Children Deserve a Clean and Safe Environment

By George Evans

A Train of Dreams
Lives are changed forever on a train.
The Green Bench by the Lake
A retired man affects the lives of strangers passing by.
The Sea Also Rises
The consequences of climate change brings people together.
Sejal
A poor girls family in India is influenced by a candlemaker.
Andys Journey
This is the search for a captured American in the Middle East.
A Man, a Dog, and a Goat
An older man is helped by others to bring joy to others.
The Golden Eagle
A group of boys learn valuable lessons when searching for the golden egg.
Tonys Bicycle
A rusty bike paves the way for a boy to success.
The Winds of Change
A raging firestorm devastates homes and lives.
The Magic Griddle
A griddle rewards only goodness.
Sophie
A woman who loves red tulips moves to California to find love.
Jed, Casey, and Mary
Three teenagers discover what is right and proper on their way to maturity.
Mary
A young girl discovers a relic in an attic that changes lives.
Joseph
The search for a father reveals the unknown.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Mar 24, 2018
• ISBN: 9781546234968

George Evans

The author resides in Santa Rosa, Ca. Hes a retired educator who grew up in Gary, Indiana and he served in the Air Force during the Korean war. George received his degree from the University of Vermont and masters from the University of Colorado. Besides writing, he enjoys woodworking, painting and cooking. He has three sons, a daughter, six grandchildren and four great grandchildren.

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© 2018 George Evans. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 04/11/2018

ISBN: 978-1-5462-3497-5 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5462-3496-8 (e)

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and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

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Contents

A Man, A Dog And A Goat

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

The Golden Eagle

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Andy’s Journey

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Jed, Casey and Mary

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Joseph

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

A Train of Dreams

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Joan

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Sejal

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

The Green Bench by the Lake

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

The Magic Griddle

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

The Sea Also Rises, Y?

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Tony’s Bicycle

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Sophie

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

The Winds of Change

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

A Man, A Dog And A Goat

Chapter One

Frank, a widower in his early eighties, retired from the post office, sat in a well-worn, dark brown leather sofa near the warmth given off by the brick fireplace. He held a frayed picture album on his lap, looking at the photographs of the day he and Alice, his high-school sweetheart, got married at the end of World War II. The memories brought both tears and smiles as he reminisced an eventful day of bliss sixty-five years ago. The simple, June wedding ceremony took place in a small, protestant church where only a few relatives and close friends were invited. After the wedding ceremony, the reception and luncheon took place in the church’s recreation room.

He paused briefly to look at pictures of two happy newly weds standing near the falls at the Yellowstone National Park on their honeymoon. Frank turned a few pages and he wondered how he and Alice ever managed to build their first and only single level, three bedroom home, located on a one-acre lot with an old windmill in the outskirts of Santa Rosa, California, without the modern power tools of today. A well-worn hammer, an old skill saw, a tri-square, a level and a hand saw were stored in the garage. In addtion, an old shovel with a broken handle and a rusty pick stood alone in the corner. Bernie, a close friend and carpenter, advised Frank at each stage.

The forty-year old house was the sum total of his legacy of projects. There were no settling cracks in the foundation or walls. The several coats of paint applied throughout the years by both Alice and Frank, protected the wooden exterior against the elements.

The pages that followed were snapshots of their two sons, Arthur and Michael, born three years apart. Arthur was the oldest and a teacher who lived nearby. He had a son and a daughter. Whereas, Michael was an architect and a confirmed bachelor who lived in Arizona.

Frank turned to the pages with photographs of pieces he made during his long-time wood-working hobby. He had been a member of a craft group for twenty years that put on two shows a year. The shows attracted a large following where Frank usually sold most of his creations consisting of tables, cabinets, shelving and hutches. His best and last piece was a sideboard made of solid walnut. The doctor had warned Frank several times that his lungs were being compromised from all of the sawdust he was exposed to for twenty years. So, he reluctantly ended his wood-working hobby after a bout with a lung infection.

When he turned to the pictures of his parents and those of him as a child, memories of hard economic times during the big depression caused Frank to be somewhat leary of banks and Wall Street. He had inserted $5,000 he had inherited from his uncle in an envelope, wrapped it in plastic and then placed the money in a secret drawer in the sideboard. He would tell his sons about it at the appropriate time. Meanwhile, the elegant sideboard was standing against the wall in the dining room serving its intended purpose.

