Winners and Losers, book 3, chapter 14

Sunday night, Josiphene was under heavy sedation at the Cole Hospital, second floor, room twenty.  On the other end of the hospital, barely hanging on, was Nicholas.

In the lobby were George and Helen Knapp, Thomas Moses, and Dr. Taylor Baker.

"How's Josiphene?" Thomas asked Taylor.

"She went back into shock when she realized what happened," Taylor replied.  "Another shock like this, and she won't be alive!"

"You've got to be kidding!" George said.  "Josiphene is a very strong woman!"

"I'm sorry," Taylor said, "but I don't agree! All these years--and I've kept quiet about it--all these years Josiphene has been hard working and beautiful on the outside, but going to pieces on the inside!"

"Are you serious?" Thomas replied.

"I've never been more serious!" Taylor answered.  "If you don't mind my saying so, her life with Eli Michael has not been happy.  Living with a man you hate is pure hell!"

"As Ginger Baker can assure," George said.

"George!" Helen snapped.  "How dare you!"

"That's all right," Taylor said.  "I'm used to it by now! Anyway, what I'm saying is that if Josiphene and Nicholas could have been married, instead of Eli and Josiphene--well, she could have been a healthy person!"

"Dr. Baker," Helen softly said, "just what has been wrong with Josiphene? Does she have a disease?"

"No," Taylor replied, "It's just her nerves.  They are shot! For the past several years, she has been secretly taking shots and pills for the condition.  No one knew.  Nicholas Abraham didn't even know!"

Everyone was stunned, as Taylor arose.

"If you'll excuse me," Taylor said, "I better check on my other patients!"

"Son of a bitch!" George said.  "I"m her brother--I didn't even know! I wonder if Eli knew?"

"You heard Dr. Baker," Helen said.  "No one knew!"

"Well," Thomas said, "that just goes to show you can't believe anything!"

"Huh?" George, his mind elsewhere, said.

"I mean--with all that goes on in this town," Thomas continued, "and especially Taylor Baker's big mouth--you'd think he would have said something about it by now!"

"A well kept secret," George said.  "A well kept secret!"

"You know," Helen began, after a short pause, "I've been thinking about writing a book about this place.  It's funny, but there are so many unique, novel characters around here! What could I call it, though?"

"How about The Mystic Adventures of Cole, Mississippi?" George suggested.

"No," Helen said, thinking back.  "There's something someone said to me about this place--yes! Winners and Losers--this certain person said Cole was full of winners and losers.  Half the town is drunk, and the other half is chicken!"

Everyone laughed.

"Yes," Helen continued, "winners and losers.  That's who makes up this place.  I guess were are all winners and losers of sorts!"

"Well," Thomas said, "lately, it sound like everyone's a loser, to me!"

Taylor burst into the lobby again.

"I forgot to mention," Taylor said, "that I would like the news about Josiphene being on nerve treatement to be a secret.  I told you this because you're her family, you know."

"Yes," Thomas answered.  "I won't even tell Mary Kay and the children!"

"I'll bet," Helen mumbled.

Thomas looked at this watch.

"Well," said Thomas, "it isn't going to do me any good to just sit here, George and Helen, so I'm going on home.  Will you please call me if there are any changes?"

"Of course," George said.  "Don't worry."

"George," Helen said, "what about Eli?"

"What about Eli?" George replied.

"Is he going to be charged with murder? I mean, he did pull the trigger!"

"I don't know, darling," George, grabbing the nervous Helen's hand, replied.  "I know how you feel.  No one has pressed charges--and we are confident that Nicholas will pull through, aren't we?"

"Of course," Helen, crying, replied.

At that moment, an attractive young lady entered the lobby.  She walked to the counter.

"Can you tell me the condition of Mr. Nicholas Abraham?" the lady asked.

"His doctor is Dr. Taylor Baker," the receptionist replied.  "He should be here in a few minutes.  Are you a relative of Mr. Abraham?"

"I'm his wife."

Winners and Losers, book 3, chapter 13

At ten thirty that same night, Eli and his friend, Abel Moses, constantly drinking, were discussing the general disadvantages of one Nicholas Abraham.

"Ha!" Eli said, "I got my shotgun filled up!"

"Huh?" Abel, half asleep, grunted.

"I said I got my shotgun filled up.  When Nicholas and Josiphene return tonight, I'm gonna scare hell out of 'em! You wait and see!"

Loud laughter followed.

"You really aren't gonna shoot em, are you?" a suddenly serious Abel asked, afgter a large swallow of whiskey.

"Hell, naw!" Eli slurred.  "I'm just gonna sccare hell out of em! Nicholas Abraham will never show up here again! And little Miss Josiphene will be so scared of me that she'll make love to me--whenever I ask! I never knew what I had in front of me.  I always thought all Josie cared about was that damned store--and Nicholas.  I was mistaken!"

"How ya figure that?" asked Abel.

"Before she left here last Saturday," Eli continued, "she backed me up in a corner.  She kissed me like she never kissed me before! It was great, Moses!"

"Where's the gun?" Abel laughed.

"Over there," Eli said, pointing to the shotgun resting on a chair by the front door.  "He usually walks her to the front door.  When we hear a car door slam, we'll get the gun.

"Are ya sure ya know what you're doing?" Abel, realizing how drunk they both were, asked.

"Like I said," Eli reassured, "I'm only gonna scare em!"

They talked continuously until midnight.

Nichoas and Josiphene, on their way home, talked about their future together.

"Oh, Nicholas," Josiphene said, "it will be so wonderful.  I can imagine it now--Mrs. Josiphene Abraham--oh, such a change from my present life!"

"First things first," Nicholas insisted, "I love you, dear, but we're going to have to act--well--decent! First, there's the divorce, then we'll have to date at least another month or two before we marry!"

"Why?"

"How would it look to the people of Cole? I mean--what would they say about us?"

"We've been dating!" Josiphene laughed.  "What do you think they are saying now?"

As they parked in front of the Michael residence, Josiphene got her keys from her purse.

The couple warmly embraced, and kissed goodnight.

"What time tomorrow?" Nicholas softly asked.

"About five thirty," Josiphene replied.

"I think I hear a car door slam!" Abel said, rising.  As he walked toward the door, Eli jumped up, ran to the chair, and grabbed the gun.

"I hope you weren't reaching for the gun, ole buddy!" Abel said.  "Are you sure you won't get careless? I mean--that thing could kill!"

"Shut up!" Eli said.  "I told ya I was only gonna scare em!"

Suddenly, Eli flung the door open.  As he detected Josiphene and Nicholas approaching, he pointed the gun in the air, and fired.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Nicholas, running toward Eli, yelled.

"Eli!" Josiphene demanded, "put that damn gun down! And get out of here, Abel Moses, you damn skunk!"

"Don' ya come near me!" Eli said, "or I'll shoot!"

"Take the gun away from him, Moses!" Nicholas screamed.

"Okay," Abel said, walking toward Eli, "the joke is over!"

"Damn right the joke is over!" Josiphene said.

What happened within the following few minutes happened so fast, to Josiphene, that it was like a horrible nightmare, one that would flash through her mind for days to come.

Abel, trying to get the gun away from Eli, fell down the steps.  As Eli, the gun in his left hand (pointing toward Nicholas), leaned over to help Abel up, the gun went off.  It hit Nicholas.

Winners and Losers, book 3, chapter 12

At eight o'clock that night, Deputy Sheriff Bobby Nace had rounded up two deputies from the state alcohol and beverage control.  As they sat around inside the City Cafe, drinking coffee after dinner, they plotted their strategy for what would probably be the first "bust" in Cole in many years.

"I'm tellin' ya," Bobby said, "This ain't gonna be easy.  I'm gonna have parents and what have you all over my back; might even have a couple of 'em come in and shoot up the place--but we gotta clean things up here! Bad enough this has been going on for so long! These kids are hog wild out there, and it's a wonder someone ain't got hurt before now!"

Henry Morton, a regular patron of the cafe, overheard Bobby talking, and headed home to tell his wife the news about a raid.

During the next few minutes, the trio of lawmakers continued to discuss the raid.  Throughout the conversation, Bobby even thought about cancelling it, but conscience kicked in, and he decided, for better or worse, to proceed.

Within minutes, the three patrol cars pulled up to the back of the Sampson Motel.  The blue lights and sirens of the cars began shining and blaring as the three men rapidly got out of the cars and proceeded toward the two rooms, which were easy to find, as the door was open to the one where the drinking was going on.

