My Lieutenant: And other short essays and stories

By Withane Reid

An entertaining book of short essays, both fiction and non-fiction, including 1st place "My Lieutenant"; and Honorable Mention "My Lieutenant - The Sequel". Excerpt: "I do not remember his name. I do not remember what he looked like." "All I remember is the feeling of comfort his eyes evoked in me".

• Language: English
• Publisher: the kdp publisher
• Release date: Dec 23, 2023
• ISBN: 9798869216274

Book preview

My Lieutenant

And other short essays and stories

Withane’ Reid

Copyright © 2023

All Rights Reserved

"Wisdom is the Ability to Know What Matters,

Live Well,

And Show Good Judgement"

Dedication

This book of essays and short stories is dedicated to

Mom

I hope I’ve made you proud.

I miss you.

Acknowledgment

I wish to acknowledge all my family for their support in this endeavor.

Special acknowledgement to my instructors at Tri-County Community College who gave me the inspiration to take my college essays a step further.

A very special acknowledgement to my sister, Kellie, whose support, and critique are vital to my success. I don’t know what I would do without her.

And, of course, the most special acknowledgment to my husband, Jim who has always supported my every effort.

Contents

Dedication

Acknowledgment

Prelude

My Man, His Woman

My Lieutenant

My Lieutenant – The Sequel

My Lieutenant – Final Trilogy

My Lieutenant – Unanswered

Your Lieutenant

Lesson Learned

The Funeral

The Phantom

Love and Marriage

I Am From

Mom

The Statue of Liberty

The Unwelcome Deer Hunt

Hanging On

Korea

Life’s Embarrassing Moments

Mom’s Thanksgiving

Sisters’ Weekends

I’m Going to Live Forever

Professor Snape Making Quilts

Ghost on Columbia Avenue

Marshall

About The Author

Prelude

Writing a book of essays was never on my bucket list. I never have been inclined to write. I am retired and have spent a couple of years wasting my time doing not much of anything. My husband suggested I go back to school since I was never able to complete my college education and obtain my degree.

Now, here I am in my second semester of college at the age of 69 and loving it. I love learning. At my age, it involves a lot of studying. The memory isn’t what it used to be.

The short essays and papers I had to write is what got me started. One requirement in English was to submit an entry into the Prose Contest. I submitted both a non-fiction and fiction essay. I won 1st Place in the non-fiction category for My Lieutenant and Honorable Mention in fiction for My Lieutenant – The Sequel. My family loved my essays. My granddaughter cried over them. I was told I had a gift.

I hope you enjoy the essays. Some are fiction, some non-fiction. I’ll leave it up to the reader to decide which is which.

End

My Man, His Woman

I could not write this book of essays and short stories if it were not for my man.

While writing these essays, I came to realize just how much I love my man.

One would think that, after reading my essays, he might be a tad upset with me. Of course, I had to remind him that the essays that concerned him the most, were indeed fiction.

After 42+ years of marriage, I never felt closer to my man than I do now. Marriage is more than passion. It is a level of comfort with each other and understanding. For this, I am grateful to him.

I love my man, my husband.

And I will always be his woman, his wife.

End

My Lieutenant

The young live in