Ways of Hearts

By Andy A. Afrouz

Incidents in life, generally taken for granted, may influence course of one's planned endeavor. They result, directly or indirectly, to lasting effects on one's destiny. The story in this romantic novel portrays encounters between people, with twist of events. Which flourish to friendship. Then deepen to lifelong, meaningful and full feeling relationships.

*** There is a surprise bonus at the last pages of this book.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Sep 4, 2019
• ISBN: 9781796057119

Andy A. Afrouz

Andy Afrouz has a Ph.D. from the U.K.; Post-M.S. and M.S. from the U.S.A.; and B.S. from the U.K. He was a past member of National and International Association of Mining Engineers, a Professional Engineer of Ontario, Canada and Australia. His professional experiences were in the U.S.A., U.K., Iran, Canada, France, Zambia and Namibia. He has published about 33 peer reviewed researched technical papers and 6 books (3 Technical + 3 Novels).

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Copyright © 2019 by Andy A. Afrouz.

Library of Congress Control Number:      2019913336

ISBN:                  Softcover                            978-1-7960-5712-6

                            eBook                                  978-1-7960-5711-9

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. 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.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Rev. date: 09/04/2019

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CONTENTS

Dedication

Author Biography

Preface

A Tenderstormy Night

Unexpected Encounters

Emergency Treatment

A Life Changing Decission

Meeting Of Two Families

Blooming Of A Romance

Sophie’s Career Move

Florishing Of Romance

Surprise Bonuses For This Book

DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to my lovely grandchildren Sheena and Sebastian.

AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY

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Andy Afrouz leads and advocates a simple and healthy life. He has a PhD from the U.K., a post-MS and MS from the USA, and a BS from the U.K. Andy’s technical specialties are on Rock Mechanics and Ground Control. He was a past member of the US and some International Association of Mining Engineers, including a Professional Engineer of Ontario, Canada and Australia.

Andy’s professional experiences were in the USA, Britain, Canada, France, Iran, Namibia and Zambia. They were at all levels of: (A) Surface, underground, soft rock and hard rock mining of various minerals, none minerals and energy fuels; (B) Taught undergraduate and post-graduate level courses in 9 Colleges and Universities worldwide on the core mining and his specialty subjects; (C) Conducted Research, Management and Consulting on the afore noted subjects, including Tertiary Recovery from Gold Wastes and Depleted Petroleum Reservoirs.

He has 41 publications worldwide (37 Technical + 4 Novels, including this one). Andy is currently co-writing a children’s book with his grandchild, entitled Bundle of Joy. His most recent publications are as follows:

1- This ROMANTIC NOVEL entitled Ways of Hearts; Xlibris Publishers, USA; 234 pages (2019).

2- An ACTION THRILLER entitled WHY?; Xlibris Publishers, USA; 84 pages (2018).

3- A deep space SCIENCE FICTION THRILLER entitled UNEXPECTED; Xlibris Publishers, USA; 219 pages (2016).

4- IN EXCAVATION ENGINEERING; entitled Engineering Design aspects in Geomechanics and Ground Control for Mining and other Excavations; Xlibris Publishers, USA; 773 pages (2015).

5- A NUCLEAR SPY novel entitled To What End?!; Xlibris Publishers, USA; 774 pages (2014).

NOTE: For more information, please access Andy’s website at "http://www.AndyAfrouz.com". Thanks.

PREFACE

Incidents in life, generally taken for granted, may influence course of one’s planned endeavor. They result, directly or indirectly, to lasting effects on one’s destiny.

The story in this romantic novel portrays encounters between people, with twist of events. Which flourish to friendship. Then deepen to lifelong, meaningful and full feeling relationships.

Any resemblance of the story to life of someone, similarity of names or designations are incidental. They do not imply to any specific individual or group of people.

Andy A. Afrouz

USA, 2019

A TENDERSTORMY NIGHT

Spring has arrived at the rainy Northwest USA, known as Evergreen State. On a Saturday afternoon, Albert, a 27 years old attractive man, packed up his four suitcases and placed them in the trunk of his SUV. Additionally, he placed rest of his belongings in a U-Haul on tow. His parents were helping him in the packing. Albert was leaving the City of Seattle, where he was born, studied, worked and his parents reside. He was to take up an employment in a small Town called Tono. This scenic town is about 95 miles (150 kilometers) to the South of Seattle. He became familiar with the Tono when he had an interview there about two months earlier. This resulted to accepting an offer of career employment. He has reserved a temporary hotel accommodation in that town, to start the job the next Monday.

