year

Paula, in skinny jeans, white tee shirt, one size too small, a bruise on her cheek sits at a breakfast table covered in dishes that have been there longer than this morning, chews on a slice of charred toast. Her mother, Grace (35), no make up, mottle cheeks and eye bags ample enough for a Transatlantic voyage, sits opposite in a partially open, faded pink bathrobe decorated with evidence of many a meal but no single one that could be described, smokes and drinks coffee.

Paula looks up from her plate and asks, Toast? You’ll feel better.

Not a chance. Too early for anything solid.

Grace reaches across the table, grabs a bottle of bourbon, tops her coffee and takes a pull from the bottle before she puts it back on the table.

Any time’s good for that, Paula retorts.

Grace shrugs, Get’s me kicked started. Helps me face the world.

You still waitressing at that greasy diner?

Naw. I’m a sanitary specialist at the hospital.

You, in a hospital?

You could eat off my floors.

When I finish school I’ll make enough to get us out of this hell hole.

Right, why aren’t you in school now? And before you go out, wash that dirt off your face.

Paula gingerly touches the bruise on her cheek. I’m taking a few days off school. I had to straighten out that bitch Celine. She was hitting on Lennie again.

Brawling in school.

Not much of a scrap after she got in a sucker punch. A week of rest will do me good and easy to catch up.

If you’re not in school how about running a mop around this place?

Later. I want to tell Lennie what I did for him.

That no account piece of trash.

Hey, watch your mouth. I don’t trash your trash. Let’s you and me bond over some dinner tonight.

Paula perches her sunglasses on her forehead and runs out, the screen door slamming behind her. Grace raises her middle finger and pours another cup of coffee, including the shot of bourbon and lights a fresh cigarette.

Paula and her boyfriend Lennie stroll arm-in-arm along a city street.

Paula gives Lennie a nudge and says, Too bad your wheels are busted. A little comfort at our special place in the hills would be nice.

Lennie points at a green Mustang convertible parked across the street, top down and says, How about that one?

Consider it yours, Paula replies.

Paula crosses the street, opens the driver door and disappears under the dashboard. The motor rumbles, Lennie shoots Paula a thumbs up and vaults