Frank’s fond memories were suddenly interrupted by Corky, his six-year old yellow lab, barking incessantly. Frank closed the album and set it on the oak coffee table. He went out the back door and saw an unusual sight. A light brown, baby goat with white spots was pre-occupied with eating the lettuce in Frank’s garden, ignoring Corky’s barking and Frank’s presence. Frank smiled and thought about what to do. He didn’t seem to mind that a hungry stranger, without permission, was feasting on his annual vegetable garden, enclosed by a wooden fence with four foot upright boards six inches apart, inviting the brazen and clever goat to squeeze through.

Frank went to the garage to get a piece of rope. He made a noose and slowly approached the goat from behind that was pre-occupied with munching on a head of lettuce. Frank gently put the noose over the goat’s head. The goat tried to escape; but to no avail. After Frank tied the goat to the post, he quickly put on Corky’s old puppy collar and soon the goat was safely on a leash. The frisky goat continued to try to break away. Frank smiled as he led the jumping and uncooperative goat to Corky, who was vigorsly wagging his tail. Corky sniffed the baby goat from head to tail. Then he licked the goat’s head. The goat finally became calm and stood still, enjoying the unsolicited, somewhat wet affection from what would be a newly found friend and protector.

Frank tied the goat’s leash to a wooden post and he then went into the kitchen to call his neighbors who had small farms nearby to inquire if they were missing a baby goat. He also called the police and animal shelter and the answer was the same. There were no reports of a missing goat. Frank was very pleased to know that he and Corky had a new friend. It was a wishful thought that became a reality. Frank decided to name the baby brown goat, Frisky. Frank put the goat in an empty shed and took Corky with him in an old Ford pickup truck to the feed store to buy a bag of food for Frisky. Because Corky had a voracious appetitite, Frank had to feed Frisky and Corky separately.

Frank invited his son’s family over for dinner and to surprise them with Frisky. The five and seven year old grandchildren were so excited to pet a goat and Corky. They played with them until it was time to return home. Thereafter, Frank saw his son’s family more often. Frank felt much better and he was no longer as lonely.

Chapter Two

A few months before Frisky had mysteriously appeared, Frank decided to go to the annual country fair where he enjoyed seeing the different exhibits and betting on the horse races. It was never a winning proposition. Frank especially liked the section where all of the well-groomed goats were waiting in pens to be judged later in the day. He stopped by one of the pens and asked a young boy about his goats.

Son, you have a handsome bunch of goats. What kind are they?

Thanks. They’re Nubians.

Are goats difficult to raise?

Not really. They like to climb and jump. They’re quite playful. Some of them like to butt people they don’t like or just for the fun of it.

Interesting. You have a pretty big responsibility taking care of them.

Yea, it’s a daily chore of feeding and cleaning. Sometimes, my grandmother helps.

Where do you live? inquired Frank.

We have a ranch in an old neighborhood near Santa Rosa, not too far from the old, round, red barn at the top of a hill.

Frank smiled, I know it well. I live near it, too, in a white and blue house. There’s an old windmill close to my home. Someday I’ll get a goat. I have to go now. Wish you good luck.

The boy smiled as Frank left. On the way home, Frank wondered how much a goat would cost. He believed that a goat would be great company for both he and Corky.

As soon as he got home, he took out the phone book to look for goats in the yellow pages; but none were listed. So, he turned to the want-ad section in the newspaper. He saw Goats for sale. Frank called and asked how much they were.

The woman on the phone answered, We raise Nubians. They’re good milkers and pretty easy to handle. They sell for anywhere from a hundred to two hundred.

Disappointed, Frank said, That’s more than I can afford. Thanks for the information.

The woman responded, Sometimes we have too many goats and sell them at a lower price.

With a hopeful tone, Frank asked, When do you expect to have more?

In a few months.

Good, I’ll call then.

Frank made a notation on a calendar hanging on the wall as a reminder to call in a couple of months.

Chapter Three

Whenever Frank took Corky and Frisky for a walk on leashes, they attracted a great deal of attention. Eventually Frank became known as the old man with a dog and a goat. Frank didn’t mind the attention and it was a good conversation topic with strangers. Frisky grew fast and soon he was as large as Corky. Any dog that had the idea to attack Frisky, learned quickly that a goat’s hooves and a protective Corky would be a painful mistake. A newspaper reporter heard about the unique threesome and he arranged to interview Frank.

