Chapter 1 (partial)

"Your homework for your first day of English class, due tomorrow, is one on your summer vacation," said Miss Bales.

This should be interesting. Do I tell the truth or make up the usual crap? We went to the beach on Lake Erie or Columbus to the zoo.

I should explain why I am even thinking of making something up. I have proof of what happened, but I don't know if I want all the nonsense to go with it when it comes out. It will become public anyway after that last bit in Philadelphia, so I might as well go for it.

It all started in late May of last year. I had just finished 8th grade, and my dad Jack Jackson and I discussed what I would do for the summer.

Dad was a child during the great depression and had been in the Civilian Conservation Corps as a youth out in Idaho, killing coyotes. During World War II, he was in the Army, where he met my English mother. I think I was why they got married. I could do arithmetic.

My name is Richard Edward Jackson, known as Rick or Ricky to friends and family; I am large for my age at five-foot-ten inches and one hundred seventy pounds. Judging by my Father's, Cousin's, and Uncles' sizes, I still had a lot of growth left. I am fourteen years old, turning fifteen in October.

Anyway, Dad said, "By the time I was your age, I had been all around the country. Hell, when I was twelve, I ran away with the carnival, but your grandmother had the Sheriff chase me down. Later, she swore she should have just let me go."

"You wouldn't mind if I traveled around a bit?"

"Not at all, but your Mother might care."

"If I mention it to her, would you say it is okay?"

"That would be better than running your paper route and sitting around reading."

Dad was happy that I had been working since fifth grade. He didn't mind that I read all the time, which was easy because the library was a stop on my paper route. What he minded was me sitting on the porch swing for hours at a time, reading and getting a little pudgy.

Taking my life in my hands, I broached the subject at dinner that night. My two younger brothers and sister had not acted up, and Dad hadn't gone on a toot (what he called a drinking spree) for a while, so there wasn't any tension at the table. Additionally, money must have been okay because Dad had moved up from the extra board as a switchman on the railroad to become a conductor.

This job wasn't like a conductor on a passenger train. His job as a supervisor was making up a freight train by having the cars put in the correct order. The switchmen and brakemen had to take their direction from him. This promotion irked two of my Uncles, who did those jobs.

I asked, "Mum would you care if I saw a little of the country on this vacation?" "What do you mean?"

"Well, I only go up to Indian Lake, about ten miles, with you and Dad. Would you care if I rode my bike or hitchhiked up there?"

In those days, hitchhiking was quite common and not considered bad.

"I might even get to Cincinnati to see a ball game!"

Cast in Time Book 6 Available in June 2024!

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More details coming soon.

Earl E. (Ed) Nelson

I have always wanted to be an author. I had my first rejection slip in about 1965. Wish I had saved it. For many years the only writing I did was technical as pesky things like three children, nine grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren came along.

My technical writing was in the field of quality in several different journals. I worked in the field of quality for over fifty years, starting as a line inspector and ending up as a Vice-President of Quality and elected a Fellow of the American Society for Quality.

Then a wonderful thing happened. I lost my job and was out of work for almost eight months. To keep from going crazy I wrote. I posted my stories on an online site, and lo and behold people read them and said nice things. Fast forward about eight years and I am retired and writing for the fun of it.

A lot of what is in my stories is based on my life experiences, gasp! Give or take a lie or two that is. The one fortunate thing in my career is that I got to travel worldwide and have been to most of the locations I write about.

In my younger days, I tried hot air ballooning, sky diving, white water rafting, spelunking, and target shooting. I have collected stamps, drove in road rallies, lowly rated by the US Chess federation. I built a Kentucky long rifle and a dueling pistol. I am a licensed HAM radio operator. My hobby is having hobbies.

My true passion is reading. Trapped in a hotel room I would read the telephone book. The TV would not be turned on. I have averaged 200 books a year for the last sixty years. I knew those long flights were good for something.

BTW I was born in the middle of an air raid in England during World War II, the house next door was destroyed and our windows were blown out. That is probably the most interesting thing I have been involved with. Mum never forgave me. Happily married for 56 years I hope my wife doesn’t catch on to what a goof I am.