Sequin Boy and Cindy - Lost Child Excerpt

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0085M3BZ6
The Sheriff says, "The good news is we've dredged the river up and down stream for half a mile and no sign of little Timmy." The bad news is that a black bear and her two little ones have been spotted in the area. It's going to start to get dark soon. If we don't find Timmy in the next few hours, we are going to have to call off the search until daylight and I don't know what the hell we are going to do with all the volunteers that keep piling in to join the search, some from as far away as upstate. There must be a thousand people here. They have no camping gear and no food and we have no accommodations for them except I can house about ten in our jail, which is empty because I let the drunks out to help search for Timmy.

When Cindy hears about the black bears she starts to sob again. She says, "I can't keep Amy out in this mess any longer-a light drizzle has started to fall-she's tired and hungry. I'm going home. Billy, don't you come back without my Timmy, do you hear me?"

I just nod wearily. This thing is really starting to take a toll on me.
When Cindy gets home she goes to the kitchen to make Amy something to eat. Then she hears the front door open and she runs into the living room thinking its Billy. Standing in the hall looking a little bedraggled and dirty is Timmy. She runs over to him and picks him up and hugs him.

"Timmy where were you? We were so worried. We have everyone out searching for you."

"Sorry Mommy. I woke up early because I had to pee. That hot chocolate you made us was great. Dad and I finished all of it while he told me stories about the White Buffalo and my Ancestors. When I went outside I saw a deer. I started to follow it. Then I got a little lost. Then I got sleepy so I lay down to take a nap. I had a dream that the White Buffalo came to visit me. An Ancestor on a White Horse rode over on a big cloud and said, `go home,' and pointed the way so I did. My Ancestor has different colored sequins on his bow and arrow. Why is that, Mommy? Walking home I saw the cutest little black bear. He yelped at me, but I didn't stop because you told me never to talk to strange people or animals. Looked just like the brown stuffed bear that Daddy got me. Can I try to catch it tomorrow and make the bear into a pet?"

The nanny says that's when Cindy really lost it. Took her five minutes to calm down enough to call me to come home because Timmy has miraculously appeared. I come back with the sheriff who said we should keep that kid on a leash. I agree. After seeing that Timmy is all right I go outside to thank the crowd of volunteers who have gathered holding Timmy in my arms, but not before Cindy cleans up Timmy's dirty cheeks and skinned knees. The volunteers give him a big cheer and start on their way home, or out to dinner if they can find anything left to eat in town, but not before I make a short speech about how grateful I am that so many people cared enough to come out and search for my son. Then I start to cry.
When we come back inside, Cindy says, "If you ever tell Timmy or Amy any more stories about your Ancestors I'm going to give you a White Buffalo that you will never forget." Then she punches me in the stomach as hard as she can with her good hand.

After I stop coughing I say, "Think what you want. The White Buffalo and my Ancestors showed Timmy the way home. Can I have some dinner? I'm starving."

Cindy says, "No."

It takes Cindy the better part of a week before she speaks to me again in more than one word sentences, which for the most part are "no" or "dummy" or "idiot." She refuses to let Timmy out of the house for the entire time, and when he finally does go out it is with Cindy holding his hand.

Timmy says, "What did I do?"

Like father, like son, I guess.

I feel like an idiot standing here scratching my head and looking at my son in wonderment, but in the final analysis I guess it's all about friends and family and even strangers banding together to help you find yourself when you're lost. If that includes White Buffalos and Ancestors riding on White Horses with colorful sequin feathers on their bows and arrows pointing the way home so be it. The real question in my mind is how did little Timmy have the intuition to recognize his Ancestors? Must be something in the genes, some instinct that God instills us with, that helps us find our way home to the people we love. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0085M3BZ6

A Modern-era GULLIVER'S TRAVELS

A 5 star review by James A. Anderson of the sequel to  Johnny Oops of Johnny Oops 11 - Timeless]].

A Modern-era GULLIVER'S TRAVELS
By James A. Anderson
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

Just finished Johnny Oops 11 - Timeless by the highly talented visionary Arthur J. Levine. This sequel to Johnny Oops does not disappoint. A far out, fun read to overcome the winter blues.

Johnny Oops 11 is a rocket scientist who flies a spaceship to a far away planet with his inner self, Outy, and marries a bald Blue lady by the name of Ala who never ceases asking Johnny funny questions. They have a son called Johnworld who is Magenta colored, has Yellow hair and perceives his mission in life to be to propagate different races. They spend most of their lives trying to ward off the prejudice and bigotry that follows people of color.