Frank answered the door to let in the reporter. After the interview, the reporter took a few photos of Frank and his pets. Before the reporter left, he assured Frank that he would drop off copies of the pictures in a few days. 3.

The following week, a story about Frank and his pets, along with photographs, were featured in the newspaper’s family section. To Frank’s surprise, parents called and they wondered if their children could be photographed with Frisky and Corky.

Frank gladly invited them to stop by. He couldn’t help but notice how much the children enjoyed petting both Corky and Frisky.

One request was out of the ordinary. A owner of a race horse was willing to pay for the use of Frisky on the day of the race. He explained to Frank that goats tend to be a calming influence on high-strung race horses. Frank agreed as long as Frisky was safe.

The idea paid off. The horse always placed in the winning category whenever Frisky was in the stall with the horse. The owner was so grateful that he gave a sizeable bonus to Frank. With the extra money, Frank could now realize his dream. He decided to buy other farm animals and set up a petting zoo. He built four pens and the next step was to contact different farms to purchase a variety of farm animals.

After several phone calls and shopping for the best prices, Frank had managed to buy a pig, a lamb, two chickens, two ducks and a calf. The free petting zoo was open daily during the summer months and Frank relished in his new venture. He now had a good reason to get up in the morning. He felt more energetic. Frank even bought a used hot tub and filled it with water for the ducks.

Everything was going better than expected. The petting zoo had become a big success. However, on a late Friday afternoon, a tall, thin man wearing a suit and tie knocked on Frank’s front door. Frank opened the door and asked, What can I do for you?

I’m from the city ordinance department and your neighbor, Mr. Bradley, filed a complaint against you.

Frank shook his head and smiled, What is it now? He likes to complain about everything; but I just ignore him.

The man, in a serious voice, said, This is one complaint you can’t ignore. You’re breaking the city ordinance by having farm animals on your property. You have thirty days to get rid of them.

Stunned, Frank responded. That’s just like him. He didn’t have the courtesy or the guts to tell me in person. I’ve never complained about his dog that barks all day and night or his neglected front and back yards filled with discarded junk.

Well, dogs and cats are allowed in the city. You can always file a complaint about his dog.

I don’t like doing that sort of thing. There must be a way to change the law.

The man said, I’m very sorry. You’re doing a nice thing for the kids and your property is so close to being in the county. I’ll be back in thirty days to see if you’ve complied.

Frank looked at the man and in an understanding voice, You’re just doing your job. Good day.

Frank was about to call Mr. Bradley and tell him what a scoundrel he was; but Frank changed his mind. Any contact with a person with a mean disposition would have only upset Frank even moreso and aggravate the situation.

Frank couldn’t sleep that night. He called his son, Arthur, early in the morning.

Hi dad. How’s your new project going?

It was going very well until a neighbor complained about my having farm animals.

Arthur asked, Are they too noisy?

It’s not that. It’s against the city ordinance to have farm animals. I have thirty days to get rid of them.

After a long pause, I’m sorry, dad. I’ll talk to a few friends who work for the city and see if there’s a way out.

Thanks. Let me know what you find out as soon as you can.

Okay, dad. It’s such a shame since so many children enjoy your petting zoo. The grandkids talk about it all of the time.

Later that day, Arthur had an idea. He called the local newspaper and explained to the editor about his father’s problem. The excited editor responded, That would make a great human interest story. I’ll have the reporter stop by your dad’s home tomorrow morning.

The reporter showed up at ten. He took photographs of Frank feeding the members of his petting zoo.

Then, Frank offered a cup of coffee and they sat at the kitchen table discussing the zoo and the neighbor’s complaint. While Frank was talking about it, the reporter heard a dog’s incessant barking.

That’s irritating. the reporter commented.

Yea. Sometimes it barks for hours. The dog belongs to the neighbor who filed the complaint.

The reporter said, That’s interesting. I’ll be sure to include that. It makes for good reading.

Frank smiled and nodded his head in agreement. Then he said, I’ve seen his dog running loose and dumping a load on my front lawn and leaving his scent on my bushes.

