Created Equal, But Not for Long: Dexter, Son of Marvin

By Roy D Perkins

This story deals with a retired sewer plant worker who finds a kitten abandoned at the plant. With the aid of the veterinarian and good nursing care, he manages to bring the kitten back into a state of good health. The main characters are Alex Yates and a talking cat named Dexter that is addicted to LAND O’LAKES cheese, has an IQ of 162, and is also a male chauvinist feline. The story reveals how Dexter guides and directs Alex through the trials of using his talents and gifts for the common good. Alex does this by leaping into the bodies of people and actually becoming them. Many times Dexter has to order Alex to leave a body because he’s becoming completely absorbed into the new personality. The writing deals with love, despair, heartache, dependence, and independence. The story reveals to the reader that people mistakenly live for tomorrow while forgetting about today. Although at first Dexter is not allowed to violate man’s free will, he inadvertently skirts around the issue by becoming a police officer for the Culpeper Police Department. In the end, as Dexter believes that his job is done, the story has a shocking ending, which backfires right back at Dexter. This omniscient cat is in for a shock of his own. This is a sequel to Cliff Zane: Guilty as Charged. Reflective words inferred in the writing: We are all born with talents that are gifts from God. We cannot earn or buy them. They are a gift. We all have different gifts. Some have many. Some have few. In the next life we shall be measured by what we did with our gifts. We don’t get to keep what we have. We’re supposed to give it away.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Page Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Nov 13, 2020
• ISBN: 9781643349718

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Created Equal, But Not for Long

Dexter, Son of Marvin

Roy D Perkins

Copyright © 2020 Roy D. Perkins

All rights reserved

First Edition

PAGE PUBLISHING, INC.

Conneaut Lake, PA

First originally published by Page Publishing 2020

ISBN 978-1-64334-972-5 (pbk)

ISBN 978-1-64334-971-8 (digital)

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Six

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Introduction

Alex Yates just retired from the city of Culpeper in Southern New England. He worked as a sewer operator at the city sewage plant for over forty years. A few days before he left, he found a newborn kitten on the plant premises. The kitten was obviously dying and would not have survived another day. He brought it to the vet where it was hospitalized for several days. The vet told Alex that either the kitten was abandoned by its mother or someone dropped it off to get rid of it. The veterinary hospital finally released the kitten to Alex with specific instructions as to how to care for the infant kitten.

It was tough going for quite a while as the kitten struggled to survive. Finally, with the caring and nurturing of Alex, the kitten began to gain weight. His appetite increased substantially. As time went on, the kitten began to bounce around and get into mischief. He was eating like it was his last day on earth. The kitten was finally out of danger from dying. As the kitten got bigger and stronger, he began to talk. For a while Alex thought he was imagining that the cat was talking. After all, cats don’t talk.

The kitten was a black-and-white-tuxedo cat. Alex loved him from the first time he saw him. One day, when they were both sitting on the couch, the kitten starts talking again to Alex.

Kitten: Alex, why won’t you talk to me?

Alex: Because cats don’t talk. We both know that.

Kitten: Well, this one does. Actually, I don’t talk. I communicate through mental telepathy. The Creator gave me that gift.

Alex: Well, kitten, just why the hell are you here anyway?

Kitten: First, let me introduce myself. My name is Dexter. To be brief and blunt, in the last few months, you saved my ass. Now, in the next few years, I am going to straighten your ass out.

Alex: I never heard of a talking cat before, except for some rumors about a couple of cats named Marvin and Harvey. But I dismissed it as bullshit rumors.

Dexter: Alex, my name is Dexter, and the Creator sent me to you. Alex, although you are not a bad person, you are not living in accordance with the Creator’s guidelines. Let’s just say I was sent here to refine you into the person you should be. When you speak of bullshit rumors, you are referring to Marvin and Harvey. Marvin was my father, seven generations earlier, and Harvey was my grandfather, fourteen generations earlier. They both had awesome powers much greater than mortal men or mortal cats. I have these same powers. You will discover this in the next several months.

Dexter, continues: In Lincoln’s Gettysburg address Mr. Lincoln mentioned that all men are created equal; however, the equality doesn’t last very long. The Creator never meant for the equality to dissipate moments after birth. Human beings are deluded into thinking that the ones who have the most at the time of physical death are the winners in the Creator’s eyes. This is simply not true. In the world of the humans, the strong crush the weak, the evil destroy the good, the healthy kill off the sick, and the greatly blessed stomp on the less blessed. That’s not the way the Creator meant it to be.

