The Brothers: Life Experiences as Told in Three Parts

By James Whaley

The book is in three parts. The stories are the experiences of three brothers who grew up in the middle of America in the Post World War Two era. It talks about fraternal love and commitment, youthful courage and dreams. The stories are presented together here because they are related and because they each have a message that needs to be told together. Anyone who has a family they cherish will relate to all three stories.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Oct 13, 2014
• ISBN: 9781491744420

James Whaley

Eighty-year-old James Whaley spent thirty-four years in the public classroom, teaching twelve-, thirteen-, and fourteen-year-old students. He also taught senior citizens for twenty-five years and high school students for six years. Creative writing has intrigued him his entire life. James lives in Chanute, Kansas, with his wife, Elinor. They have two grown daughters and two grandchildren. The author has always been an admirer of the creative word.

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Copyright © 2014 James Whaley.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

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ISBN: 978-1-4917-4441-3 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4917-4442-0 (e)

iUniverse rev. date: 10/08/2014

Contents

Preface

Part One

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Part Two

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Chapter 38

Chapter 39

Chapter 40

Chapter 41

Chapter 42

Chapter 43

Chapter 44

Chapter 45

Chapter 46

Chapter 47

Chapter 48

Chapter 49

Part Three

PART ONE: THE THREE BROTHERS

PART TWO: BROTHER GLENN

PART THREE: BROTHER LEON

In honor of my brothers Robert,

    &

 Don,

I know they would have been proud.

And to my brothers Ed,

    &

Gary,

Of them, I am proud.

PREFACE

The following tales are taken from the pages of the history books. The stories are based on the experiences of three brothers who grew up in the middle of America in the Post World War Two era. Glenn believed that the dog Shep was more than just a stray dog.

He believed that Shep was sent by a power greater than man. This power intended to use Shep for the benefit of making men out of the brothers. Men who would carry on the ideals of Christianity.

Glenn loved his dog Shep, and as an adult beginning a career of teaching, he loved the challenge of molding the lives of very fine young people who were on their way to becoming adults that would contribute to the society of which they became members and developed into leaders for their generation.

As Glenn grew up, his teachers tried to instill in him positive elements of a productive society. Lucinda and the students of her world would be subjected to those same principles as they were passed on by Mr. Albert, in his attempt to create solid American citizens.

Lucinda attended a small high school in eastern Kansas and her teacher Glenn Albert was one of the three brothers. Glenn believed that Lucinda was more than just the average fifteen-year-old girl. He believed her life was intended to have a purpose, that she was destined to make an impact upon the part of the world that she inhabited

The stories are presented together here because they are related and because they each have a message that needs to be told together.

PART ONE

THREE BROTHERS

CHAPTER 1

1945

He was just there. It was as if he was an aberration, seeming to appear out of nowhere. He hadn’t been there a few minutes ago. No one had spotted him from a distance. No one had called him. No encouragement to appear had been given in any way. He was just there, walking along about thirty feet behind the boys. His tail was lowered, not in a cowling position, but in a position for preparation of wagging. Interestingly, however, the tail was not wagging. Shouldn’t it have been wagging?

He was a dog following three young boys, and wouldn’t the natural expectation be that he wags his tail after attracting the attention of the three boys? The act of following the boys had been his decision, not theirs. He was the one encouraging the contact, but the tail was not wagging. When he was noticed by the boys, the natural order of things would be that the tail would have started wagging, it didn’t.

It was a warm, but not hot, afternoon and the boys were on their way home. There was nothing unusual about the weather, just a typical September day in central Kansas: That is, if any day of any month in Kansas can be classified as being typical. The weather in Kansas when described in averages seems to be one of perfect conditions. For this central part of the State, the annual average temperature is about 78 degrees; the average annual rainfall is between 20 to 40 inches. There are fewer cloudy days for this area of Kansas than any other state positioned to the north or west of it. The problem with dealing with averages when discussing the weather in Kansas is that in order to achieve those averages, one must relate to the extremes. And, typically the temperature of Kansas is usually either extremely hot or extremely cold. The wind is either extremely strong or extremely quiet. Precipitation, whether in the form of rain or snow, is either lacking in the land, or exists in a great abundance. Storm fronts of different temperatures habitually collide directly over the State. This clashing of weather patterns usually creates terrific thunderstorms with high winds. These storms often produce baseball-size hail, tremendous lightning, torrential downpours of rain, and the ever fearful tornado. In the winter months, the same storm fronts have the capacity to produce blizzards that can leave the state paralyzed with heavy snows, strong winds, and bone chilling temperatures. Only during some of the fall months will a knowledgeable resident of the State expect the possibility of very pleasant weather. Often, during the month of September, Kansan s will experience a few weeks of very hot, humid weather. This year however, the temperature was moderate, and the humidity was low. The trees were just beginning to show a change of color, the fall wildflowers were in full bloom. The air was calm and cool. The call of the meadowlark filled the ear. It was a pleasant day to be living in Kansas.