I’ll be sure to mention that infringement on your property. It would be helpful if you had a picture of his dog in action. 5.

They both laughed. More than satisfied, the reporter was anxious to return to the office and write the story for Sunday’s newspaper. As expected, the publicity attracted more people to the petting zoo, disturbing Mr. Bradley even moreso. In fact, he received several nasty phone calls and letters, including children’s drawings of the different animals. Mr. Bradley wouldn’t budge. It only made him more determined to get rid of the petting zoo.

Chapter Four

In spite of all the favorable publicity and popularity, the city had no choice but to enforce the existing ordinance and not establish a precedent that would create more problems in the future.

Arthur called and told his father that he had talked to his friends at city hall and they said that the petting zoo had to be removed. Even the mayor’s hands were tied. Frank now had only two weeks left to dispose of his favorite project. It looked hopeless. Frank placed an ad in the newspaper to sell his animals. He had several responses and generous offers; but Frank wanted to wait to the very last minute before the inevitable happened.

The following morning, a white, pickup truck parked in front of Frank’s home. Two men got out of the truck and unloaded a surveyor’s transit and a pole with calibrated markings on it. One of the men also had a collection of maps and a note book. Frank looked out of the front window and watched the two men set up the transit. They wrote down their findings each time, before moving the transit to a different location. After an hour had passed, the surveyors set up the transit near Frank’s backyard and fence he shared with his neighbor, Bradley.

After watching the surveyors for awhile, Bradley became quite upset and rushed out his back door. He approached the two men and asked what they were doing. He then returned to his home and appeared to be quite concerned. Shortly afterwards, Frank’s phone rang.

Frank, this is Bradley.

I expected that it was you. I saw you talking to the surveyors.

Irritated, Bradley asked, Did you arrange for the survey?

No, I didn’t. But I wish I had thought of it.

Bradley in an angry tone. Well, it won’t do any good. You only have a couple of weeks to get rid of your damn petting zoo.

Frank paused, shook his head in disgust and said nothing. He hung up the phone. Frank often wished that his longtime friend and the former owner of Bradley’s home hadn’t died five years ago. He had no surviving relatives.

Frank checked off each day on the calendar and a solution to his problem seemed to be unlikely.

Because of the popularity of the petting zoo, the mayor and city council thought that it would be appropriate to have a public meeting to decide the fate of Frank’s petting zoo. The meeting was scheduled a week before Frank had to shut down the most popular children’s attraction in the city.

Frank dreaded attending the public hearing; but he had no choice. He wore a suit, a white shirt and a tie. Luckily, he went early since the council meeting room was soon packed. Several people had to stand outside the open door to listen to the proceedings. Bradley, of course, arrived quite early and sat in the front, anticipating a favorable decision. Even an insensitive person like Bradley felt somewhat uncomfortable since he knew that most of the people supported Frank’s petting zoo.

The meeting began. The minutes of the last meeting were read and approved. A few minor items on the agenda were briefly discussed and voted on. The petting zoo question was now open for comments from the audience after the ordinance was read aloud. One person after another voiced their support for the zoo and wanted the board to make an exception. But the majority of the council stood firm and would not deviate from the long-standing ordinance. There would be no exceptions.

Bradley smiled with confidence and vengeance that the council’s decision, which was about to be announced, would be in his favor. People were disappointed and a few had left. Then, just before the final blow to the zoo was rendered, two men and an elderly woman entered and went up to the front, asking to be heard since they had information that had bearing on the case in question. The chairman recognized Mrs. Paganini and gave her permission to speak.

The name, Paganini, was well known and highly respected in the city and in the county. Anyone running for political office often sought her endorsement.

Mrs. Paganini first apologized for being late and then said, Thank you for allowing us to be heard at this late hour. The records will show that my father, Anthony Paganini, once owned several acres before parts of it were sold and annexed to the city. Frank and his young wife bought an acre to build their first and only home. It was a proud moment for a newly- married couple and a great place to raise a family.

The chairman interrupted and said, That’s quite a nice story; but what does it have to do with the purpose of this meeting?

Mrs. Paganini, somewhat irritated, faintly smiled and replied, Young man, don’t you think that it’s your obligation as the chairman of the council to know the history of the property so you and the members of the council will understand what these two men who came with me have to say?

Embarrassed, the chairman respectfully requested that they proceed.