Alex: Just what the hell does all this have to do with me?

Dexter: I am here to not only set the record straight but also to make a few wrongs right, at least in your corner of the world. From time to time we will discuss what’s right and what’s wrong. We will act upon our decisions. I will be taking you to worlds and times beyond your wildest dreams. You will have to make freewill choices. You see, Alex, if we make good and wholesome decisions, we can stand up and be counted for doing what’s right. If we make bad and offensive decisions, we’re just dead corpses waiting to be consumed by the worms.

Dexter, continues: The Creator, as he did with Marvin and Harvey, endowed me with certain divine abilities on a temporary basis. I am omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent, and clairvoyant just like Marvin and Harvey. I have a 162 IQ. You will discover that even though I am almost perfect, I still have certain issues that I must deal with. Just like my father and grandfather, I am a male chauvinist feline, don’t care for the beliefs of Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormons, and am addicted to LAND O’ LAKES cheese. This makes me quite imperfect.

Alex: I gather I have some lessons to learn from all this.

Dexter: You’re right, you do. The human is running the planet and has it all screwed up. Every one of you sincerely believes that your talents, achievements, abilities, and intelligence are your own doing. You take credit for Creator-given gifts. Humans are the most self-centered, egotistical, inhumane, arrogant, and self-seeking animals on the planet. It wasn’t meant to be like that. Here on the planet humans are at the top of the food chain because of their Creator-given brain. However, within the human hierarchy, there is gross inequality. Humans are purposely making the lives of their brothers and sisters miserable so that they can make their own lives that much better. The human world has become a society of the people with plenty who are stomping on those with very little.

Alex: That’s the natural order. The strong kill off the weak so that what’s left is fit stock. That’s just the way it is.

Dexter: That may be the way it is in reality, but the strong are supposed to help the weak—that is, take care of those who can’t take care of themselves. The Creator meant for people to use their talents and gifts to benefit other people who don’t have an abundance of gifts and talents. Tomorrow morning I’d like to show you exactly what I mean. Demonstrating is a lot better than just talking about it.

Dexter, continues: In the meantime, do you have any LAND O’LAKES cheese in the icebox?

Alex: No, I don’t. Do you want me to get some?

Dexter: That would be great. Get at least a couple of pounds so we don’t run out.

Alex drives down to the middle of town. He picks up the mail and two pounds of LAND O’LAKES cheese at the market. He arrives home.

Alex: Well, I have the cheese. What are we gonna do?

Dexter: Is it LAND O’LAKES cheese?

Alex: Yes, it is. It was even on sale.

Dexter: Let’s pick out a DVD movie, and we’ll watch it with some cheese. I particularly like westerns and war movies. My grandfather, Harvey, used to do this with Aaron, and my father, Marvin, used to do this with Cliff.

Alex: This sounds like a good idea. What do you want to watch?

Dexter: Let’s watch The Longest Day. While it’s loading, why don’t you cut up a large bowl of cheese? The movie and cheese sort of go together.

Alex: Well, here we go. I love this stuff too. Do you eat it often?

Dexter: I eat it all the time. My father, Marvin, and my grandfather, Harvey, were addicted to the stuff, but they would never admit it though. However, I can quit anytime. I can take or leave it. Marvin inherited the addiction from Harvey. I suppose I could inherit the addiction from Marvin.

Alex: I didn’t realize that one could inherit an addiction.

Dexter: I should warn you about another one of my flaws. I am prone to nightmares. Both Marvin and Harvey were prone to nightmares.

Alex: This movie is a classic, you know.

Dexter: Look at this. The allies have landed on Utah Beach and are being cut to pieces. If they don’t break through the German line pretty soon, they’ll have to retreat back into the sea. Well, thanks to Robert Mitchum, the allies broke through. Look here, the Germans are shooting the paratroopers who got caught up in the trees and the church tower. John Wayne is really pissed.

Alex: Dexter, the allies had over five thousand ships at Normandy.

Dexter: I know. It was a big decision on Eisenhower’s part to go ahead with the landing. It could have been disastrous.

Alex: It looks like the movie is over, and we’re out of cheese.

Dexter: My stomach is really full. I gotta make a trip to the litter box. I might have to throw up too. I sure hope I don’t get addicted to this stuff.

Alex and Dexter retire for the evening. Dexter has trouble walking, So Alex carries him to bed. They both conk out in Alex’s bed. During the night, there’s a loud scream. Dexter is having a nightmare. He is shaking and yelling for Alex.

