Tales from Downes Town

By John R. Downes

The Accidental Candidate -- A janitor doesn't need to campaign with friends like this.
Overheard At a Coffee Shop -- Farfetched, yet oddly believable-or not.
Conversation On an Airplane -- A marble champion solves the National Debt.
Ocean Mist -- Do clients follow a trusted adviser who opts for a career change?
Custer's Witness -- Crow Indian Ashishishe was his scout at the Little Big Horn.
Discord In River View Heights -- Border encroachments change everything.
Three Days On An Orphan Train -- POV of an orphan who has already been selected.
Seeking Powerball -- A lost ticket is life-changing.
Congregation of Investigators -- A satire about the 20th century's biggest murder trial.
Demise of the Blue Goose -- An old Packard, newlyweds, and two thieves intertwine.
Dmitri's Retirement -- A hard-working Russian plans well. All is not what it seems.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Oct 18, 2019
• ISBN: 9781796065794

John R. Downes

JOHN R. DOWNES proves his credentials as a master storyteller in this epic tale. His novels span diverse genres: historical fiction, spy thriller, literary fiction, and mystery. He resides with his wife, Susan, in Spokane, Washington.

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Copyright © 2019 by John R. Downes.

ISBN:                  Softcover                           978-1-7960-6580-0

                            eBook                                 978-1-7960-6579-4

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.

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: 10/18/2019

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CONTENTS

I         The Accidental Candidate

II        Overheard At A Coffee Shop

III      Conversation On An Airplane

IV      Ocean Mist

V        Custer’s Witness

VI      Discord In River View Heights

VII     Three Days On An Orphan Train

VIII   Seeking Powerball

IX      Congregation Of Investigators

X        Demise Of The Blue Goose

XI      The Second Most Fastest Gunfighter

XII     Dmitri’s Retirement

Imagination rules the world

– NAPOLEON

Originality provokes originality

– GOETHE

I

THE ACCIDENTAL CANDIDATE

Why him? a nearby angel asked. I thought there were no exceptions.

The Creator smiled. You shall see.

Fate is such an equivocal concept. Things happen. Collisions between predestination and random chance occur constantly in people’s lives. Some believe that breaking their hip in a bathtub pratfall and being splattered with crow poop while seated in the patio are predestined elements of their lives, since all are, they insist. Others subscribe to the random chance theory.

Even more life-changing, consider the circumstance of boarding the wrong flight, then flying to Fort Lauderdale, instead of Fargo, and meeting one’s future spouse in the adjoining seat. Is fate the cause? Or accident? That debate has gone on for hundreds of years … a conundrum, indeed.

When this story’s main character was born, the Creator gazed down at his crib from the heavens, and mused aloud, Ahhh … from middle-age onward, this human being will require constant nurturing and unscheduled interactions with others to tolerate his fate.

*

Forty-six year old Chester Goodman enjoyed his welding job at Boll-Weevil Scaffolding and Tower Manufacturing in Lake City, Illinois, near Chicago. His work ethic and craftsmanship earned him plaudits and a series of promotions to welding supervisor for experimental products at the assembly plant. Ever since his metal shop classes in high school, he’d always wanted to be a welder and follow in his father’s footsteps. His six year enlistment in the U.S. Navy commenced at welding school in the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, followed by deployments on a guided missile destroyer and a helicopter carrier as a hull technician. He received kudos for creating a latching mechanism that kept hatch covers open in stormy seas.

Although his shy demeanor, premature balding, and lack of conversation skills turned off all the females that he’d mentally coveted since puberty, he eventually married his landlord’s flirtatious, well-endowed, aging daughter on his thirty-second birthday, but got divorced six years later after she ran off with a cemetery plot salesman, who’d occupied the apartment directly underneath.

He found sustenance and escape ever since by listening to country music and discussing Bible scriptures after work with his pet macaw, Maxine, in his one bedroom apartment on the third floor – accessible by stairs and an elevator.

*

"You had mentioned Chester’s ‘constant nurturing and unscheduled interactions with others from middle age onward to tolerate his fate,’ the nearby angel whispered respectfully. He’s getting close to fifty."

The Creator smiled. You shall see.

*

Just before his first accident, business at Boll-Weevil was overflowing with orders, due to the booming economy. Multi-level construction projects were popping up all over the country. In an effort to expand the product line and serve a whole new market segment, Roland Boll, the company’s senior partner, opted to raise the height of its tallest scaffold tower from three stories to four. Chester was assigned to the task team. That became the genesis.

When the newly-designed parts for the taller scaffold were near completion two weeks later, Walter Weevil ordered a look-see.

Chester, he said, take Hugh with you … set the prototype up on the paved portion of the parking lot … then climb up to the top. Yell for me and Bolly … we’ll leave our office windows open.