On about 6:30 pm, Albert has completed his packing, said his heart felt appreciations and goodbyes to his parents and departed Seattle. The weather was gloomy with light, sporadic drizzles, a somewhat familiar feature in that part of the country. As he proceeded nearly halfway towards the Tono, darkness prevailed, the drizzle turned to light rain which became heavier accompanied with sporadic tender. He kept driving carefully on the Highway Interstate 5 South, also known as I5, with the tow behind. His plan was to get to the Tono that night, stay in the reserved hotel room temporarily, and start his job by the coming Monday. Then, in a timely manner, find a suitable permanent residence in Tono.

Following the traffic signs, Albert exited the I5, turned East onto few connecting roads toward the Town of Tono. But mistakenly he missed a turn in the distracting tender storm and encroaching darkness, on country roads without lighting. He ended up on an unfamiliar area. Realizing he was lost, he turned on his car emergency signals and stopped the car on a roadside. He wanted to utilize his GPS to correct route; But needed to know where he is as his starting location to input the GPS. The tender storm became persistent and he could see nothing along the country road, but farmlands, to provide a clue for his whereabouts. Nor was any traffic on that road, in that weather conditions. So, his search of whereabouts was to no avail.

Eventually, Albert decided to continue driving very slowly and cautiously in hope of reaching a gas station, store or a house to seek direction. This ended him on a dark gravel road. Utilizing his car headlights high beams, he could see a large two-story house ahead. He continued driving carefully toward the house. The gravel road was becoming waterlogged and muddy causing Albert’s car and its tow to gently slide halfway into a shallow slippery drainage ditch on the right side of the road. Several try to drive the car out of the ditch was unsuccessful. This incident occurred about 400 feet (120 meters) from the house he saw ahead. Therefore, he decided to proceed on foot toward the house. He put his hat and raincoat on, got his cell phone, flush light and carried his pocketknife, just in case. Then he came out of the car and locked its doors, braved the challenging tender storm, darkness and muddy gravel road to proceed.

By reaching the house, Albert was soaked wet, his shoes and bottom of trousers all muddy. During the low visibility night, he noticed that the house is an older imposing building made of stones with a double garage and a sturdy entrance door. He could not see anything else around. Pointing his flush light around the door frame, he was trying to find a doorbell; But found a hammer door knock in the center instead. He knocked the door twice and waited for a few seconds for someone to answer. But received no reply. He knocked the door again harder three times, and heard a man’s voice asking: Who is this?

Albert answered: I got lost and my car is slipped into a ditch nearby; I need help to get my car out of the ditch and direction to go to, please

The man asked: Wait a moment. He turned on the outside light, looked through the door outside viewer, with a handgun on hand. The man unlocked the door deadbolt, checked the door’s safety chain for security, then cautiously opened the door slightly and said: It’s about 9! At this time of the night and in this weather condition everybody is hunkered down and asleep around here; What is your name and where you are heading?

Albert reiterated: I am Albert Johnson and intend to go to the Town of Tono; Also, my car and its tow has slipped in a ditch nearby; Can you help, please?

The man elaborated: Tono is not far from here; But to go there, you have to get your car out of the ditch first; I can’t help to get your car out, especially in this weather; You have to wait till tomorrow to get any help from my boss; They are sleep now, not to be disturbed and I am a caretaker; You better go back to your car, sleep there and come back tomorrow morning after about 8 o’clock when the boss gets up; The best I can do for you is to give you a bottle of water some fruits and cake for tonight to keep you warm and fed; If that’s OK with you?

Albert replied uneasily: That will be fine; Thanks

The caretaker reiterated: I’ll close the door; But wait for a few minutes; I’ll be back He then locked the house door with Albert waiting outside. Shortly, the caretaker returned, opened the door and gave Albert a plastic bag containing what he said will give. Albert said appreciably: Thanks for your good deed; I’ll be back at about 8 am; Good night

The caretaker replied: Sorry; That’s all I could do under the circumstances; Take care and good night; See you tomorrow He then closed and locked the door.