What followed remained a blur for long thereafter to those involved, so shocking was it to them all.  Most of the teens were, by this time, so drunk that they didn't realize the gravity of the situation until hours after.  Ironically, Henry Morton, who'd overheard the lawmen's conversation in the cafe, worked for the Cole newspaper, and was on hand to photograph the whole situation.

After those gathered in the "drinking and mingling" room were handcuffed and contained in the back seats of the cars, Bobby decided to break the door down to the room where the "loving" was going on.  He didn't have to, though, as the door was unlocked.

Stark naked, on top of the bedspread, were Bill Kazan and Karen Ingram, whose wild passion was, for now, most rudely interrupted.

Suddenly, Bill's temper emerged again.

"Look, man!" he shouted at Bobby, "why don't you cut us some slack? We were just having some fun!"

"Yeah," Bobby replied, "and you need to put some clothes on before something else gets cut off! You're pretty tough for a young boy, but you need to remember, there's always someone tougher out there!"

As Bill and a yet again tearful Karen got dressed, Bobby, realizing their embarrassment, did try to lighten up.

"Look," Bobby said, "I won't even handcuff you if you go quietly."

"Will you tell our parents?" Karen asked.

"I'll probably have to, young lady!" Bobby replied, at which time Bill took a swing at the armed lawman.

"Okay, okay, that's it!" Bobby said, applying handcuffs to both Bill and Karen.  "Tell it to the judge!"

By Monday morning, all the parents of those arrested would be reacting in different ways.  Some were punished corporal; some were grounded; some were given extra chores.

About the only ones who escaped major wrath were Danny and Bill Kazan, who just worked some overtime in the grocery store.  Within days, Bill and Karen were back together, in part, Karen had convinced Bill, because her parents were acting so violently about the whole arrest situation.  She managed to  convince Bill that he could be her "protector," and this label boosted his already swollen ego to the highest degree.

The following Saturday night, in the dimly lit room of a Natchez motel, Nicholas and Josiphene drank wine and talked.

"Frankly," Josiphene said, "I'm beginning to think you don't want me to get a divorce.  Why do I think that, Nicholas?"

Nichoas lit a cigarette.

"How long can we go on this way?" Josiphene continued, tears forming.

"Go ahead with the divorce," he said.  "If Eli doesn't care, how's it going to hurt you?"

Josiphene took another swig of her wine.

"Last Saturday," she said, "he--he wanted me to stay!"

"What are you talking about?" Nicholas replied.  "I thought Eli didn't care about anybody but himself!"

"Instead of running out on me, like I thought he would, he wanted me to stay.  He kept begging me to stay.  Oh, Nicholas, it was pathetic!"

"You should never have kissed him!" Nicholas frowned.  "He's going to expect it again!"

Winners and Losers, book 3, chapter 11

Josiphene Knapp Michael, having never looked lovelier, stood in front of her bedroom mirror, admiring herself.  She held in her left hand, a small bottle of men's cologne, which she intended to give to Nicholas when he came to get her.

She was touching up her eyes when Eli entered.  He sat down on her bed.

"And what do you think you're doing?" Josiphene asked.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" Eli answered.

"You smell like you've been drinking, Eli! I thought I told you never to enter this room, anyway!"

"Ha!"

"Get out!" Josiphene, startled by Eli's sudden arrogance and assertiveness, ordered.  "Why don't you just go watch your television--or something.  Just get out of my room!"

"My, my," Eli, studying his wife carefully, replied, "I never realized how beautiful you really were!"

"Well," Josiphene said, "you had plenty of time to! Now--well, now I have someone who really cares about me, and you better stay out of sight, you dirty bastard.  When he gets here--you stay out of sight!"

"What kind of woman do you think you are?" Eli boldly asked.  "Why, no woman in this town does the things you do--and under her husband's own eyes!"

As Josiphene walked toward him, Eli began to tremble.

"You're letting yourself get a bit too carried away," Josiphene said, caressing Eli's bumpy face.  "I don't want you to get carried away, Eli."

"What the hell?" a suddenly startled Eli uttered.

Josiphene backed Eli into a corner.

She hated to do it, but wanted to scare Eli.  Thus, Josiphene embraced her husband, and sloppily kissed his lips.

"That's what Nicholas gets from me!" she said, as the honking of a horn could be heard outdoors.

"Good thing he honks instead of knocks at the door," Josiphene said.  "He probably doesn't want to see my dirty husband! I don't blame him!"

"Don't leave me tonight, Josiphene!" Eli, breathing heavily, said.  "Stay here and make love to me just this one night!"

"You had your chance, Mr. Michael," sneered Josiphene.  "Now, I'm having my fun!"

Josiphene quickly left the room, grabbed her purse from the living room sofa, and ran, with open arms, to meet her waiting lover.

At the Sampson Motel, two miles south of Cole, the party was in full swing.  Bill and Sharon; Danny and Geraldine; Steven and Valerie; Jack and Margaret--these were a few of the couples making the wild scene.  Prominent, too, was the doped up Kit Carpenter and a hot Karen Ingram.

Gary Brown had rented two rooms under the name of John Smith.  The motel attendant asked for no identification, and paid no attention to anyone's ages.

The rooms were located at the back of the motel, at the end of a dark driveway.  The rooms were separated by a wall and a small, sliding door.  One room was used for drinking and mingling, and the other, for lovemaking.

"What sin!" said a lost tourist, searching for his room.

"Up yours!" Danny Kazan shouted back.

The tourist immediately moved on.

Sharon had gone to the bathroom, and Kit Carpenter had gone to his car, when Karen walked up to Bill, who was in the process of leaning over and reaching for one of the moonshine bottles on the floor.

"What do you want?" Bill, turning around, asked a tearful Karen.

"I want to talk to you, honey."

"What gives you the right to call me 'honey'?" Bill asked.

"Oh, Bill," Karen said, grabbing him, "take Sharon home.  I'll get rid of Kit, somehow--I think he's gone to the car to get a fix.  Oh, please, Bill, take me tonight!"

Bill put down his bottle and cup, and looked at Karen.

"What would we do if we were to go off together?"

"Anything!" Karen said.  "Your wish is my command!"

"You're a fool," Bill said.  "A real fool! Do you realize that I don't love you? I don't care about what you do!"

"Oh, baby, you do!" said Valerie Black, in a mocking voice.

Bill turned around quickly and faced Steven Lee, apparently drunk, as his eyes were always red when he'd been drinking, and a tempting looking Valerie Black.

"Oh, baby," Valerie continued, "Take her! Take her!"

"Why don't you and your bitch of a daaaaaaate get out of her before I spit?' Bill said, deliberately stretching the word, date.

"Let's bo, baby," Steven replied, grabbing Valerie.  "Looks like we're in the way!"

Bill took a swing at Steven, but Karen held him back.

"Please, Bill," Karen continued, "I'll do anything for you! There's no reason in the world why we can't be a couple, like we once were!"

"Get out of here before I hit you again," Bill said.  Before he could say another word, Sharon handed him a drink.  Karen quickly headed for the car, where Kit was.

Winners and Losers, book 3, chapter 10

Saturday morning, at six o'clock, Cole County Deputy Sheriff Bobby Nace entered his office.  His heavy footsteps in his spit shined, black boots echoed through the room in the cavernous old courthouse.  He went straight to the filing cabinet, and began frantically searching through the files.

By the time everyone else had arrived for work about an hour later, Bobby had finished off several cups of coffee and smoked several cigarettes.

"What on earth have you been doing?" asked Brenda Jones, one of the three office secretaries.

"I can tell this is going to be a hell of a day!" Bobby retorted.

Aware of Bobby's stress, Brenda sat at her desk.

The telephone rang.

"Hello," Brenda answered, "No, I can't talk now, Mary.  I'm busy!" She hung up.

Bobby sat down in his desk chair, and swung around to face Brenda.  A folder in his hand, he reclined back.

"Lordy, lordy," Bobby began, "I've collected some information that I wish hadn't come through!"

"For goodness sake, what?"

'Well," Bobby began, "I've got this memo from Sheriff Clayton, and I quote, 'Following some complaints from nearby residents of the Sampson Motel, I have learned that some kids have planned a party there on January 11.  I don't know if any of their parents know about it.  As usual, they're planning to rent a couple of rooms, and raise hell! There is likely to be drugs, liquor, and certain questionable actions among these young people.  In know about this from reliable sources.  I would appreciate it if you would investigate the situation.  Signed, Sheriff Peter Clayton.'"