*

Chester lay in a coma for three months at County General Hospital in Chicago. He wasn’t expected to survive. During the collapse, Hugh had managed to jump clear and only break his leg and both wrists, but Chester wasn’t so lucky. Helplessly, he clung to the top deck of the four-story-high scaffold, as it fell over sideways. His head struck the curbing. Ten hours of brain and orthopedic surgery repaired his fractured skull, inserted a metal patch in his right temple to replace the excised skull fragments, set multiple broken bones and fractured ribs, inflated a collapsed lung, and wrapped him in a full body cast. Subsequent operations covered the metal patch with skin grafts. Doctors knew he might be subject to brain seizures for the rest of his life.

Toward the end of three months, he regained consciousness, with only flashes of memory about the accident. His first waking concern was about Maxine, his pet macaw, but was assured she was being taken care of by his landlord.

When Chester became semi-ambulatory with a stroller, he was transferred to St. Procopius Rehabilitation facility in Waukegan for several weeks of physical therapy. His favorite daily activity became the visit to the heated pool. He memorized the rules and truisms by repetition. None were written down anywhere, but were constantly shouted at him by the therapist as the need occurred. Each time, Chester repeated them aloud with emphasis, just as he knew Maxine would do.

During early morning hours, patients reported hearing him wandering through the corridor with his stroller, seemingly mumbling the pool rules and truisms to himself.

POOL RULES AND TRUISMS

Enter one small step at a time.

Get used to the temperature before progressing.

Don’t get in over your head.

Jumping in will shock your system.

You will feel weightless in deep water.

Each small step up increases your weight.

Don’t pee in the pool.

*

Six months later

Following his release from St. Procopius, Chester returned to his apartment, was re-unified with Maxine, accepted early retirement from Boll-Weevil at 35% of his former salary, and was gifted with a brand new Schwinn bicycle from the company. He was urged to supplement his greatly-reduced monthly income to remain in place, yet spurned recommendations for Social Security Disability payments and a HUD-financed reduced-rent subsidy.

Each small step up increases your weight, he replied to the flummoxed advisers.

His landlord pleaded with him to apply for the two programs. It’s charity for your taking, he said.

"Tell him no, Maxine," Chester replied.

No.

You’re disabled, Chester! the landlord insisted. You always will be! You’ve suffered a terrible misfortune … everyone deserves all the help they can get.

Don’t get in over your head, Chester replied.

What?

Don’t get in over your head, Maxine squawked.

The landlord shook his head in disbelief.

Chester opted to supplement his income by his own toil. He applied and was hired for the full-time janitor position at nearby Oliver Wendell Holmes Elementary. Students loved him straight out. He joined them for lunch in the cafeteria and nodded agreeably at their chatter; acknowledged everyone’s queries with short, simple sentences; bought donuts and extra milks for some of the poorer kids occasionally; greeted all with a Hey! and a broad smile; allowed some to push the broom, operate the electric floor buffer, and stomp down the paper trash, after he lifted them into the dumpster. He even parked his bicycle next to theirs in the racks, instead of in the ‘Reserved for Staff’ area. Two school toughies informed him that he didn’t need to lock it. If anybody tries to make off with it … we’ll beat him to a pulp!

No one there, except for a few staffers, were aware of his sporadic seizures.

*

Chester popped a couple of M&M’s into his mouth as he watched seventh-grader, Becky Barlow, pin one of her handmade campaign posters on the bulletin board outside the school principal’s office. She was running for student body president for the following semester. It read in part: Becky Barlow Has What it Takes – Perfect Attendance Here Since Kindergarten.

She turned to face Chester. I wish I could think of something stimulating to say or do at the school assembly tomorrow that will help me get more votes, she said.

Becky Barlow gazed at him for a long moment, awaiting his reply.

Candy, he said, as he held the open bag of M&M’s out to her.

What?

Candy is very good.

Becky facial expression became one of pure joy. Thank you, Chester! You are a genius … an absolute peach!

*

Three weeks later

Parent/teacher Conference

Becky told me your advice helped her win the election, Mr. Goodman. I’m Becky’s father … Circuit Court Judge Adam Barlow. They shook hands. Tossing Snickers Bars, Hershey Kisses and lollipops from the stage may very well influence how student leaders are selected in the future, don’t you agree, Mr. Goodman?

Enter one small step at a time, Chester replied.

Hmm … yes, indeed.

Papa? Becky tugged at her father’s arm.

What is it, Sweetheart?

Chester lets us call him by his first name … it’s Chester, Papa … not Mr. Goodman. Don’t forget the invitation.

"Of course, Sweetheart. Chester! Several times every year we invite