The Great Jay Gatsby

By Renee Kennedy

F. Scott Fitzgerald sets The Great Gatsby around WWI; he leaves the reader with a mystery of the true identity and education of his fictional character. This novel, The Great Jay Gatsby supplies the answers and sets the novel in WWII.

The reader must decide whether Gatsby lived and when? Meet the Great Gatsby's beautiful wife in the pages of this story.

A literary achievement for any writer is to create a fictional character so real that the reader believes they lived. In the case of James Bond, this fictional character was borrowed by so many writers that the encyclopedia lists James Bond as a living person. Renee Kennedy will make you believe Jay Gatsby is a living person in history. The story is set in an era when autos and planes among other invented technologies are new to society and adds more interest to the reader. The novel promotes good morals and encourages parents to love their children.

God is love, and love softens any heart. The inspirational and motivational message for daily living is to cherish every gift of love from God. Why? Tragedy may strike at any time! A loved one can be lost in a moment. Many today may enjoy love but have forgotten who the source of love is. A hardened heart through force of habit may forget God.

Gatsby forgets God when he loses his family and forgets his family when he fights in WWII. God gave Jay Gatsby victory over the sting of death; God is watching us all from a distance. This book captures how love between a man and woman should truly be embraced, and no matter what losses one may face, romance or love should be remembered, not forgotten.

The love of The Great Jay Gatsby should not only be for his family but also for his God. Nothing may separate us from God's love.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Dec 20, 2022
• ISBN: 9798886164503

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The Great Jay Gatsby

Renee Kennedy

ISBN 979-8-88616-449-7 (paperback)

ISBN 979-8-88616-450-3 (digital)

Copyright © 2022 by Renee Kennedy

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Christian Faith Publishing

832 Park Avenue

Meadville, PA 16335

www.christianfaithpublishing.com

Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture was taken from the King James Version of the Bible. The related wisdom teaching emphasized in this book is taken from words spoken by Evangelist Mike Murdock. The chorus of the song Honey is by Bobby Goldsboro. All songs and poetry in this book are written by Renee Kennedy unless otherwise indicated.

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Dedication

Sweet Dreams

For My Beloved

A Season of Love

My Pillow Lace

Each Day Without You

At Christmastime

With All My Love

This Is Your Life

On Top of the World

One Day at a Time

The Rest of Your Life (Author's Afterword)

About the Author

Dedication

Iwould like to dedicate this novel to Robert Redford who inspired me in my writing career to give birth to the characters as an actor on the stage of his life. I dated Robert Redford in my life. We dated when I worked at Peabody College as a secretary to Dean Elizabeth Goldman. Robert Redford filmed a movie in Nashville called Three Days of the Condor . He dedicated a huge, wall-sized painting I call Children of the World to the Lord's Chapel in Brentwood, Tennessee.

Robert Redford may be remembered as a talented artist. His painting reminds me that Jesus loves the little children. Robert Redford painted a portrait of a red rose growing from a tree that had been chopped into a stump. He said, I am that rose.

My oldest son was a student at the Christian school, the Lord's Chapel. The doors of this chapel are closed today. However, my son and I were present on the day Robert Redford received Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. Robert Redford was baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit at The Lord's Chapel by Reverend Billy Roy Moore.

Robert Redford asked me in a Hallmark greeting card to share his life on a ranch and offered me a gold wedding band. Of course, our lives were separated: his by a career as a movie star and my career as a nurse for thirty years had just begun. We dated again when we accidentally ran into each other at Santa Monica Beach in California.

Robert Redford would run the length of the beach every day. I still see myself watching him as Robert Redford passed me by. I wrote letters to Robert Redford for seven years. We said our goodbye in Paris, France, as good friends sometimes do. Robert Redford married a lady from Amsterdam, Sweden.

His personality has star quality in this book. Robert Redford was The Great Gatsby in one of his films. He is my inspiration in this book. I find myself adding the real Robert Redford to the character in this book especially when the great Jay Gatsby finds himself dating the religious April Joy Bellamy. It is fun to see the truly decent and handsome qualities in this book of the real Robert Redford. He is and will always be one of the most talented actors in the film industry.

Chapter 1

Sweet Dreams

When I remember meeting James Henry Gatz, it was in Golden Valley, North Dakota. Everyone in our small town thought he was so special because he was the proud driver of a Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost in the Spring of 1915. The first thought I ever had of him was how hot and sweaty he looked. He was working on the farm. He was plowing the garden with an old farm mule.

James made me blush. He without his shirt, I paid no mind to such going on until I saw him for the first time. And his muscles in his arms were bulging and his veins clearly seen. My thoughts were far from being demure and sweet. I had to look and see. I was mindful not to let my interest show. But he knew because whenever he looked my way, he could see my red cheeks burning. His initial reaction was to smile and wink at me.

I knew he flirted with me because I said to myself, He's just a man. (A wink conveys an unspoken hint.) What thoughts were on his mind? (To flirt is a playful move at courtship or a casual and brief romantic involvement.) He was twenty-one years old, and I had just reached eighteen. He had been overseas at Oxford. I was seated on my horse Mac.

My horse was a honey-blond stallion. I was riding over to pay my respect. It was a warm Saturday with a cool breeze. The sun at noon kept the weather in springtime bearable. The skies seemed bluer somehow after seeing James. I noticed his eyes were as blue as the sky. He had short sandy-blond hair bleached from the sun. A look of hardness most of the time. Then I thought my heart missed a beat as he, before my very eyes, was transformed from a hardened heart into a fair and refined beauty when he smiled at me.