Dexter: Alex, we landed on the beach, and my whole division got shot up. I was the only one left alive. The Nazis were in machine-gun nests and were shooting me full of bullets. Alex, you have to save me. I am bleeding to death.

Alex: It was only a dream. I got all the bullets out. I brought up some heavy artillery, and the Nazis are in retreat. I plugged up the holes until we can get you to a field hospital. The bleeding has stopped.

Dexter: Thanks, Alex. If it weren’t for you, I’d be a casualty on the battlefield.

Alex: I’ll hold and cuddle you for a while until you go back to sleep. I see you threw up a couple of times during the night.

Dexter: Yeah, maybe I ate too much cheese last night.

Alex: Maybe isn’t the word for it. Except for a couple of pieces I had, you ate two large bowls of cheese. How does such a little stomach hold so much cheese? Perhaps you should only eat a few pieces at a movie.

Dexter: Alex, I had only a few pieces in me before the introduction. This stuff is so good that once I start eating it, I can’t quit.

Alex: Then you are addicted to it.

Dexter: Nah, I can quit anytime. I have a lot of willpower.

Chapter One

Alex: You know, Dexter. You’re a pretty good cat. I am glad I found you at my sewer plant. You weren’t far from death at the time.

Dexter: Alex, you were destined to find me and nurse me back to health. You and I are going to be together in this life and the next.

Alex: What would you like to do today? It’s a nice, sunny, warm day.

Dexter: Suppose we go to a baseball game at Yankee Stadium? Perhaps we can have a good time and learn something to boot.

Alex: Dexter, it’s kind of late to go to the game. It’s gonna take us about three hours to get there, and besides, we don’t even have tickets. I wouldn’t mind going tomorrow or the next day, but the Yankees are starting a long road trip tomorrow.

Dexter: That’s not a problem, Alex. I can whisk us there in a second, right inside the park. The Creator gave me the ability to instantly travel from one place to another. I can take you with me. We can watch the game, and we can discuss individual players.

Alex: How the hell do you do this? How can a feline have all these powers?

Dexter: My powers are compliments of the Creator. Of course, later on, when I return to the heavenly realm, they will be revoked. Game time is not till 2:00 pm, so we have a little time to kill. Why don’t we go to the park now? We can sit in our seats and discuss subject matters about life.

Alex: Dexter, we don’t have any tickets. So how can we have any seats? If we take someone else’s seats, a park attendant will just tell us to leave.

Dexter: Alex, at practically every game there are empty seats. Either the seats weren’t sold or the people who bought them never showed up. We’ll just sit in two of those seats. I’ll pick two where we can get a good view of the game.

Alex: What if we get caught? They’ll throw our asses out and then they’ll call the cops. The cops might even arrest us.

Dexter: First of all, Alex, that will not happen. No one will even know that we are there. So the cops aren’t coming to arrest us.

Dexter whisks both of them inside the stadium. There are empty seats all over the place.

Dexter: Alex, well, we’re here. This is a real good spot. Let’s take these two seats. There won’t be any fans to fill them today. It’s too bad that the vendors don’t sell LAND O’LAKES cheese. They would make a fortune.

Alex: Dexter, I feel that we’re not really here to watch the game. I figure you have some bombshell lesson for me to learn.

Dexter: Actually, we’ll do both. We’ll watch the game and learn from the outing at the same time.

Alex: This should be interesting. At least I get to watch a game for nothing.

Dexter: Let’s concentrate on that one player down there, Number 32.

Alex: Oh yeah, that guy is a great player. He has a 342 batting average, leads the league in home runs, is an excellent outfielder, and has played errorless ball since he has been in the Yankee franchise.

Dexter: What you say is very true. However, let’s discuss his roots and how he got here. First of all, he was born with extraordinary abilities to play baseball. He did not earn them. He did not develop them. The Creator gave them to him. When he was up and coming, so to speak, coaches and managers saw his abilities and pushed him along. He got opportunities that none of his peers got. At nineteen years old he was in Minor League Baseball. At twenty years old he was in Major League Baseball. And here he is. This very talented individual doesn’t remember the coaches and managers who pushed him along. They are long forgotten. He also gives no credit to the Creator who gave him these abilities in the first place. However, he will not play the traditional twenty years in Major League Baseball. I will explain later. However, he is already a very wealthy person. His salary is $128,000,000 over a four-year period. That’s $32,000,000 per year. That’s pretty good for just using his Creator-given gifts. He is very much blessed and has never thanked the Creator even once. He’ll go into eternity believing that his talents were of his own doing.