"Probably Cole gossip," Brenda sighed.

For the past several weeks, Sheriff Clayton had been incapacitated due to injuries suffered in a hunting accident.  Thus, the young Bobby Nace had become acting sheriff.

One of Bobby's first arrests was both an amusing and sad story that had floated around town, so delightful to gossips that it had, actually, found it's way into "polite company."

Bobby and his wife, Angie, lived in a garage apartment behind Angie's parents' house.  For some time, they had suspected a man by the name of Terry Hays, of being a peeing Tom.  They had heard rumors of this from other residents, citing the glow from Terry's cigarette as he walked around town, from yard to yard.

Late one night, after hearing noise outside their apartment, Bobby looked outside to find Terry laying under a tree by the side of the apartment.  In short, Terry had climbed the tree, peered inside the window of the apartment, then fallen.  Handcuffs soon followed, and the case of the Cole peeping Tom was solved.

"I've got some names of some of the kids who've been drinking underage," Bobby said.  "There's even been rumors of pot here and there.  The only thing I can really nab them on is the booze, though, and I'm sure there will be plenty of that at the Sampson Motel!"

"Before this," Brenda said, "didn't everyone just laugh the matter off?"

"Yeah," Bobby answered, "but now that I'm the law, they're expecting me to be the heavy!"

"That's awful!" Brenda said.  "I mean--the way they make you do the dirty work!"

"It's damn stinking!" Bobby said, "But I'm going to go ahead and show them what I can do! I'll round up a few beverage control men, we'll eat steaks somewhere, then go make our raid!"

Brenda arose, and walked up to Bobby.  Running her hand down his back, in one of her countless attempts at flirtation.

"Can I go along?"

"No," Bobby answered.  "Not tonight."

"What about my apartment, after the raid?"

"What about it?"

"We could crawl around in a hot bath together," Brenda continued.

"What if Angie found out?"

"Sorry," Brenda blushed.  "I just can't stand being alone on a Saturday night!"

"Sure," Bobby said, as he continued his work.  "No offense."

As they continued their work, Brenda almost cried from embarrassment and lust, but manged to hold her emotions inside.

Usually on Saturday, Bill and Danny helped in the store.  However, this was one of those slow Saturdays.  Thus, they both left early and, during the afternoon, Bill took a nap.

At three twenty, Bill was awaken by the doorbell.  He arose, put his pants on, and went to the door.  It was his buddy, Gary Brown.

"You woke me up, man," Bill, rubbing his eyes, said.

"Sorry," Gary said, "but I've got something in my car that will really wake you up!"

"Go get it," Bill said.

As he looked out the window, Bill could see Gary approaching the house, a brown paper bag under his left arm,

"You woke me to tell me you got a fifth for tonight?" Bill sighed.

"Shut up and listen!" Gary said.  "You can't tell anybody about this!"

"I swear to God I won't!" Bill said.

From the sack, Bill pulled a large, capped bottle with no label.

"Moonshine!" Gary said.

"Cut out the shit!" Bill said.  "What is it?"

"I said moonshine! I was riding around the other day.  I happened to get lost, and I ended up on some out of the way, gravel road.  There was this old farmer--he looked a hundred years old--and we got to talking.  He'd just given me directions back to town, and I was about to leave.  Then, he asked me if I was interested in getting drunk out of my mind.  Of course, I told him, 'hell, yeah,' and he took me back to his still.  I couldn't believe it! Then, before you knew it, he'd given me six bottles of this stuff! I made him drink from each bottle to prove it wasn't poisonous.  He drank from each bottle.  So, Kazan, we's gonna have a good time tonight!"

They both hollered with excitement, and shook hands.

"I'll  leave this one here," Gary said.  "I got another one out in my car."

"Tell you what," Bill suggested, " as you leave, just stick this under my front seat.  Make sure my parents can't see it.  Hell, they probably won't be back from the store until late, anyway!"

Bill showered, confirmed his date with Sharon Holmes, and looked forward, with tingling anticipation, to the evening ahead.

Winners and Losers, book 3, chapter 9

All week at school, Bill ignored Karen.  Karen stayed close to Sarah Hammer, and, time after time, explained to everyone that she was not pregnant, that is was all a joke.

"A sick joke!" Martha Moses had said.

Bill, mainly to make Karen jealous, flirted continuously with other girls.  He was also in the early stages of what all the girls thought to be a "foxy" black beard, which he meticulously groomed. He was so good looking, even some of the boys admired  him, though they didn't say it out loud.

Even though Karen wouldn't have told her parents about Bill's slapping her anyway, she was thankful there were no bruises on her face.

Thursday night, Karen telephone Bill.

"Why the hell did you call here?" Bill angrily asked, ready to end the conversation.

"Please don't hang up on me, Bill!" Karen said.  "I want to talk to you--get some things settled!"

"There's nothing to settle with you!"

"You don't know what I mean, Bill!"

Bill gritted his teeth.

"Bill," Karen continued, "please listen to me! Now--I suppose you know about the party at the Sampson Motel Saturday night."

"Of course," Bill said, disgusted.  "I'm going to it--with someone else!"

"Good," Karen said, "because I'm going , too.  With Kit Carpenter.  When he asked me, he was reluctant--he said, because he didn't know about us."

"What do you mean, 'us'?

"You and me!"

"Well, you can tell Carpenter not to worry about a damn thing! As for us, we're through!"

"Oh, Bill," Karen cried. "Isn't there something that can be worked out.  I mean--what if I had not told you I was pregnant?"

"Baby," Bill smoothly said, "you told me a damn lie.  You made me almost kill myself with worry--all over a little pick up like you!"

"How dare you call me a pick up!"

"Well, that's what you are You never meant anything more to me than a little lovemaking! I loved your body, Karen, not you!"

"Oh, Bill," Karen cried, louder, "how can you treat me this way! After all we've been through together!"

"What did you call me for, anyway?"

"I just wanted you to know I'd be there--at that party Saturday night.  Just in case you're interested--your wish is my command!"

"You've got to be sick, Karen.  Any girl that talk like that--you're sick!"

Karen slammed her receiver down.  Bill, in anger, did likewise.

At eleven thirty that night, Bill was again tossing and turning.  Thus, he arose, and, as he'd done before, tiptoed to his brother's room.  Danny was sitting up in bed, studying.

"What now?" Danny asked.

"It's Karen Ingram again," Bill said, as he sat on the bed.  "She won't leave me alone!"

"I told you a hundred times, Bill, you shouldn't have hit her Monday night!"

"Yeah," Bill said, "that didn't seem to bother her that much, though."

"Maybe she liked it!" Danny laughed.

"Weird!" Bill replied.  "But that little bitch got me upset.  Anyway, wouldn't you be upset if--what's the name of that broad you're dating?"

"Geraldine Miller."

"Yeah--wouldn't you be upset--beat the living hell out of Geraldine if she told you a lie like that?"

"She'd never do it.  We're too much in love, and I always wear a rubber when we're fucking.  Anyhow--and I hate to tell you this--Geraldine comes from a more respectable family than Karen Ingram."

"You don't have to tell me that," Bill assured.  "I know what kind of family Karen comes from.  And should it really matter?"

"Why did you ever ask her out, in the first place?"

"Aw--you know," Bill laughed, "just for kicks! I wanted a good piece, and I got it, more than once! I tell you--that's all she's good for! I never expected we'd go steady.  But somehow, she just talked me into it! Damn, she has a good body!"

"It's just her ways, right?" Danny, squinting his dark eyes, replied.

"Right," Bill sighed, "And I'm through with the slut! You know who she has a date with Staurday night?"

"Who"

"Kit Carpenter, that dope addict from out of town who hangs around Cole.  I don't know where he's from!"

"I guess Karen would go out with anybody now, huh!" Danny said.

"Yeah," a suddenly concerned Bill answered.

"By the way," Danny said, "who do you have a date with for that party? We've been talking so much about Karen Ingram, I never got around to asking you that!"

"Ka--uh--Sharon Holmes," Bill answered, Karen on his mind.

Winners and Losers, book 3, chapter 8

At nine o'clock that night, Helen Knapp, from her bed, telephoned Josiphene.  She did not expect her to be at home, though.