Discriminated against back on Earth, Johnny Oops 11 sets off once again in another spaceship together with millions of Indolts-Ala's people, and the Magentas of which Johnworld is the first. On their new home of Everworld they meet other races of various colors and stripes called the Fugats, the Juicers, and the Three Tribes.

Before long they form a Great Society, which is intent on not color-coding their emotions. After fighting off skeptical suicide bomber Mimon birds who don't believe they can succeed, they discover a new reality and enter the Paradise of their dreams.

This book is very funny satire (especially of Homeland Security and Congress) and a sort of modern-era GULLIVER'S TRAVELS. Levine's witty dialogue and outrageous plot are highly entertaining and thought provoking. There are some serious underlying philosophies offered here though.

If you want to read something decidedly different and unlike anything else on the book market, give both books a try. Highly original, thought provoking and entertaining stuff.

Regards,
Arthur
http://www.amazon.com/Johnny-Oops-11-Timeless-ebook/dp/B005XP2GPO

Happy Times – Excerpt from Sequin Boy and Cindy

We decide we will stay home for the Holiday and greet our old friends and former staff on an informal basis for the whole week of Christmas through New Years. The local merchants on Eleventh Street send over all the fixings for an endless buffet and refuse to take any money, but they come and celebrate with us and renew old ties and friendships.

The French butcher sends over a huge Christmas goose and an eight rib standing rib roast and all kinds of fancy cheeses and salamis.  The Bakery sends over a huge chocolate Yule log and ten pounds of Christmas cookies. Everyone who comes brings a different dish. I make a gigantic bowl of eggnog every day heavily laced with brandy, and Cindy makes a steaming pitcher of hot chocolate with tiny marshmallows for the children and me. Many of my former staff come and give their best wishes. My old secretary comes and sits in a corner crying, “There will never be another one like this,” she says. Cindy can’t get her to stop bawling until she gives her a large glass of the spiked eggnog. That does the trick. From then on Mabel is all smiles. The twins have never seen so much food in one place and promptly got sick on the hot chocolate and too many cookies.

This is a magical time, a wonderful time, culminating with Cindy and me taking a walk on Eleventh Street on Christmas Eve to thank all our merchant friends before we go to the small local church. A light snow is falling, but that doesn’t stop me. I skid a couple of times on my sequined crutches, but Sergeant O’Hara and you know who are there to keep me from falling.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0085M3BZ6

Disabled Vets and Lovers Return - Excerpt Sequin Boy and Cindy

Sequin Boy and Cindy is the story of two young people who go to war, come home as disabled vets and their struggle to successfully reintegrate into civilian society. I think you will find it heartwarming and spiritually uplifting. Please check it out.

Cindy and I suffer a lot of phantom pain—when you think that the limb you lost is hurting—and when it rains our wounds hurt like hell, but other than an occasional over-the-counter extra strength Advil, we are pill free, and our love life is terrific again. I was a little shy at first about Cindy seeing my stump, but the heat of passion soon rids me of that hang-up. Cindy says she’s happy I haven’t lost any other body part. All of a sudden my gal has a sense of humor.

I think Cindy is getting used to the loss of her hand. She has an artificial one, but can’t really do much with the damn thing, which is really for cosmetic effect. Her face is another matter. The droop bothers her. She tries to hide it with her good hand. I keep kissing her face on the bad side, which only serves to make her remember that her face is deformed. Sometimes I’m not too swift.

Homecoming to the local community and our apartment is a gas. Our apartment is secure due to a liberal monthly disability allowance from the Army and a landlord that really feels sorry for the nice young couple who live there. When we get home, compliments of Army transportation all the way including a direct flight on an Air force C 17 cargo plane to an Air force base in New Jersey, and door-to-door Army Jeep service, we find the apartment stocked with every conceivable kind of food courtesy of our local merchants and the building super who let them in.  The refrigerator is full of fine French meats from the local butcher and a beautifully roasted chicken. The fruit store stocked the place with melons, lettuce, string beans, and out of season white peaches. The community has gotten together and bought us a real king sized bed whose mattress goes up and down electronically. Of course there are more cigars, which Cindy secretly smokes, all the latest magazines, and a gift certificate for Cindy to the local beauty parlor. She at first refuses to go, but I eventually convince her. I grab Cindy’s good hand and say, “Life is good. We’ll have to take a walk tomorrow and thank everybody for our great welcome home.”