Of the three boys, Rodney Albert, at eleven years of age, was the oldest, most aggressive, and most adventuresome. A typical tow-head, with his hazel green eyes, white-blond hair, rather broad shoulders, and square jaw, he had a look of greater maturity than his age might suggest. His stout body was already developing a solid looking frame. Both his physical stature and mental aggressiveness served to establish him as the leader of the three boys.

Glenn Albert, although only fourteen months younger, was quite a contrast. He also had the hazel green eyes, but the similarity stopped there. Of dark complexion with thick, wavy, black hair, he was quiet, with a slim, almost fragile-looking frame. Having celebrated his tenth birthday few days earlier, he had the look of a person who was content to follow, and who respected the leadership shown by his older brother. A thinker and an evaluator of things around him, Glenn usually was still considering a situation when at the same time his older brother was already reacting.

Rodney had been held back a year in school and although the two were in the same grade in school, Glenn was well aware of the age difference. He rarely questioned the leadership of his older brother. However, there were times when his stubbornness and temper would cause him to react differently than what was really best for him.

The third brother, Alvin Albert, did not show the fact that he was an additional thirteen months younger than Glenn. Even at the early age of nine, Alvin was already equal physically to Glenn in height and frame. He had the square-cut of the face and jaw, with a very fair complexion. Like his brother Rodney, he was also a tow-head. Though he was the youngest of the three, Alvin’s physical build yielded nothing to his two brothers. It was already obvious that he would, one day, tower above both of them. Alvin was usually a willing follower when it came to his brothers, but equally prepared to make his own decisions when it came time for him to act independently. But for now, Rodney was the undisputed leader of the three and as such was usually the first to react to any given circumstance. This situation would re-affirm that trait.

Do you think he has rabies? Glenn asked, eyes wide.

I thought that they foamed at the mouth if they had rabies, Alvin answered, making more of a statement than a question.

He’s not sick, just scared, responded Rodney after a short pause.

Where did he come from? I didn’t see him when we left town. Glenn first raised the question that would be asked often in the years to come.

I don’t know, but it looks like he’s going to follow us all the way home, Rodney answered. It seemed quite obvious that this statement was more one of wishful thinking than one of fact.

What will Mom say when we get home? The question was asked aloud by one of the three, but it was difficult to determine which, because the question was asked simultaneously and unconsciously by all three, in their thoughts.

By this time, the discussion among the participants had included three concepts that made up three-fourths of the boys’ world. Town, Mom, and Home. They had just left their school which composed the fourth part of their world.

CHAPTER 2

It was the mid- 1940’s, a time when the population of the United States was trying to return to normal. The great global conflict of World War II had ended, and a national sigh of relief was being expressed by the general population. Many serious political problems still faced the nation and the world, but that was not on the minds of most families, particularly in rural Kansas homes such as the one of which the three brothers were members. To these families, providing the basic necessities of life was the foremost concern of parents, and the adventure of life itself was the greatest challenge faced by the young children.

It would be very difficult for the youth of today to understand this age of innocence that surrounded the three boys. They had never heard of television, computers or computer games. The most mechanical device they had in the area of entertainment was the radio, and there was only one of those for the entire household. Sex was a subject that was whispered about within the confines of trusted peers out of the earshot of girls and well away from any chance that the discussion could be overheard by any adult. Sex on the movie screen was restricted to a kiss between a man and a woman. Magazines available on the local drug store shelf would not have included any that dealt with such a topic. In that same small-town drug store, even some of the feminine products would be wrapped in plain brown wrapping paper, no visible identification. The concept of illegal drugs did not exist (with the exception of the awareness of, but not the use of, alcoholic beverages). Even the word crime was only vaguely understood by the boys, because in their world, it really didn’t exist. Crime was relegated to someone and somewhere else. There was a town Marshall, but his job actually consisted of being the town night watchman. He didn’t work during the day. When the boys left home to go to some other destination, there was no fear in their hearts of other humans. The only fear that the three boys had was those fearful images that they themselves created in their own imagination as they explored their world: the anxieties they faced in the challenges offered by the events of their activities, and, of course, those fears presented by the elements of nature in their rural surrounding.

There is something to be said of this time in the history of the boys’ culture, of this particular time, and its effect on the lives of the three boys. It was a time when the mores of the society had a quite different effect on young boys growing up. The world events of the time period, the physical surroundings, the rural locale of the home, and the moral beliefs, responsibilities, and discipline of the family life all had a great impact upon the lives of the boys. This is, of course, true of most young children; however, it is the combination of these elements within the social and political limits of the time period that makes this particular setting unique. This was a time when the entire community participated in the raising of children. The three boys never felt out of range of the family influence and were expected to behave within the limits of that influence no matter what the activity in which they were involved. This influence went with them to all parts of their world. It existed regardless of which friend’s or neighbor’s home they might be visiting. This expectation was one of induced responsibility. The boys knew what behavior was expected and also knew unacceptable behavior would not be tolerated, no matter how far from home they roamed. Most children were never out of the public eye. To be called down by any adult was not to be ignored. An adult was identified as a parent. To have one’s behavior corrected outside the home was usually embarrassing and just as severe as if it happened between the child and his parents. And just as real, discipline-wise. It was a time when social or peer influences usually had an extremely difficult time overriding the family influence. On occasion it still happened but when it did happen is was the exception, not the rule. The boys and their friends rarely dared one another to commit an act that was illegal or immoral simply because within the family discipline, it would be unexpected of them to do so. The natural environment allowed vast opportunities for the excitement of exploration and the thrill of a challenge to test their mettle-which, of course, is an element of life that is a very real and sometimes destructive part of the growing up of most young boys, then and now. This is not to say that the boys did not do things that met with the stern disapproval of their parents. They still had difficulty staying within the bounds of what was considered proper behavior. But it was difficulties that developed between themselves, and/or their siblings, that created most of the disciplinary action on the part of their parents. They were still young boys, and they had some growing up to do in the area of behavior. Their freedom to interact with the free and open environment that existed around them gave the three boys the opportunity to develop a healthy attitude toward respect for other people. Also, they cultivated a proper respect toward other people’s property. The boys didn’t hurt someone else just to see what it felt like, and they didn’t enter a forbidden door just because it wasn’t locked.