"Hello," Eli answered.  "Eli," Helen said, "pardon me for calling at this hour, but is Josiphene home, by any chance?"

"Josiphene," Eli hollered, "your sister in law want to talk to you!"

"Hello," Josiphene answered, in her kitchen.

"Josiphene--Helen.  Just called to talk."

"Glad to hear from you," Josiphene, entirely disappointed that the call was not from Nicholas, said.  "What's the news?"

After several minutes of petty chit chat, Josiphene began to suspect that Helen was trying to bring up the subject of Nicholas Abraham.

"Don't forget the bridge game Thursday evening," Josiphene said, trying to keep personal discussion at bay.

"Of course not," Helen said.  "Josiphene, I might as well get this off my mind.  What I really called about was--well, George and I have been discussing your well known relationship with Nicholas Abraham."

"What about it?" Josiphene, in an unfriendly tone, asked.

"Well," Helen said, "I'm just telling you this because we're concerned about you.  If you and Eli are so unhappy, why did you marry him in the first place?"

"Of all the nerve!" Josiphene retorted.  "When Eli and I are ready for a divorce, that will be our business!"

"Wouldn't you be happier that way?" Helen asked.

"Helen," Josiphene, her voice trembling, said, "I might as well tell you--I'm not so sure Nicholas is ready for marriage.  I'm not quite sure why, but I sense that in him."

""What's his problem?"

"Goodnight, Mrs. Knapp!" Josiphene said, slamming the telephone receiver down.

"My Lord!" Helen said, walking to the den, where George was.

"George Knapp," she said, "I'm through fighting your battles! Josiphene was so discourteous to me over the phone, why, I'll never speak to her again!"

Thursday evening, Helen was not at the bridge game.

Winners and Losers, book 3, chapter 7

Around the supper table of the Thomas Moses family, the daily Cole news was well voiced.

"Yes," Mary Kay, her social activities on her mind, said.  "I told Barlow McGee once and for all to clean that country club up! He has avoided my bridge club long enough!"

"It seems as if the residents of this town would take more pride in public places," said fifteen year old Steve, whom peers thought was a "smart alec."

"I agree," said Martha, whose peers referred to her as an "ugly duckling."

"What's been going on in school, children?" Thomas asked.

"The same dull routine," said sixteen year old William, who'd never had a date.

"Something that really bothers me," Martha pretentiously said, "is the way Bill Kazan and Karen Ingram carry on!"

"Oh, I told you long ago," William said, "to just ignore those two!"

"It's just a case of parental control," Mary Kay said.  "I guess Ellis and Linda are just too busy with that store!"

"It's only regretful that the children had to turn out that way!" Steve, adding his two cents worth, said.

"You know," Martha answered.  "They're--they're so rotten! Why, haven't you ever noticed how that Rosalie prances around? Disgraceful!"

The Kazan family was not mentioned the rest of the night in the Thomas Moses home.  Thomas and Mary Kay knew, in the backs of their minds, that their children were having trouble gettingn along with any people their age.  Unfortunately, the Kazan children were so popular that they were particularly disliked in the eyes of the Thomas Moses children.

While Thomas and Mary Kay were concerned about this, they seemed to stay too busy to do much about it.

At seven thirty, Bill knocked at the front door of the Ingram home.

"Hi," Karen, attired in tight, cut off jeans and a halter top, said.

The two embraced.  

"I'll have that beer now," Bill said.

"Good."

As Karen opened the beer, Bill walked back to her bedroom.  He sat on the bed, and propped his back on the large headboard.

Karen handed him the beer, and sat down beside him.

"How long have you known you were pregnant?" Bill asked.

"Not very long--I found out"

"What did you do?" Bill tensely interrupted.

"I went to the Health Department in Natchez.  They keep their mouths shut.  Then I got this checckup.  Oh, Bill, let's talk about something else--I hate to even think about this!" She began softly pinching Bill's hairy legs.

Bill lit a cigarette, and concentrated more on the drinking and smoking than on Karen's actitons.  He was, for the most part, concerned about the pregnancy.

Karen planned to get Bill quite drunk before telling him she was not pregnant.  However, Bill had no plans to get drunk for two main reasons:  (1) He had to face his parents when he returned home, and (2) he was concerned about the alleged pregnancy.

Bill crushed the cigarette out, and was about to light another when Karen grabbed the pack from him, threw it to the floor, and took her blouse off, revealing her large, seductive breasts.

"Damn!" Bill said.  "What's going on?"

"Oh, Bill," Karen said, rubbing her hands up and down his body.  "I can never forget the things we've done together--the time--on, those Sunday afternoons! The time we got naked and covered our bodies in oil and rolled around in the haystack behind my house! Oh, Bill, don't ignore me tonight!"

Bill took his shirt off, and put his arms around Karen.

"Why did this have to happen?" Bill, almost in tears, asked.  "Why did this have to happen to us? Why?" His voice grew louder.

Before Bill could say more, Karen roughly licked his face.  They deeply French kissed for several minutes.

Suddenly, Bill lay back on the bed, and took deep breaths.

"More," Karen said, not the least bit tired.  "Give me more, baby!"

Bill staggered to stand up and Karen followed him into the kitchen.

"Put your blouse back on," Bill, beginning to grow suspicious, said.

"Why?"

"I said, put your blouse back on!"

Karen followed Bill's command, and returned to the kitchen.  As she was opening another beer, Bill sat down.

"You don't look the least bit upset," Bill said.

Karen got herself a beer, and sat down across from Bill.  She then took a deep breath, and silently counted to ten.

"Bill," Karen said, "I've got something to tell you that's really going to make you happy!"

"What?"

"I was only kidding!"

"About what?" Bill asked, his expression hardening.

"I--I was kidding," Karen, her voice trembling, said.  "About a baby--I'm not pregnant!"

"Look," Bill said, "I know you'd like to be out of this mess as much as I would, but we can't pretend!"

"I swear!" Karen said.  "It was all a joke! I'm not pregnant!"

"You're not pregnant!" Bill blushed.

"No!"

Suddenly, Bill grew angry.

"You lied to me! Why?"

Karen had never heard him shout that loudly before, and she burst into tears.

"I love you so much, Bill--I really do! I thought you'd been giving Nancy Naus the eye lately, so I told you I was pregnant, to keep you! You just don't know what you mean to me! Oh, Bill, please don't ever leave me! Please!"

"You're a slut!" Bill shouted, walking toward her.

"But you do love me, don't you?"

Bill, in a total state of shock and anger, slapped Karen across the face.

"Oh, Bill!" Karen cried.  "I love you! Please love me!"

"You're a damn liar!" Bill shouted, as he slapped Karen again, twice as hard as the first time.

"Bill, don't you realize how much I love you?" Karen continued to sob.  "I told you I wasa pregnant to keep you near me! Don't you realize how much I love you?"

The telephone rang.

Karen looked at Bill.

"Don't you make a damn sound!" Bill said.  "Do you want me to answer it?"

"No," Karen, barely audible, replied.  "Let--let it ring!"

After ten rings, the telephone finally stopped.  Bill sat down, and put his head in his hands.

"Why?" Bill again asked, meanly looking at Karen.  "WHY?"

"Oh, Bill," Karen, still crying, said.  "I love you! I want you forever! Please don't think of me as a slut--or anything bad.  I crave your body, baby! Love me, love me!"

Bill, cooling off, arose, and walked back to the bedroom.  He put his shirt on, and returned to the kitchen.

"You're really sick!" Bill said to Karen, as he walked out the back door.  "You're really sick! You couldn't pay me to make love to you any more."

Bill then laughed, walked out, and slammed the door.  As he was walking to his car, he could hear Karen vomiting in her bathroom.

Winners and Losers, book 3, chapter 6

At four thirty that afternoon, Bill stood by the counter in Abel's store.

"A pack of Marlboros, please," Bill said.

"Certainly," the unshaven, yet sober, Abel, replied.  "Anything for my Bill."

Abel handed Bill the cigarettes.  Bill paid, and opened the pack.  He lit one, and sat down on one of the empty crates.  Abel lit a cigar, and sat on the counter.

"Ya look worried today, Bill," Abel said.  "The studying must've been getting to ya!"

"Shit!" Bill said, trying to hide any impression of worry.  "There's nothing wrong with me, Abel!"

The telephone rang.

"Hello," Abel answered, in a semi business like tone of voice.

