Sciziods Paradise

By Ted Murphy

Teddy tried to rejoin the Navy when he was older they would not accept him.
He spent most of his adult life being a Dad. Four of his children have honorably served their country. Paradox.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Mar 12, 2014
• ISBN: 9781493168446

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Copyright © 2014 by Ted Murphy.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Rev. date: 02/13/2014

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Contents

FOREWORD

MEDALS

TRIPS

FOREWORD

He remembered the night when he lost his religion. Yes, even the moment. He had been raised in the church, made to go three times a week all his life. The last two years he had been a backslider.

He had some fancy reasons why. His sisters death and hypocrites in the churches, but the real reason was testosterone. He was crazy for girls and had no time for Jesus. At sixteen all he thought about was girls.

He had been to town (to chase girls) and it was late. There were another twelve miles to home and bed, he’d already walked five. Five long, cold, and scary miles. He had stuck up his thumb for every car that passed but no one had even slowed down. He’d never had this much trouble getting a ride, he was after all young, handsome, fairly small and harmless looking. He looked like a kid who needed to get home for school tomorrow.

It was getting very late. He’d left town around ten and walked at a good pace so it must have been eleven-thirty or so. He knew his chances of catching a ride were getting slimmer and slimmer. He was nearing the five mile curve, a mile post in his mind. Up to now, houses had been frequent and the dogs penned up. After the five mile curve, houses were two to three miles apart and anything could be loose.

The reasonable part of his brain kept saying there was nothing to be afraid of, bulls and large dogs weren’t likely to be on the road, but it was quite dark (just the hint of the moon) and he was scared shitless.

He began to pray. God, please let the next car pick me up and give me a ride home. I know I’ve been bad. but I’ll be different now. Just let the next car pick me up and I’ll start going to church and keep the commandments. Please God, Oh Please! I want to be home in bed. I don’t want to be here. I’ll do what you want, I’ll be good. Just let the next car pick me up.

A car was coming. Please God let this be the one. I’ll do anything you want. I promise. Please.

The car wasn’t going very fast. thumb up, here goes. Please God, anything you want. Please!

The car seemed to slow a little, then sped up and went on.

As the tail lights faded, Teddy realized with anguish, that it was his own parents. church must have let out very late. His own parents! And they had gone on by. Left him alone on the side of the highway in the dark.

Did God think that was funny? How could his own parents leave him here?

Fear was forgotten, rage set in. He was furious. How could God treat him like this?

He started screaming at the sky. Calling God every foul name he could think of. How dare he? Just not care.

For several minutes he raged on.

What stopped him was a car coming from the other way, slowly. It stopped. It was his parents. It had taken several minutes for his mother to convince his father that it really was him by the road.

This was the start of his agnostic phase.

MEDALS

When fighting something you need to be cautious, that you don’t become the thing your fighting.

It was really weird riding in the back of the Limo all alone. Jim had come all the way to the city for him, and so, though he really didn’t want to go, he went. He watched the evening skyline moving surrealistically past the window. His life now seemed like a movie, something he was only watching. He didn’t know the other guy with Jim, he evidently owned the Limo, didn’t even remember his name, (though he had been introduced). It was a nice Limo, not new but nice. It was the first time Teddy had ever been in a limo.

He knew he was lucky to have a friend like Jim and it really didn’t matter when he went back. He knew he would have to go back sooner or later. So, when Jim came for him over at Kitten’s, he went with him. The truth was he didn’t care about anything, so confronted with someone who did, he acquiesced.

Jim sensing the strangeness of his mood, showed unusual sensitivity by riding in the front and leaving Teddy alone in the back.

It started to rain. The the rain streaks on the window conformed with Teddy’s mood exactly. He was thinking about Kitten. He hoped she was going to be alright. She hadn’t been very together since Chuck had shipped out… . No, it had been longer than that. He remembered the day Chuck had turned to him, wracked with pain and asked You too?

No, Chuck not me. Teddy’s eyes and voice rang with truth. And the truth was, Chuck knew before Teddy ever had a clue.

Chuck had held onto him, sobbing, not able to