The 22nd Secret (122 page)

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Authors: Randal Lanser

BOOK: The 22nd Secret
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Ev
e
r
y
o
n
e
should h
a
ve
s
omeone
to be
w
i
t
h who
u
nd
e
rst
a
nds th
e
m.
W
h
o knows wh
a
t mak
e
s them tick.
I
w
a
s
c
omp
l
e
te
l
y
in cont
r
ol
a
nd
c
omp
l
e
t
e
l
y
a
lone w
h
e
n
I
w
a
s 1
6
.
I
to
l
d
y
o
u
,
I n
e
v
e
r
r
ec
o
v
e
r
e
d
f
r
om
t
h
a
t d
a
y
w
h
e
n
I
st
a
rt
e
d kinde
r
g
a
r
t
e
n.
I
w
a
s
a
w
a
re
e
n
ou
g
h of t
h
e
wo
r
ld
a
round
me
e
v
e
n
a
t five
y
ea
rs old to r
e
a
l
iz
e
I
w
a
s
t
otal
l
y
a
lone.
T
r
y
to
i
ma
g
i
ne
to
t
a
l
l
y
a
lo
n
e
, sur
r
ound
e
d
b
y
m
i
l
l
ions of p
e
ople
w
hom
y
ou
h
a
v
e
virtu
a
l
l
y
noth
i
ng
in
c
om
m
on with. At
t
he
a
ge of
17,
I
w
a
s ful
l
y
matu
re
d p
h
y
sic
a
l
l
y
a
nd
m
e
ntall
y
,
a
nd
a
ll
a
lone.
M
y
p
a
rents
t
ri
e
d to unde
r
stand m
e
, but
t
h
e
y
w
e
r
e
n
’t like
m
e
. Th
e
re w
a
s no one
w
a
s l
i
ke
me.
I
r
e
s
i
g
n
e
d
m
y
s
e
lf to the
fac
t
I would n
e
v
e
r t
r
u
l
y
b
e
lo
n
g to a
n
y
o
n
e
. N
e
v
e
r t
r
u
l
y
f
i
nd
a
nother
l
i
ving
s
o
ul w
h
o
c
ould
und
e
rst
a
nd wh
a
t
i
t w
a
s l
i
ke
to be P
a
m
. Unt
i
l
I
met Ho
w
a
rd.


D
r
.
W
oolu
m
?
Tom said
something
a
bout h
i
m
.”


H
e
’s
a
brilliant man.
H
e
w
a
s the o
r
i
g
inator
of t
h
e
L
e
v
e
l 21
t
ec
hnol
o
g
y
.
H
e
ca
me to
m
y p
a
r
e
nts’
f
a
rm wh
e
n
I
w
a
s
17
a
nd r
e
c
ruit
e
d me to
w
o
r
k with h
i
m
.
F
inal
l
y
,
I
h
a
d met som
e
one
who
c
ould come
c
lose to und
e
rst
a
n
ding
m
e
.
W
e
a
re
v
e
r
y
good
f
ri
e
nds,
e
v
e
n tod
a
y
,
a
nd not
j
ust b
eca
use
we
w
o
rk
e
d t
o
g
e
t
h
e
r
.
B
e
c
a
use
h
e
too und
e
rst
a
nds wh
a
t
i
t’s l
i
ke
to be
a
lone, to be
so much di
f
f
e
r
e
nt
t
h
a
n
e
v
er
y
o
ne
e
ls
e
.”

J
i
m
l
ook
e
d
a
t
P
a
m
with
s
y
m
p
a
t
h
y
.

I
’m
g
lad
y
ou
h
a
ve
Ho
w
a
rd
a
s
a
f
ri
e
nd.
I
’m
g
l
a
d
a
t le
a
st
y
ou kn
o
w th
e
re’s
o
ne
p
e
rson
w
ho un
d
e
rst
a
n
ds
y
ou, who
y
ou
ca
n sh
ar
e
with.”