"You done said you'd bring me my carton of milk and bread.  When is you comin?" asked Lillian Bates, Abel's sometimes overnight visitor.

"I can't come now, baby," Abel said, lowering his voice.  "Captain Sam isn't here--no one to keep the store."

"Well, I wants you to hurry, if'n you wants me to hurry to yo place tonight around twelve!"

"You can't do this to me! I can't come now, and I mean it! There's no one here to keep the store!"

Suddenly, Abel looked at Bill, whose head was hung down, cigarette smoke blowing from his mouth.

"Hold on just a minute, Lil--just a minute!" Abel said, putting the receiver down.  "Bill, you wanna keep the store for a few minutes?"

"Huh--what?" Bill  asked, breaking his train of thought.

"I got to deliver something--it won't take but a few minutes.  Can you stay here and mind the store while I'm gone?"

"Oh, yeah--sure," Bill replied.  "I'll be glad to!"

"I've got someone to stay here for awhile, Lil," Abel said, into the telephone again.  "I'll be right over!"

"You sure you don't mind, Bill?" Abel asked, handing the telephone up.

"No, no," Bill answered.  "Just try to make it back by five.  I gotta go by my girls house."

Abel grabbed a carton of milk and a loaf of bread, and quickly left.

After making sure Abel had driven away, Bill telephoned Karen.

"You'll never guess what I'm doing. Karen!"

"What? Tell me!"

"Keeping Abel Moses' store while he's making a delivery.  That old bastard--I think he calls him Captain Sam--anyway, Sam wasn't here.  Abel had to make this delivery, so he asked me to keep the store!"

"You won't be long, will you?"

"No," Bill made clear.  "He said he'd be back by five.  I told him I had to leave then!" He lit another cigarette, and voiced a preview of the conversation they'd be having later.

"I can't stay at your house long, Karen, " Bill said.  "My ole lady says for me to be home by six! If I'm one minute late, she'll yell my ass off!"

"I won't make you late," Karen said.  "You just make sure you come.  My parents are gone.  They won't be home til one in the morning.  Is there any possible way you can get here tonight?"

"I don't know," Bill replied.  "Once I get home on a school night, there's not much chance of my getting out again.  I would try to sneak out, but there are too many noisy dogs in the neighborhood.  Damn, I'll try to get there, though.  I probably can."

As he waited for Abel to return, Bill paced around the store, smoking and continuing to worry about the situation with Karen.  He knew she loved him, but he was not ready to settle down to marriage any time soon.  They were both still in high school.  They were both underage.  Abortion was out of the question; Bill acted tough, but this much, he'd been taught!

By five o'clock, Abel had not returned.  By five fifteen, Bill decided that, if Abel wasn't back by five thirty, he'd simply leave the store.  Fortunately, Abel drove up at five twenty.

Bill hurridely stole two packs of cigarettes, slipped one under each sock, made sure the cigarettes didn't make his slacks bulge toward his feet, and met Abel at the door.

"Abel, you're late!" Bill, now in a bad mood, said, "And I've got to go!"

Abel had been drinking.  Bill could tell by the way he was staggering and breathing heavily.

"Why don ya stay and have a lil' drink with me, Buddy?" Abel asked.

"Really--I'll come back another time!" Bill said, as he hurried toward his car.

"See ya," Abel said.

Abel then walked through the store, opened the back door, leaned over, and violently vomited.  He expected Captain Sam to be there soon, so he went into his house, and began shaving and washing up.  After a cold bath, he'd feel fine.

Bill and Karen sat on her unmade bed, smoked, and discussed the situation.  Karen seemed nervous, and was wary of getting too close to Bill.

"Damn!" Bill said.  "This morning I was the one who was a nervous wreck! Now, you are! I guess this will come and go, huh?"

"Yes," Karen answered.  "Bill--you want a beer or anything?"

"I wish I could," Bill answered, "but you know my parents.  If I'm home by six, there's a possibility I can go out tonight.  I'll call--I'll call Gary Brown or somebody.  I'll tell my parents I'm going to a friend's house--then just come by here!"

"I hope you can," Karen said.  "Then we can be together! Just us!"

"I gotta admit I'd be one hundred percent more enthusiastic about it if we weren't facing what we're facing!"

"Hell!" Karen replied.  "Just as long as we have each other, what difference does anything else make? I just hope you can come."

After Bill left, Karen immediately called Sarah Hammer.

"Have you told him yet?" Sarah asked, during the course of the conversation.

"No," Karen replied.  "I'm not going to tell him until tonight.  He's coming over later--he acted like it would really be a struggle to get out of his house.  I know better.  He'll be right over here later on--and he's going to give it to me as hard as ever! I want him so much.  After I tell him the truth, all our problems--his, that is--will be over, and we can make love all night!"

"Why do you say 'his'--that is--I can't understand why you told him you were pregnant!"

"Just to make him keep me on his mind!" Karen shouted.

Suddenly, Karen's eyes possessed  a look of evil, matching her hot body and scarlet red hair.

"I'm gonna keep that guy if it's the last thing I do!" Karen continued.  "He's all I live for, and I want him to know it!"

Winners and Losers, book 3, chapter 5

Monday morning, things were buzzing with activity in the Kazan store.

Linda stood at one of the three counters, continually checking out groceries, answering the telephone, assisting customers, and, between it all, attempting to read the newspaper.

Back at the next counter, Ellis and his black assistant, Sammy Walker, were also busy.

"Be sure to cut off more fat than you did last time! My brother almost had a fit!"

The voice was that of Miriam Katz Mayer.

"How have you been?" Ellis asked.  "I haven't seen you in ages!"

"I'm fine," Miriam replied.

"How's Heidi?"

"Funny you ask--when she first went to college, she begged and begged to come home.  Now, it's all we can do to get her here!"

"So, life in New Orleans agrees with her!"

"Yeah, a bit too much," Miriam gasped.

"Well, this meat's tender as a mothers love, and I know you love Heidi!"

"Fifteen sixty five," said Linda, as she checked and totaled Miriam's groceries.

Miriam paid, collected her groceries, and left.

The telephone rang.

"Linda," said Josiphene Michael, "I hate to do this, but I'm sending one of the bagboys down to your store for a carton of Chesterfields.  Mrs. McIntire--you know how she is--inisits on Chesterfields!"

"I'll have them ready!" Linda said.

Actually, the "competition" among stores in Cole was a "friendly competition." Most of the stores were owned by the Lebanese.  If, for example, a certain store ran out of a product, they would feel free to call on another store and ask for that product.  This was "one of those days."

At Cole High School, during the morning break, Bill and Karen met in front of the gymnasium.

"How are you feeling?" Bill asked.

"Just fine," Karen said.  "I'm just scared, Bill, honey."

They grabbed hands and stood by a large oak tree.  They hoped no one would pay any attention to them.

"I could hardly sleep last night," Bill said.  "I kept dozing off, dreaming about this damn mess! I even felt like committing suicide, but knew I couldn't do that to you!"

"No," Karen desperately urged, "don't ever leave me! I need you now more than ever!"

"Good morning," chirped Valerie Black, passing the couple, neither of whom spoke.  "Well, just don't speak!"

"What are we going to do, Karen?"

"We'll just have to run off sooner than we expected!"

"I wanted to wait until, at least, school is out!"

"That would be great!" Karen sarcastically said.  "I would be the laughing stock of Cole High--me and my big stomach!"

Valerie, not far down the sidewalk from the couple, couldn't help overhearing the conversation.  She stopped, and pretended to be digging through her purse, as the conversation continued.

"I just don't ever remember us going that far," Bill said.  "I would have remembered."

"Oh, there have been plenty of times," Karen said.  "Or, have you forgotten some of those parties at the Sampson Motel?"

"Those back rooms?"

"Yeah!"

Bill hung his head down.

"I have a feeling things will work out for us, Bill.  After all, I'm not the first case of high school pregnancy in Cole!"

Valerie, shocked, dropped her purse.  Without Bill or Karen noticing, Valerie picked up her belongings and walked on down the sidewalk.

"How are we going to tell our parents?" Bill asked.  "I mean--mine are so industrious--so set on my being a good boy!"

"We won't have to say a damn thing.  Once we get out of town, all our problems are over!"

"They'll be just beginning!" Bill snapped.

Later that day, Karen was in an all girl physical education class.  On one side of the room sat Valerie Black,  Six girls sat in each row.  On the opposite sidee of the room sat Karen.