Hello, I said, how are you? I was just getting some exercise. I saw you at work this morning, so I wanted to ride by to greet you.

He looked at me closely from head to toe. My green eyes and golden hair long and untamed. I knew I must look a sight. But he just looked as if drinking me in on a hot day. I tried to understand where his interest was taking him by following his eyes. I had on a white cotton shirt and realized it was transparent in the sunshine. I had no brassiere or T-shirt on. My brown pedal pusher shorts showed my bony pelvis and bare legs. Daring, I was too. I knew he was not a churchgoing man by the light in his eyes. (There are three proofs of God's entry: they are peace, joy, and love.) His reputation went before him: wine, women, and song.

With the horse impatient to continue the plowing, James makes a nonverbal noise, something like, Hah!

In a ravished state of mind, I continued, I'm April Joy Bellamy. I live in the two-story ranch house. Our estates join each other. My family owns the Elkhorn Ranch. I've heard you just returned from Oxford. What degree have you?

He again says in few words, short and sweet, Music major! I play the piano.

In my excitement, I asked, My family's church, the Liberty Chapel, needs a piano player. It is a family-built church where only family members, farmworkers, and friends attend to worship God. I know many who work for you come to worship God at our chapel. Would you care to join us on Sunday? Perhaps you could play the piano for us?

James clearly had no idea of his assignment to honor God with his gift. I thought he would be excited. In my cheer, he said a very blunt, No! I galloped away in a fury thinking he was out of order. Him with a laugh in his eyes and cheeks. How could he be out of God's perfect will? (Obedience creates order. Order is the accurate arrangement of things. The purpose of order is productivity. Increasing productivity will increase rewards. God wants to create order in all of us.) My last thought after meeting James Henry Gatz was, I will never kiss any man unless he is the man I plan to marry.

*****

Next Sunday, I wore a black angora sweater dress with a large copper and silver sequin dragon down the left sleeve and shoulder. I wanted to look my very best. I had twisted my hair and tied it up during the night so I would have a lot of curls next day. (When the Spirit of God is upon you, there is an aura, charisma, or pheromone. This means that every living thing has a fragrance. Everything reacts to your spirit. Demons are intimidated. Your spirit can make people uncomfortable or attract angels.) It was quite a surprise for me then to see James Henry Gatz outside the church doors. He had made a fool of me by saying no. I thought he would not come. But the sound of birds chirping merrily and the woodpeckers hammering away seemed to say to my subconscious they wanted to be close to James too. James walked me into the church, and my arm held his elbow very lightly. In that moment, he could do no wrong in my heart. The angels themselves must have put their heads together at his creation. He was in a white sport coat and black pants. His shirt only emphasizing the blue mercury of his eyes. His shirt was open at the neck, and you could see the blond hair of his chest. He is created a sweet dream come true. His sandy hair neatly combed looked as though he had gold dust feathered in the midst.

I invited him inside the chapel saying, Oh, I'm so happy you decided to play music here today.

The announcement made caused several more to get excited, and this went round the chapel.

He said, When I mentioned the invite to my parents, they encouraged me to be here today. We have quite a few workers from our plantation that enjoy these services. I wanted to be a part of the church and share some songs I have written but never published.

He sat at the piano and began to play the music, and the songs he chose brought tears to my eyes. He played love songs, and I wonder at my own imagination going wild. I nonetheless felt happy and content at this moment. He looked directly at me as he played, and this time, I remembered to lower my eyes.

When James had finished his recital and walked with purpose toward me, he sat by my side. I listened to the sermon by Reverend Michael McCarthy, but the words did not seem to have understanding of themselves. The words I recall, Whatever good you do, you will receive the same. The product of fasting is immeasurable. Security comes with a fast. Do unto others what you want others to do unto you. God will bring someone in your life that will treat you the way you treat your brother. You can unlock favor. Be in control of your destiny. Laban deceived Jacob. Show a favorable attitude. Do a favor. And so I felt in that moment my life would be one great fast as I had no thought for food, clothing, or shelter.

James took hold of my fingers as I got up to go, and he stole my heart in the look we exchanged. He then asked permission from my parents if I could have dinner with him and his family. He walked me out of the chapel into a storm of April rain showers and black clouds. But the Rolls Royce James offered gave protection from the elements with the top secured so I followed him. He cranked the engine to life, and we traveled a short distance to a mansion on a hill—his family inheritance.

The architecture had a southern charm. The home was created with wide verandas and tall pillars—a large white structure two stories high with lots of windows. It was approximately one and a half miles from our ranch along a winding road, but before you crossed over to the mansion, a raging stream called Rock Springs flowed from the Beaver River that had to be crossed by a wooden bridge. The sight was picturesque and begged to be painted.

James opened my car door and helped me get out. He held my elbow as we walked into the foyer of his home. The floors were of marble with a winding staircase nearby going to the next story. The room he took me to was an entertainment room. Part of the room had steps that led down to a lower area where a fine black Hollein grand piano sat with a writing desk and bookcase. The carpeting was ivory in color. There were large trees and green plants throughout the room. A very comfortable settee and several wing chairs were positioned just so with a table set about at each end and in the center of it all. A large glass picture window behind the settee gave a beautiful view of the outdoor trees and yard. It was a perfect place to serve an English tea. I was impressed, to say the least. A great fireplace was on the other side of the room and a portrait of his mother and father was above the mantle. It was a cozy room full of warmth and personality. The color scheme was attractive in natural shades of ivory and sapphire blues.

We sat there, and he, having taken off his coat, wore only the light-blue shirt unbuttoned at the collar. He was devastatingly handsome to look at. One could not speak much for the fact that he managed to take