We needn’t have bothered. The local community is planning a big home coming parade for us. We are a little embarrassed, but we feel great to be home. The only problem I have is when the snows came later in the month. There are four steps out front leading to our apartment and I tend to slip on my artificial limb. I have to lean on the guardrail to go up sideways grasping the railing for support, and walking together as a couple at first is awkward. I have to walk on Cindy’s left side to hold her good hand and that means my artificial limb on my right leg is on the inside. I still use a cane. We practice together and work it out. Both of us use each other for support and I keep the cane in my left hand.

One morning, a few days after we came home, Cindy wakes to find me lying on my side of the bed facing her and listening to her breath. Tears are running down my cheeks. “I thought I lost you in Iran. I was so scared, I didn’t want to live without you,” I say.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0085M3BZ6

Regards,
Arthur

Separation - Excerpt Sequin Boy and Cindy

Hi everyone, an excerpt from Sequin Boy and Cindy.

Directly after basic, and before we have time to appeal, we are assigned to different units for advanced training. Cindy is sent to the 347th Spotter division training in France for deployment to Iran. I’m sent to the 667th Brigade training in Germany on how to take apart Improvised Explosive Devises (IEDs) before deployment to Iran. We barely have time to hug each other before we are pulled apart and pushed onto different trucks for the plane flights to our respective training sites.

 I start to wrestle with the sergeant who is pushing me onto the truck. He says “Get on or you’re on report as resisting orders.”  Why are they doing this to us? They promised we’d be together. This isn’t right.

I shout to Cindy, “I love you, write me. I can feel the veins in my forehead pulsing. We will work this out when we get to Iran. We will find a way to get together. They can’t do this.”

Cindy cries out, “I love you, write me.” And then we are on our way to different countries. I don’t know when I will see my Cindy again. The last image I have is of Cindy holding her head in her hands and crying on the truck. I try calling her from Germany, but never get through to her unit—something about security. I later found out that Cindy had the same experience and is given the same stupid excuse.

I can’t believe this is happening. I have only myself to blame. This is all my fault. I never should have pushed Cindy into joining the Army with me. I’m so naive.  I believed everything the recruitment officer told me. Now I’ve lost my poor Cindy. She must be hysterical.
 http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0085M3BZ6

Graduation Excerpt - Sequin Boy and Cindy

Hi everyone, a little excerpt from  Sequin Boy and Cindy.

I really feel self-conscious. I’m sitting on the dais fiddling nervously with my graduation cap. I’m graduating and receiving the honor of Magna cum Laude, the second highest honor of my graduating class. I have to give a speech. I’m better with the written word.

I say, “Hi everyone. My name is Billy Wolk and I’m half American Indian—Lakota to be specific, former weirdo, and disabled Army Veteran. Mr. President, honored professors, and cherished family and friends, I come from a humble background so I’ll be short on lofty ideals and long on emotions in this speech. NYU School of Journalism has been like a father to me. As a disabled veteran I’ve come here badly in need of a friend, and in the school I found one. I needed structure in my life and in my lectures on journalism I found the guidelines I so desperately wanted. I needed a sense of unwavering faith in honesty and morality, and my professors supplied it—especially professor Schenk. “Just the facts, only the facts,” he said to me. Through his efforts I become a journalist at a leading newspaper in this city. Some of you may know my byline—‘In The Muck And The Mire’. NYU gave my wife Cindy and I the ability to go to college together—two kids, both orphans in effect, fresh out of the Army, missing limbs, short on finances, and with only high school educations, but we had our dreams and NYU helped us fulfill them.

I just want to say thank you to NYU and the faculty, and professor Schenk and Monsignor Conrad if you can hear me, and the President of the school who came over to us that first day at lunch and said,  “I’ll take it from here,” and to our own Chaplain Bill who is our mentor and best friend. Thank you. I hope my wife Cindy and I make you proud. And to all the disabled Veterans out there, “Don’t give up on your dreams. With God’s help they will come true.”
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0085M3BZ6

Regards,
Arthur

Sequin Boy And Cindy

Spirit ancestors charging through the night sky and a White Buffalo with blazing red eyes show our young lovers the way to true happiness. Two lonely young people from abused backgrounds find each other, fall in love, join the army, and both lose limbs in a war in Iran, but go on to build a great family and future together. This is a heartwarming tale of the art of the possible as Billy and Cindy capture the hearts of an adoring public and take New York City by storm.

 http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0085M3BZ6