Karen's best friend, Sarah Hammer, sat directly behind her.  At the same time Valerie passed a note to Joy barr, who sat behind her on her side of the room, Karen passed a note to Sarah.

Valerie's note read:

          Joy.  Meet me after school in my
          car.  I have some fascinating news
          about a certain couple.

Needless to say, by Monday night it would be common gossip among Cole youth that Karen Ingram was pregnant.

However, Karen's note read:

          Sarah.  Please meet me after
          school in front of the gym.
          Bill won't get out of P. E.
          until a few minutes after
          that.  I'm afraid I've told
          Bill a horrible lie!

Karen didn't realize that Sarah would tell everyone what she pleased, when she pleased!

Winners and Losers, book 3, chapter 4

Nicholas and Josiphene were seated in the cozy den of the palatial country home that belonged to Nicholas.

"Can I get you another drink?" asked Nicholas.

"Please," Josiphene replied, "I'm more thirsty tonight than I thought."

As Nicholas was mixing the drink, silence prevailed.  Josiphene seemed nervous, but Nicholas was his usual, calm, smooth self.

Nicholas turned the television on.  Before he could sit down, Josiphene said, "Please turn that off, dear--I want to have a--er--talk."

"Is the same thing on your mind that was on your mind when we talked over the phone this afternoon?"

Josiphene took a sip of the drink, and sat back.

"I don't have much spare time to think," she said.  "I'm tired of running the store, and this ridiculous situation with Eli.  Divorce has always been out of the question for my family, but I'm at the point now where I think I should get one."

Nicholas lost color, and said nothing.

"You're shocked, I suppose!" Josiphene said.  "Well, I'm not surprised."

"Have you told Eli?"

"Nom he's always asleep! About the only time I say a civil word to him is when he's taking a break from the farm, or coming in to the store to get out of the weather.  He's such a lazy ass!"

"He's going to be one shocked ass when you tell him about the divorce!"

Josiphene studied Nicholas, and detected hesitation, and, perhaps, indifferencee. 

After they finished their drinks, the couple took a long ride, and Nicholas dropped Josiphene off at her home by eleven thirty pm.


Meanwhile, Bill Kazan was dozing on his bed.  He was putting off studying, and probably would never get around to it that night.

Linda answered, then entered Bill's room.  "Telephone, Bill."

Bill sat up, and answered the phone by his bed.  After making sure the other phone had been hung up, he and Karen began their conversation, one of many they'd have, nights.

"What have you been doing all night, baby?" Bill asked.

"Nothing," Karen said.  "Mama and Daddy went to Aunt Stella's.  They're coming back any minute, though.  Are your parents at home?"

Bill knew that Karen was only trying to make conversation.  After all, she must have recognized his mother's voice on the phone.

"Yeah!"

Suddenly, the conversation took a serious turn.

"Bill," Karen said, in a trembling voice, "I think I'm pregnant."

"Have you been to a doctor?" Bill asked, trying to believe that Karen was joking, but full realizing that it could be true.

"Yes!"

"And"

:Oh, Bill, we're going to have to run away! I don't think I'm pregnant, I know I'm pregnant.  Are you with me, honey?"

"Yeah--damn--what the hell are we going to do?"

Karen said nothing.

"We're going to have to talk at school tomorrow!" Bill continued.  "Will you meet me in front of the gym during the morning break?"

"Sure," Karen said.  "You don't sound too concerned, Bill."

"Believe me, baby," Bill answered, "I've never been more concerned in my life!"

After everyone had gone to bed in the Kazan household, Bill tossed and turned.  He had to tell Danny, but was afraid he'd wake him.  Finally, at twelve thirty, he arose, put on his undershorts, and tiptoed to Danny's room.  As he entered, he could hear the transistor radio on by Danny's bed.  He was relieved that Danny was still awake.

"Hey--brother," Bill whispered.

"Huh?" Danny, sitting up, whispered back, "Yeah--what is it?"

"I got to talk to you for a few minutes."

"What's bugging you?"

Bill pulled up a chair by the bed, and sat down.

"I got a serious problem--I don't know what I'm going to do."

"Some kind of drug problem?"

"I wish it were that mild--look--I knocked up Karen Ingram!"

"You're joking," Danny, seemingly amused, replied.

"You heard me--it's not funny.  I did it with Karen Ingram, and how she's suffering the consequences!"

"Wait--you mean she's pregnant?"

"I just said I knocked her up!"

"I didn't think you had it in you!" Danny, completely shocked about the whole matter, exclaimed.

"Hell--I don't know what I'm going to do!"

There was a brief silence.

"I came here for--to ask you what I should do!" Bill said.

"Damn," Danny said.  "I still can't believe this.  My little brother--Bill!"

"Somehow," Bill said, "you feel I need congratulations about this terrible mess.  Well, I don't!"

"Why don't you just say 'fuck' or 'screwed' and cut out all this shit about a 'terrible mess'!" Danny cruelly said.

"I don't like to think of such words at a time like this!.  Look, Danny, you don't seem to think this is very serious!"

"Skip town," Danny yawned.  "Once her parents find out, they'll get you for rape.  Do you know how tough those Ingrams are?
"I'm not going to be able to sleep a damn wink tonight!" a sudden;y weak feeling Bill said.

"It's almost one in the morning," Danny said, looking at his alarm clock.  "We got school tomorrow.  Let's get together and talk about this another time."

Bill arose, put the chair back to Danny's desk, and started to leave.  As he opened the door, Danny turned back and mumbled, "Good luck!"

Winners and Losers, book 3, chapter 3

Sunday afternoon, after dinner, Bill and Karen rode around Cole County.

Karen, wrapped in a red overcoat matching the color of her hair, snuggled close to Bill.

"I love you so much," Karen said.

"I love you, too," Bill replied.

"Remember what we were discussing the other day?"

"You mean about running away this summer?"

"Yes--I want to leave sooner!"

Bill turned onto the road by the lake, drove into the woods, and parked.  He reached under the seat, retrieved a pack of cigarettes, drew out two, handed one to Karen, and lit them both.

"Do you still want to elope?" Karen asked, very concerned about the whole situation.

"Baby," Bill replied, exhaling smoke, "we're both just juniors in high school!"

"I don't care!" Karen cried.  "I don't think I can take living with my parents any more!"

"You think you got problems with your parents, you ought to try living at my house for a week!"

"I wish I could!" Karen replied, not letting on that she'd be equally excited to be with Bill's brother, Danny.

"Shit!" Bill said.  "What's the matter with us? Do you really love me?"

"Yes," Karen said, caressing Bill's hair.  "I've got a grandmother in New Orleans.  We could live with her, and our parents can't say a damn thing!"

"You don't know how much I want to do this, baby," Bill said, as he hung his head down.  "It's just the red tape involved! We'd have to get the money--who'd put us through school? I'm not all that smart, you know!"

"Can't we cross those bridges when we come to them?" Karen asked.

"I don't know," Bill said.  Before he could say any more, Karen began running her hands through his hair, they threw their cigarettes out of the window, and tightly embraced.


Josiphene Michael, at four thirty that afternoon, awoke from a deep nap.  She dreamed that she and Nicholas were being married.  That wasn't the first time she had dreamed it.

She walked into the kitchen, and put on coffee.  On the refigerator door was placed a note, reading, "Josiphene, because you are in this area of the kitchen most often, I placed this note here.  I have gone out to the farm.  Will be back about six.  Eli."

Realizing Eli's suggestion of where she spent most of her time, Josiphene burned with anger.

After two cups of coffee, Josiphene made her face, brushed her hair, and put on a nice dress.  She went to the telephone, and dialed.

"Nicholas," she said,  "Did I wake you?"

"No, my darling," Nicholas, sitting back in his recliner, replied.

"I just wanted to see what time you'd be here tonight."

"I guess, about seven, as usual.  Is that okay?"

"Well," Josiphene said,  "I suppose so.  Nicholas, I have something vry important I want to discuss with you tonight.  It's a subject we've avoided for a long time."

"I'm looking forward to it."

Most of the Lebanese citizenry of Cole attended the various Christian churches spread throughout town.  George and Helen Knapp, on the way to an evening prayer service at Trinity Episcopal Church, were in one of their usual discussions about the status of Josiphene Michael.