The natural environment of the lives of the three boys would also baffle many of today’s youth in that it was not limited to a lawn or yard area. It was not limited to a busy street in a residential area of a large town. It was not even limited to a neighborhood. Their natural environment, at the very minimum, consisted of a four-square-mile area that contained only two or three other homes. The only exception to this was town, which was situated at the southwest corner of the area bounded by the four miles. Naturally, as the boys grew and matured this area gradually expanded even farther. But for now, the four-square-mile geographic area included several smaller wooded areas and a forty acre pasture. Most importantly, the pasture had a river measuring about twenty yards across running through the middle of it. The rest of the area was large open grassland with a few scattered trees along the river. The wildlife of the area included reptiles, fox, cotton tail, jack rabbit, and many species of birds. And, of course, the river area included several varieties of amphibians, fish, and many imagined wildlife. It was a tranquil and diversified environment, with just enough uncertainty to be ideally suited for three adventuresome young boys.

CHAPTER 3

Town was a quarter-of-a-mile away. Town, was the community of Willow Springs, with a population of about 450 and a Main Street of two full blocks. Willow Springs had been Town to the three boys for four years now. A quiet town, its center consisted of two grocery stores, two restaurants, two barber shops, two grain elevators, two gas service stations, a hardware store, a real estate office, a drugstore, and several other miscellaneous businesses. Nestled on a prairie swell, it overlooked the Willow Springs River Valley. The homes contained within its limits were varied, both in age and design. They were all single-family dwellings and only a very few were empty. Surrounded by farm and pasture land, Willow Springs was connected with the outside world by State Highway 71 and the Rock Island Railroad. Kansas Highway 71 was primarily used by Willow Springs residents to reach the city of Kluckson, the County Seat of Roader County. In addition, it was a major trade center for thirty miles in any direction. The Rock Island access to the town served the grain elevators by providing railroad cars, the post office with mail service, and on rare occasions, a passenger or two.

Willow Springs’s greatest sin, at least in the eyes of the boy’s mother, was the presence of Dale’s Pool Hall and Domino Parlor, which existed in association with one of the barber shops.

Home was also about a quarter-of-a-mile away from where the boys stood, but in the opposite direction. Home was a three bedroom one-story house situated on a one-acre lot: a single story, white wood frame structure, with pale green shingles, and no frills. It was located about a half-mile outside of the sign at the edge of town that read City Limits. To get from Town to Home one traveled along a county road for a quarter-of-a-mile then crossed the Willow Springs River Bridge and continued on for about one-eighth of a mile and then turned north for about three hundred yards. Home included several outbuildings, a number and variety of animals, and was surrounded by plenty of open spaces. The nearest neighbor was another eighth-of-a-mile farther north at the top of a hill. Home at this location had existed for less than a year now. The family had lived in Kluckson but moved to Willow Springs four years before. They lived in two different homes within the city before moving into this house in early spring the previous year. Glenn recalled the move with great excitement. "From the looks on the faces of my siblings, my position on the wagon was the envy of each of them. Especially my brothers. The move from town to the homestead involved two loaded wagons pulled by horses, with a Jersey milk cow tied on behind the second wagon. I recall making the trip riding on top of the load of the first wagon. When we pulled into the drive at the house and my mother stepped out the door just in time to see me atop the load, she was not pleased that her six year old was so perilously perched and let Dad and the driver of the wagon know what she thought of their decision making abilities. But it proved to be a great ride for me and being the envy of my brothers was a satisfying moment.

CHAPTER 4

The Willow Springs River had attracted the boys from the very beginning of their knowledge of its existence and the future would hold many exciting adventures for them. The house itself was lacking many of the necessities that the family needed. There was no indoor plumbing; the toilet was called the privy or the outhouse. It was a small house-like structure located at a reasonable distance from the house. Water for all purposes from cooking to washing to bathing was acquired from an outside hand operated water pump over a hand-dug well located a few feet to the side of the back door of the house. Buckets of water were then carried into the house. If this seemed to be unusual or primitive, the boys were not aware of it. They were, on occasion, aware that transportation of water to the house, or elsewhere, to provide for animals was a difficult chore that they often had to accept