Alex: We all act that way. We all want to be idolized. We all want others to think that we are great heroes. It’s the human in us. In today’s world, the Creator is completely out of the picture. There’s no more of this In God We Trust. We not only don’t trust him but also don’t even acknowledge his existence.

Dexter: You speak with words of wisdom. However, they are terrible words to live by. I assure you, Alex, the Creator does exist. The fact that I am here and doing what I am doing should prove that. Number 32 doesn’t realize that he’s not supposed to keep all that money. He’s supposed to give it away for the benefit of his human brothers and sisters. Instead, he’s investing it to build up his personal treasures even more.

Dexter, continues: When the Creator confronts him and asks him what he did with his talents and with the money received, he will say that he invested it in stocks and bonds. The Creator will then say that it was a poor investment because it wasn’t used to benefit others who are less blessed. He is a rich fool. There is no reason for one person to have that much money. He is tied up in the philosophy of me, myself and I. Pride has a strangle hold on him. It will lead to his destruction.

Alex: What the hell do you mean, Dexter? The Creator blessed him, and he’s just taking advantage of it.

Dexter: You don’t understand, Alex. You are supposed to give back your blessings. He should be giving his money away by the barrels full. His greed is going to get the best of him. The Creator gave him the talents and money so he could use it to the further benefit of other people. Instead, he’s hoarding it. The Creator is no longer in his life.

Alex: You’re saying that his wealth is not really his. He was only put in charge of it for proper disposition. I seriously doubt that he realizes that. Anyone of us would do exactly the same if given the opportunity.

Dexter: You’re right, Alex. That’s because humans only think of themselves. To hell with everyone else. The Creator tested this guy, and he flunked miserably.

Alex: So what’s gonna happen? Eventually he’ll pass on.

Dexter: That’s right! He’ll pass on, and so will his fortune without ever benefiting anyone except himself. The probate lawyers will spend a lot of it. His heirs will get what’s left, and the process will start all over again. Some will hoard it, some will spend it foolishly, and a very few might use it for the good of others.

Alex: Regardless, I’d like to be able to walk in his shoes for a little while. I would like a taste of the good life. I think that I would do right.

Dexter: Okay, you can walk in his shoes for a while. You are now Number 32 for a while. Let’s see what you do with the time you have as Number 32.

Alex: This is great. I am on top of the mountain. Whoops! I’d better leave. It’s Number 32’s time to bat.

Dexter: Stay there. Get in the batter’s box and do your best. Everyone should have his time in the sun. See if you can hit this guy’s fastball. A swing and a miss—strike one. Out of the strike zone—ball one. Out of the strike zone again—ball two. A swing and a hit into left center field. You’re in for a double. The next guy just struck out for the third out, which leaves you stranded.

Alex: I am playing center field. Where is this guy gonna hit the ball?

Dexter: It’s fly ball to deep center field. You’re at the warning track, Alex.

Alex: I got it, Dexter. Another few feet, and it would have been out of here. This is the most fun I’ve had in years.

Dexter: Alex, the game is over. Let’s go see your swanky apartment. It’s over five thousand square feet. You couldn’t ask for more than that.

Alex: Yeah, this is the life. I wouldn’t mind staying in this body. For the time being I am a multimillionaire. I can do anything or go anywhere.

Dexter: Alex, what are you going do with all that money

Alex: I am going to save and save. Who knows how much I could accumulate?

Dexter: Aren’t you going to give some away to the less fortunate?

Alex: I never thought about it. I think I’ll keep it for now though.

Dexter: What’s the Creator going to say?

Alex: I am the one who earned the money. The Creator didn’t have anything to do with it. My baseball abilities got me this money. I am the best, now, before, and forever.

Dexter: Come on, Alex. It’s time to take our seats in the stadium again. You flunked the test. As Number 32, pride, greed, and your ego got the best of you. Now you see how easy it is to get caught up in this material world.

Alex: Pride and greed took over my mind. I thought that I had accomplished these goals. I gave the Creator no credit. I wasn’t willing to share my blessings with anyone. How did that happen anyway?

Dexter: Your mind and soul were swallowed up in your egotistical heart just like Number 32. Before you strolled a while in Number 32’s shoes, you said that you could never be like Number 32. Your spirit said you would be generous with your fortune and that you would use it for the benefit of others. However, after becoming Number 32, you actually became the arrogant and egotistical Number 32. For a short while you were Number 32.

Dexter, continues: We’re back at our seats in the stadium now. Alex, did we learn