"I just don't think it's right," Helen said.  "I wouldn't say it around anyone but you, but Josiphene acts like a slut! Of course, everyone knows about them--and what do you think poor Eli thinks about it?"

"No telling,"  George said.  "I don't know why Josiphene and Eli don't get a divorce.  It would be the only decent thing to do!"

"We don't know Nicholas Abraham that well," Helen said, "and sometimes I wonder how well Josiphene knows him!"

"How long will they be able to go on this way?" George mumbled, as they approached the church.

Wiiners and Losers, book 3, chapter 2

Meanwhile, Abel Moses, another storekeeper of Cole, was leading quite a different life.

Abel lived in the old house he was brought up in, now badly in need of repair.  However, he could not afford repair.  He could hardly afford anything.

Abel managed a small store behind his house (the front of the store was on the side street of the house), and had seen better times.  Most of his customers were the old people of the faded neighborhood, and black children who ran errands for their parents.  Every now and then he would see customers his late parents had in earlier days, due to the store being open from seven in the morning until six in the evening (sometimes, when Abel was drunk).

Every afternoon, Abel and his best friend, Sam Buggs (nicknamed "Captain Sam") would drive to the City Cafe and have coffee.  While Abel and Sam were gone, Abel left the store in the hands of Lillian Bates, a young black lady who was Abel's maid, cook, and occasional mistress.

Abel walked through the back yard, opened the door, and entered the store.  He turned on the television, and walked to a table behind the counter.  Under the table was a pint of whiskey, half full.  Abel opened the bottle, took a large gulp, tightly recapped the bottle, and put it back in its place.

A key was heard in the front door.  Through the dirty window, Abel could see Captain Sam, who opened the door, propped an empty Coca-Cola case to hold it open, and walked it.

"Good morning, Abel," the white haired, stooped old man said.

"Howdy, howdy!" Abel shouted.  "C'mon in!"

Even though he was poor and struggling, Abel had a senser of humor and was, even at his drunkest moments, very amusing to the townspeople.

"I'm waiting for the milk truck any minute," Abel said.

"It's Sunday, Abel.  Ain't no milk truck coming in today!"

"You're crazy," Abel replied.  "It couldn't be Sunday.  Lillian didn't stop by last night!"

"You're so drunk you don't even know what day it is!" Sam said.

Abel sat on one of the orange crates he used for a chair, and pondered.

"I'll be switched!" Abel said. "That damn nigger stood me up! Where the hell was she?"

Sam arose, and went to the table behind the counter.  He got the bottle of whiskey, and took it to Abel.

"Medicine," said Sam, "--take it!"

Throughout the day, what few customers Abel had were either black children running errands for their parents, or teenagers of all backgrounds who bought cigarettes there when no other store would sell them to the under aged.  When they laughed at Abel, he laughed with them.

"Hey, Abel," called out Sam Baker from his car, "you got any beer for sale?"

"No," replied Abel.  "Haven't sold beer here in years.  Try somewhere else!"

"Shit!" replied Sam, "You know I can't get any beer anywhere else on a Sunday!"

"Sorry," Abel said, as he stumbled back into the store.

"Speaking of liquor," Captain Sam said, "It's gettin' kinda dry in here.  I might have some of the hard stuff at home."

"Good!" Abel replied.  "Go get it!"

While Captain Sam was gone, Abel daydreamed about some of his more prosperous relatives.  Maybe, he thought, had his parents set up shop in a better part of town, he'd be better off.  Then, again, he had several cousins who had left Cole and made better lives for themselves in other towns and cities.  Abel had thought about doing that, but, somehow, alcohol always got in the way.

Abel had many relatives, none of them close.

There was Josiphene Knapp Michael who, by day, was the hardworking manager of Knapp Food Store.  Her husband, Eli, managed a small farm.  Their marriage, after ten years, was all but finished.

Evenings, Josiphene changed from her weary dress into something more appealing, let down her long black hair, and stepped out with Nicholas Abraham, a forty year old, handsome "man about town." They didn't seem to carethat everybody knew they were having a fling, and Eli stayed too drunk to care.

Josiphene's brother, George, was an insurance agent and very active in numerous civic and social circles in Cole.  His lovely but shy wife, Helen, was also in the limelight more often than she sometimes cared to be.  She knew, at least for the sake of George's popularity, that she'd have to keep up the pace, however.

There were also Thomas Moses and his big bottomed wife, Mary Kay, who owned and operated the Cole branch of Sunflower Food Store.

Thomas and Mary Kay and their three children, William, Martha, and Steve, seemed "uppity" to the less conservative children of Ellis Kazan whose antics, particularly Bill's, made the Moses children envious.  Mary Kay kept her children on the "straight and narrow," and folks sometimes wondered when or if they'd rebel.

Winners and Losers, book 3, The Lebanese, Chapter 1

     At two o'clock in the morning, on a January Saturday of the following year, Ellis Kazan, one of the flock of Lebanese immigrants (who were, for the most part, store keepers and active civic leaders) and his wife, Linda, lay awake in their bedroom.

     The lights had been long turned off.  Ellis and Linda were not talking to each other about it, but they were, generally, worried about life in general.

     One of the main worries was their store.  How could business be improved? How could prices be lowered in the near future? What could be done about the smell of the meat market?

     The other worries were their children.

     Their three children, Rosalie, nineteen, Danny, seventeen, and Bill, sixteen, were growing up too fast.  Why? wondered their parents.

     It seemed like only yesterday to Linda that she was feeding Rosalie, or changing Danny, or gleaming, along with the two older children, at the newborn William whom they immediately decided to call Bill.

     Now, the precious children were growing up.

     It was the parents of Ellis and Linda who were among the immigrants who ended up in Mississippi in the early 20th century, leaving the "old country" for a better life in the United States.  Some changed their surnames; some did not.

     People who lived in Cole prior to the influx of these hardworking, industrious people erreneously referred to them as Syrians when, in fact, they were Lebanese.  This didn't matter to the younger generation, though, who blended in well with their American and Jewish friends.  Add to that the dark, good looks of most of the Lebanese boys and girls, and that made them all the more popular, so much so that Danny, the middle Kazan child, was nicknamed "Israel."

     Rosalie, now at a Mississippi college, was voted Most Beautiful at Cole High.  So far, she had not disappointed her parents, and they hoped she'd meet some nice boy at college and settle down to marriage and family.

     Danny was six feet tall, had very curly, black hair, and a witty, mischievous personality.  Deep down, Danny was ambitious, and hoped to take over his father's grocery business when he came of age.  Though silly at times, he always knew when it was time to work and when it was time to play, and managed to separate the two successfully, so far.  He was also a very good athelete, and, at this moment, was on the way home from a date.

     Bill looked almost exactly like Danny.  In fact, some people mistook them for twins.  However, Bill was quite different from Danny, in that he was not the "driver" Danny was.  Bill made average grades, but his interest in sports, etc., was little.  He was currently going steady with a girl by the name of Karen Ingram, who was a rather shady character in the eyes of Ellis and Linda.  Bill and Karen frequented out of the way nightspots, bought and drank alcohol illegally, and were the "talk of the town" among the youth of Cole.

     Every morning, Ellis and Linda would arise early, dress, and eat breakfast.  By the time the rest of the family had eaten, the parents had opened their grocery store, Kazan Grocery and Market, one of the four main grocery stores of Cole.

     Every weekend, the Kazan family seemed to be in bedlam.  Between the Saturday rush at the grocery store, the Sunday church or social activities, and the children's cavorting around, Ellis and Linda were worn out.

     The Lebanese of Cole were dedicated to hard work.  They owned and operated three of the four aforementioned stores, and several dry goods stores.

     The downtown section of Cole was a crammed, crowded cluster of old buildings that housed the stores, banks, a funeral home, etc.  Almost every store could be identified as Kazan, Moses, Knapp, or Thomas ownership.

     It was in these downtown stores, especially the Kazan store, the largest, that some of the most interesting gossip and loudest small talk went on.  On a Friday afternoon or Saturday, the busiest time, one could hear constant chatter, laughter, cash registers ringing, and babies crying.  It was interesting to tourists from out of town who might happen by one of these stores.

     Sunday morning at eight thirty, Linda walked into Bill's room.  She made her way through the cluster of clothes on the floor, and flung open the curtains.

     "Wake up, Bill," Linda said, shaking her son.  "We're all going to church this morning!"

     Bill turned over.