You m
a
y
not r
e
mem
b
e
r
th
i
s
, but
I
do l
i
ke
it
h
a
p
p
e
n
e
d
y
est
e
rd
a
y
.
I
h
a
d just
wok
e
n up the morning
a
ft
e
r the
c
r
a
sh.
You
we
r
e
g
iv
i
ng
me the
c
lo
t
h
e
s that didn’t
f
it
a
nd
I
to
l
d
y
o
u
,
I
ca
n

t
t
e
ll
y
o
u w
h
a
t
y
ou
m
ea
n to
m
e
a
t
t
his
m
oment in
m
y
l
i
f
e
.
I
don

t
me
a
n just
saving
m
y
l
i
fe
but…
t
his is
g
oi
n
g
to sound sil
l
y
I

ve b
ee
n
w
a
i
t
ing
m
y
who
l
e
l
i
fe
to
m
ee
t
y
ou.”


I
re
m
e
mber
that. Th
e
n
y
ou made
a
point
of s
a
y
i
n
g
c
an
y
ou handle i
t
. R
e
memb
e
r?
Th
a
t s
ee
med str
a
n
ge
to
m
e
a
t
t
he
t
i
m
e
, but, someho
w
,
I
kn
e
w
w
h
a
t
y
ou m
e
a
nt.
Y
ou h
a
d f
a
l
l
e
n in
l
ove with
m
e
the moment our e
y
e
s
met
a
t
t
he
c
r
a
sh s
i
te
.


I
t
m
ea
nt
t
h
a
t, but
a
s
y
ou
now kno
w
, it
me
a
nt a
w
hole lot
m
o
re
. You s
a
id
y
ou r
e
memb
e
r
e
d sit
t
ing
a
t
t
h
i
s
table
h
a
ving
b
re
a
k
fa
st
with
m
e
a
nd tell
i
ng
me
y
ou just w
e
r
e
n

t
l
u
c
k
y
e
nou
g
h to
h
a
ve
me
f
a
l
l
ing
h
e
a
d
-
ov
e
r
-
h
e
a
ls
i
n love
with
y
ou. You
w
e
r
e
n
’t lu
c
k
y
e
no
u
g
h for
m
e
to
ca
ll
y
ou t
h
e
man of
m
y
d
r
e
a
ms. Do
y
ou
r
e
memb
e
r
wh
a
t
I
said
w
h
e
n
y
ou
s
a
i
d tha
t
?


No not
rea
l
l
y
.”


W
e
ll
I
d
o
.
I
ca
n
r
e
me
m
b
e
r
a
l
m
ost a
n
y
th
i
ng
t
h
a
t

s ev
e
r be
e
n said or
h
a
pp
e
n
e
d to
m
e
,
e
spe
c
ial
l
y
e
v
e
r
y
mo
m
e
nt
a
nd wo
r
d of th
a
t
d
a
y
.
I
s
a
i
d
,
J
im
don

t unde
re
st
i
m
a
te
y
ours
e
lf.
You don’t und
e
rst
a
nd, but
t
r
u
st
m
e th
e
r
e
’s
e
v
e
r
y
r
ea
s
o
n in
t
he
wo
r
ld for
me to
f
ee
l
t
he
w
a
y I
do.
J
i
m
, I
c
ould have
s
p
e
nt
t
he
re
s
t of
m
y
l
i
fe
without
sha
r
i
ng
in
t
e
l
l
ec
tual
l
y
with H
o
w
a
rd b
u
t once
I
f
ound
y
o
u, on
c
e
I
f
ound t
h
e
only
p
e
rson in the
w
o
r
ld w
h
o
c
ould sh
a
re
that most
i
nt
i
mate
p
a
rt of
me, sha
r
e
m
y
m
i
nd the
w
a
y
y
ou
ca
n. Th
e
re
w
a
s ne
v
e
r
a
n
y
doubt
f
rom the
f
irst
mo
m
e
nt we
me
t
. I w
a
s mad
l
y
in
l
ove
with
y
ou. You
we
r
e
the one
m
a
n, the one
p
e
rson in the
whole
wo
r
ld
t
h
a
t could tru
l
y
und
e
rst
a
nd me.
T
he
one
p
e
rson th
a
t could
b
e
m
y
s
o
ul
mate
f
o
r
e
v
e
r th
a
t could be
stro
n
g
e
nou
g
h to poss
e
ss m
e
,
a
n
d
c
h
e
rish m
e
. To love me
the
w
a
y
no other
man
c
a
n.”

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