The uneasy return to his car, in tender storm and the muddy road made Albert’s clothing even wetter and dirtier. Upon reaching his car, he opened its door and placed the plastic bag on a seat. He then looked around to find a place to release himself. He didn’t want to make his car interior dirty, so he tried to clean his shoes and trousers, before getting in the back seat of the car to rest. He then locked the car doors for safety, immediately called the hotel, cancelled his reservation due to the hazardous driving conditions and stated possibility of a reservation soon. Feeling hungry, he consumed contents of the plastic bag followed with a drink of water. For warmth, he took a blanket out of one of his suitcases from access to back of the SUV. Then placed his flush light and pocketknife nearby, just in case, and tried to sleep. However, from time to time he was awakened by the annoying intermittent heavy rain pounding on the roof of the car and sporadic sound of tender. Moreover, sleeping with wet clothing, in the back of a car tilted on a side of a drainage ditch was much to desire for comfort.

As that situation wasn’t enough, during the early morning hours, an unusual sound awakened Albert up. He looked around inside and outside, through the cars’ windows to find source of the noise. He was astonished to see a coyote stretching to a higher side of the car window, scratching it and trying to look inside and get in. Albert thought the animal is probably looking for food or something. He quickly reached his pocketknife for defense and turned on the flush light toward the animal’s eyes. The light caused the coyote to back off and slowly disappear in the dark. It was the first time he had such disturbing experience. After which, Albert was compelled to stay alert and could not have a good sleep.

UNEXPECTED ENCOUNTERS

Gradually, the stormy night gave way to a calmer dawn. The morning became dry but breezy and nippy with patches of cloud floating in the air. At about 7:45 am, Albert gotten up, ready to walk to the house for seeking help. The gravel road was still muddy from reminisce of the night before. On way to the house, Albert saw farmlands around and a large barn in distance. He knocked on the house door, the caretaker asked: Who it is?

The reply was: Good morning; I am Albert; the person who was here last night, seeking help

The cautious caretaker looked through the door viewer making sure who that was. Upon recognition, he opened the door and said with a smile: Good morning; Earlier I had the opportunity to tell my boss about you; They felt bad that you couldn’t be helped last night; He is expecting you; Please come in

Albert replied: Thank you Upon entering, he looked at his dirtied shoes and added: I better take them off so that they won’t make a mess in your house He then took his shoes off and placed them on a corner of the mat, which was laid in front of the entrance door. The caretaker noticed Albert’s consideration, thanked him, then took him to the living room and asked: Please, take a seat till I inform my boss for your arrival

Albert replied: OK; Thanks While seated and waiting, he looked around and was impressed with cleanliness and artistic decoration of the room. Shortly, a well-built senior looking man slowly descended downstairs. When he reached the main floor, Albert stood up courteously and politely, said: Good morning; I am sorry to interrupt your morning seeking help

The senior replied: Good morning to you also; Glen told us about your unfortunate incidence last night; It was a rough night and hazardous to drive; Sorry for not getting help then; What you did say your name was?

Albert replied: Albert Johnson

The senior reiterated: Nice meeting you Albert; My name is John MacKinnon; What exactly we can do for you?

Albert elaborated: It’s my pleasure meeting you Sir; Last nights’ weather caused me two problems: My car and its U-Haul on tow was slipped in a ditch about 400 feet (120 meters) from here; I need help to get them out to be able to drive toward my destination; Also, I am lost, don’t know where I am from which to go to the Town of Tono; Can you help, please?

John MacKinnon replied smilingly: We certainly can help you making your terrible night ends up happier today He immediately placed a telephone call to one of his employees and said: Hello Bob, sorry interrupting your Sunday morning; Unexpected incidence occurred as someone came to my door, in need of help; Can you come to our house as soon as you can and bring your tractor with you; We need to get a car and its towed container out of the drainage ditch nearby

Bob replied: OK boss; Right away; See you soon

Mr. MacKinnon said: Thanks Bob; I appreciate it; Bye…. He then informed Albert: Help is on the way

Albert expressed: Thanks so much for your good deed, Mr. MacKinnon; Please, let me know the cost to be reimbursed

John MacKinnon replied kindly: There is no cost to you; We are glad to be of help; As for your second query, you are now in the outskirt of a Town called Tenino; I know where the Tono is; It’s about 12 miles (19 kilometers) to our South; Some of its residents are customers of my farm products He took a piece of paper and pen to draw and said: Here is the direction He explained how to get to the Tono and passed on the drawing.

Albert took it and courteously said: Thank you so much for your kind help

Mr. MacKinnon replied: Our pleasure He then took a moment, looked at Albert from top to bottom and commented: "You must have had a rough sleeping in your car last night and there is no shop open around here