One of surveyors stood up and spoke. Mrs. Paganini hired us to survey the area in question. We got hold of the old maps and checked the accuracy of the boundaries. The results of our survey have been checked and approved by the city’s surveyors. Their letter of approval is part of the packet we gave you.

Bradley’s smirk of victory faded and his face took on the look of a worried man.

After giving the chairman the updated survey findings, members of the council glanced at them for a few moments. The chairman requested that the surveyor explain their findings in layman’s terms.

One of the surveyors stood and said, Mrs. Paganini wanted the land surveyed since she had always felt that the original boundaries had been moved without permission. She was correct. We discovered a few mistakes that have existed for generations. First, the common fence that Mr. Bradley and his neighbor, Frank, share is ten feet off. In other words, a section of Mr. Bradley’s property is on Frank’s property.

Bradley squirmed in his chair and broke into a cold sweat. He dreaded to hear the rest of the report.

Frank finally smiled. There was now a glimmer of hope. The audience remained silent and in suspense.

No one had left the room. The members of the board looked shocked and leaned forward to hear the next revelation.

The surveyor continued. In addition, Frank’s property is truly located in the county and not within the city limits.

Bradley, very much alone, left the room in a huff, his head down, mumbling. The people stood and cheered. The chairman pounded the gavel several times, finally restoring order before closing the meeting. Frank had tears of joy and he went up to Mrs. Paganini to thank her. Standing beside her was a young boy, Peter, who Frank had recognized from the country fair. Frank finally realized why Frisky mysteriously appeared in his garden.

Mrs. Paganini smiled graciously and said, My grandson told me about your interest in goats; so we dropped it off early in the morning. We knew that your garden would keep it occupied. Also, I didn’t want you or the children to lose the petting zoo. I wanted to confirm what I had always suspected for years and hired a surveyor.

The board was greatly relieved to not have to make an unpopular decision during election time. It wasn’t long after Bradley’s defeat, that he sold his home and moved to the pleasure of the neighbors and Frank’s, of course. The petting zoo remained and grew. Mrs. Paganini and her grandson, Peter, often stopped by to visit. Peter also helped Frank on the weekends, the busiest time.

The years passed by quickly. The years caught up with Frank and he was unable to maintain his petting zoo. Peter, a grown man, agreed to manage the zoo and relocated it to his property nearby. During this time, the city and county both honored Frank with a special award for his selfless contributions to the children. Frank walked over to the petting zoo as long as he was able. When Frank passed away at the age of ninety, the newspaper gave him a special tribute on the front page.

Chapter Five

Frank, because he was pre-occupied with the petting zoo, neglected to inform his sons about the money hidden in the walnut sideboard he had made. Consequently, it was sold during an estate sale, including the large sum of money hidden in a secret drawer. The new owners never discovered the hidden drawer. After a few years they decided to sell the sideboard. The wife wanted to change to what was popular. She refurnished their home with modern furniture.

The sideboard had changed ownership several times over the years and eventually wound up in New Orleans. Bob Jones, a tall, muscular man who worked for the city as a bus driver, bought the sideboard at an auction as a gift to his wife on their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary. The new owners lived in the lowlands where the poor lived. Frank’s solid walnut sideboard furniture was still in good condition with a few minor scratches. The cherished piece was frequently polished. It stored the family’s best dishes and it proudly displayed old and treasured, family photographs.

They took great pride in their small home and yard. Lucile kept a clean, organized home and she learned the art of Cajun cooking from her mother. Bob had painted the house white with a blue trim. The small yard boasted an array colorful flowers and well-trimmed hedges.

During the hot, summer months, hurricanes were often born in the area near the west coast of northern Africa. During one hot, extra humid summer, the weather bureau issued a warning that a category five hurricane was on a path towards New Orleans and the people, especially in the lowlands, were advised to leave the area as soon as possible and go to high ground. People packed their cars with whatever was necessary to survive, their valuables and family keepsakes. They had to leave the furniture behind. The antiquated flood barriers proved to be inadequate. The pumps could not possibly keep up with the surges of the relentless, giant waves that were pushed higher by the strong, aggressive gusts of wind. The loud sounds of the roaring, raging rivers spawned by the hurricane’s relentless, torrential rains were frightening.

As predicted, the poor in the