LLOYD, PAUL R. (29 page)
Authors: Hags
“Janice, I didn’t come here to forgive
your stepfather. It welled up out of my heart. I can’t explain it. I’m here for
a different reason.”
“Yes, Pastor Fromritz said you wanted
to speak to me. Will you forgive me? How I hope you will. Please, I’m so, so
sorry for the wrong I’ve done to you.”
“Janice, what you did I have always
considered unforgiveable…”
“I understand.” Janice’s face crashed.
“But I’m not the same person I was
twenty years ago, Janice. I’m not the same person who returned to Naperville back
in the spring either. I came back to somehow get in touch with myself, to discover
a purpose for my life. Want to know what I learned?”
“What?”
“My life isn’t just about me. It’s
not about you either. What you did to me no longer affects the way I live. Since
discovering God, I have a new life. I don’t feel any personal need to forgive
you.”
“I understand…”
“Wait, there’s more. God in me
gives power I never had before. While I don’t have a personal desire to forgive
you, God wants me to forgive you. He told me so in prayer. For God’s sake… for
the love of Almighty God… and for that reason alone… Janice, I forgive you.”
Janice lowered her head and slid
down in her seat. She wept. She reached out towards Micah with her hand. Micah
took it and whispered, “I forgive you.”
“Yes, I know,” Janice said.
How long the two of them sat there,
both weeping, Micah could not recount later, but the purging of his soul left him
clean. He assumed Janice shared the purging, and they were both purer and newer
than before.
One year later …
Micah dropped his keys on the
counter where Peevy waited.
She smiled. “You’re back.”
Micah looked into Peevy’s eyes.
“You’re skinny.”
“Yeah, lost a few. It’s amazing how
interesting life is when you don’t hate men anymore. Changes your outlook on
everything. What brings you to Naperville?”
“Pastor Fromritz asked me to teach
a Sunday school class on forgiveness.”
“You’re the expert, Micah. I never
did thank you for forgiving Janice. It meant a lot to her. And to me.”
“You’re welcome.”
“Will you stay in town for a
while?” Peevy’s eyes danced.
“It’s a six-week course. I may not
be in town weekdays, but I’ll be here on the weekends.”
“So don’t make yourself a stranger,
okay?” Peevy blinked back moisture.
“I know where to find a great cup
of coffee.” Micah smiled.
“Maybe you could find more than
coffee.” A tear formed in Peevy’s left eye.
“Think so?”
“We have the best muffins.”
“Yeah. Peevy, may I ask you a
question?”
“Of course.”
Micah picked his hand up from the
counter. Peevy’s fingers were intertwined with his own. “How long have we been
holding hands?”
“About twenty years, Micah. Maybe a
little longer.”
Hags
takes place in Naperville, Illinois, located in the far west suburbs of
Chicago. Naperville is a city of 141,853 people according to the 2010 Census.
The median age is 35. Micah and Peevy fit right in at age 38 when the story
begins. Median annual family income is more than $117,000, quite a bit more
than Peevy’s pay as a barista but more than a tad less than Micah’s $10,000,000
annual salary and his bonus as chairman of Solaratec. Located about 30 miles
west of Chicago, Naperville takes up 38.77 square miles of DuPage County.
According to
Money Magazine
, Naperville is one of the five best cities
in the United States to live.
Where is Bob’s Coffee Emporium located?
Bob’s is a
fictional coffee shop so it is located within the covers of this novel.
However, I pictured it on the southeast corner of Main and Jefferson in
downtown Naperville. At the time of this writing, a Starbucks sits on that
space. It’s smaller than my vision of Bob’s but it’s nice to know you can find
a cup of coffee if you visit the neighborhood.
Where was Micah’s fixer upper located?
If you walk
north on Main Street from Starbucks about two blocks, you’ll find the location
where I imagined Micah’s fixer upper house. Denise Appleby owned the house next
door. At one time there actually were two rather dilapidated houses on the
block, but they were torn down years ago to make way for new construction. I
pictured those old houses and that block as the location for the house owned by
Micah and the one owned by Denise.
Ulysses S. Grant High School
Ulysses S.
Grant High School does not exist. If you want to visit a nearby high school try
Naperville North located at the corner of Ogden and Mill. Naperville has some
of the best high schools in the state of Illinois. I don’t live in Naperville
so I’m not familiar with the details of their high schools. I attended a
student production at Naperville North years ago and I drive past it
frequently. Based on that limited exposure, it’s safe for you to conclude that
Ulysses S. Grant High School is total fiction.
Warrenville Grove
Warrenville
Grove is located in Warrenville, a small town to the north of Naperville.
Warrenville Grove is part of the DuPage County Forest Preserve District. The
West Branch of the DuPage River runs through it. It used to have a dam dating
from Colonel Warren’s original grist mill, but the dam was removed a few years
ago as part of a river cleanup project. As far as I know, you won’t find any
bodies buried there. It’s a lovely area of greenery, especially with the river.
There’s a concrete bridge, built as part of the old WPA in the Depression.
Hiking trails connect the little grove with the greater forest preserve
district. Great place for picnics, hiking and biking.
First Date with Denise Italian Restaurant
Micah’s first
date with Denise Appleby includes dinner at an Italian restaurant. This is a
fictional place. If you’re looking for a good restaurant in the Naperville
area, there are many to choose from. Don’t forget to visit the River Walk after
dinner. It’s one of the reasons Naperville is a top five community to live in.
Oak Brook Mini Mansion
Oak Brook is a
town of mansions and mini-mansions. Take your pick. The one Micah rented exists
only in my mind and on the pages of this book.
Algonquin Hotel
This is a
fictional hotel along Chicago’s Magnificent Mile shopping district. While it
doesn’t exist, you’ll find many fine hotels in this part of town. I like the
Allerton not only because it’s located where my fictional Algonquin sits, but
also because I once wrote a video about the Allertons who came over on the
Mayflower. The family made and lost fortunes over the generations.
If you enjoyed reading
Hags
,
please review it on Amazon to share your thoughts with other readers. Thanks so
much for taking the time to comment. Here’s the link to my author page on
Amazon.
http://www.amazon.com/Paul-R.-Lloyd/e/B0064R8ROE/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0
Paul R. Lloyd is an
accomplished writer of suspense and thriller fiction. He leads the Write Time
Writer’s Group in Geneva, Illinois. His career spans more than 30 years writing
for print, video, film and online media. Paul is married and lives in the
Chicago area.
Visit him online at:
Connect with Paul at:
Twitter: @PaulRLloyd
Linked In:
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/paul-r-lloyd/0/331/850
To read more ebooks by Paul R.
Lloyd, please visit his Kindle Author’s Page:
http://www.amazon.com/Paul-R.-Lloyd/e/B0064R8ROE/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0