     "I said wake up!" Linda demanded.  Apparently, the demand was a usual one that Bill had built up a tolerance to.

     The boy, his long black hair mussed over his face, again turned over.  Rubbing his eyes, he mumbled, "What time is it?"

     "Eight thirty! We've got to hurry if we're going to make it to the ten thirty service!"

     As soon as Linda walked out, the nude Bill got out of bed.  He went straight to the bathroom, and examined his neck.

     "Oh, damn!" he gasped, noticing two blood red passion marks on his neck.  "Karen, Karen!"

     As he showered, he thought about his love affair with Karen.  Karen, the seventeen year old monster, or so it seemed:  he had never known anyone like Karen.  Her long, red hair; cat eyes; wide hips; sensuous lips--all this was exciting to bill, who had done a little too much living for age sixteen.

     At the breakfast table, tension prevailed.

     "What's wrong with your eyes?" Linda asked.

     "And what the hell's on your neck?" Ellis demanded to know.

     The older Danny sighed relieved that his eyes weren't red and that there were no marks on his neck, even though his "night before" was similar to his younger brother's.

     "Would you lay off?" Bill replied.  "I don't feel too good this morning!"

     "I'll bet you don't!" Danny laughed.

     "That's enough, you two!" Linda said.

     "I'm going out to Karen's after church," Bill said.  "They invited me for dinner."

     "How are you going?" Ellis asked.

     "In my car, of course," Bill replied.

     Not much more was said for the remainder of the meal.  Ellis thought about Danny and Bill, and wished that he'd not spoiled them so.  Danny, he wasn't so worried about.  Bill, however, was another matter.

Winners and Losers, book III, The Lebanese

"Lebanon is a small country at the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea and the western end of asia.  It has been a center of transportation, trade, and finance for over 100 years."
-The World Book Encyclopedia, 2007

Winners and Losers, book 2, chapter 10

     Meanwhile, along Bourbon Street in New Orleans, Heidi and several of her dormitory friends were exploring the bars which, at the time, still allowed anyone eighteen years and older to purchase mixed drinks in addition to beer, which would remain legal after the law would be changed, years later, by the state of Louisiana, in order to maintain federal highway funding.

     "This is wild!" Heidi said.  "I thought Cole was wild, but I've never seen anything like this!"

     "Well, take a look over there," said Barbara, Heidi's roommate from Slidell.  "Have you ever seen a guy so good looking?"

     From a distance, Heidi at first thought her eyes were playing tricks on her.  After all, this was the "big city," and it could have been anyone.  Upon closer inspection, though, it was whom she thought.  He was alone.  He wore tight, bell bottom jeans, a tank top, and tennis shoes.  Though he had a can of beer in his hand, he was not staggering.

     "What's the matter, Heidi?" asked Abby, another friend from the dorm.

     Not answering, Heidi stopped.  She locked eyes with the young man, who also stopped.

     "You look like you just lost your best friend!" exclaimed Barbara.

     "No, I just found the one I thought I'd lost," cried Heidi who, within minutes, was in a tight embrace with Rick Morris.

Winners and Losers, book 2, chapter 9

     On the first weekend of October, Jean Back came home from the college she attended, Louisiana State University, in Baton Rouge, for the Cole High School homecoming.  Saturday afternoon, she visited the Katz-Meyer home.

     Karl was away playing golf, Joe was taking a nap; Miriam was on the front porch, listening to the radio.

     "Hi," Jean said, as she walked up the sidewalk.

     Miriam quickly turned off the radio, and arose to greet Heidi's friend.

     "My baby, how are you!" Miriam cordially said.

     "Fine.  I've missed everyone so much!"

     "L. S. U. seems to be agreeing with you.  You look so good."

     "Doesn't every college kid look different when they return home, Miriam?" Jean replied.

     "Come with me to the kitchen," Miriam said.  "It's time for my afternoon coffee!"

     The two talked and talked, between sips of coffee, about Jean's school life, the latest Cole gossip, and, of course, Heidi.

     "Heidi is so homesick!" Miriam said.  "But Uncle Karl insists she not come home until Thanksgiving! He's determined she stay away from home and get used to life in the big city."

     "Does Heidi call often?" Jean asked.

     "Don't be misled," Miriam replied.  "If Heidi doesn't call, we call her!"

     They both nervously laughed, and talked some more.

     By the time the two of them walked to the front porch, Karl, having returned from his golf game, and Joe, having waked from his nap, were both there.  They all exchanged pleasantries, and Jean departed down the sidewalk.

     As Miriam was walking back to the kitchen, the telephone rang.  She ran to the one in the hall.

     "Hello."

     "This is Heidi."

     "Heidi! Your best friend just walked out of here!"

     "Is Jean home?" Heidi cried.

     "Yes, baby.  She came home for the high school homecoming game," Miriam replied.

     "Why the hell can't I come home?"

     "You know what Uncle Karl says is best for now!"

     "Hell!" Heidi said.  "I want to come home for a weekend!"

     "You've picked up quite a vocabulary in New Orleans!" Miriam said.

     "Damn right," Heidi said.  "I want to come home for a weekend!"

     "I'll think about it," Miriam said.

     "Why is it always Uncle Karl making the decisions? Doesn't Daddy have any say in the matter?"

     "We must respect those with money," Miriam calmly replied.

     "I miss all of you so much," Heidi said.

     "I'll discuss this with Uncle Karl--and your dad--tonight," Miriam said.

     "Please do! I miss all of you so much!"

     At the dinner table that night, an air of tension prevailed.  Things on the farm weren't going well, Karl's golf score for the day was bad, and Miriam's left knee was hurting.  Nevertheless, she could not forget her daughter's plea.

     "I hate to mention this," she began, as they all lit cigarettes and poured coffee, "but I talked to Heidi on the phone this afternoon."

     "Here we go again," Joe said.

     "Shut up, Joe," Miriam said.  She then turned to Karl.  "Heidi wants to come home before Thanksgiving.  Thanksgiving is almost two months off."

     "I don't know," Karl said.

     The telephone rang.

     Miriam, as usual, answered.

     "Miriam," Lu said, "I'm having a few friends over later for drinks.  Nothing big.  I meant to call you sooner, but I didn't have the time.  Would the three of you like to come over?"

     "Oh, I don't really know, Lu."

     "Don't say that," Lu said.  Come on over and have a few drinks!"

     "I don't know," Miriam replied.  "Heidi might call.  I need an answering service."

     Miriam paused.  She looked toward Karl and Joe who, at the same time, said, "No!"

     "Well," Miriam said, "you might be missing Karl and Joe, but I'll come over a little while."

     "Wonderful!" Lu said.  "You'll be the life of the party!"

     "I'll be right over."

     After Miriam hung up, she walked to her room.  Opening the closet, she changed into a summer, sleeveless, purple dress, and adjusted the belt.  She then slipped on some shoes, and brushed through her ageless, black hair.  She threw a pack of cigarettes into her purse, checked her face again, and went back to the kitchen.

     "Before I go, Karl, tell me whether or not you approve of Heidi coming home before Thanksgiving.  I can't be worrying about this all night."

     "She can't come home before Thanksgiving, Miriam!" Karl replied.

     The party was in full swing as Miriam entered Lu's house.

     "Good evening, Miss Miriam," Anna said.  "Everyone is on the back patio!"

     "Hello," Miriam said, spreading her usual charm, as she made her entrance onto the patio.

     During the course of the evening, Lu tried to encourage Miriam about Heidi's situation in New Orleans.

     "Don't worry about it, dear," Lu said.  "Remember, you and I both have relatives there! By now, I would think that Heidi has made some friends.  Isn't she in a sorority?"

     "I suppose, Miriam replied.  "It'll sure be nice to see her at Thanksgiving."

Winners and Losers, book 2, chapter 8

     The rest of the summer passed without event.

     By September, it was general knowledge that Heidi and Rick had "called it quits." Few people knew why, and Heidi was so humiliated by the entire affair that she had apologized not only to her mother, Miriam, but to he father, Joe, and her uncle, Karl, as well.  People were tactful enough to keep their mouths shut about it, at least when around the Katz-Meyer family.

     This particular Monday Karl, Joe, and a crying Miriam were to drive Heidi to the bus station to catch the bus for college.  Heidi was enrolled at Sophie Newcombe, the female division of Tulane University, in New Orleans, where Miriam had briefly attended years earlier.

     "Shut up, Miriam," Karl had said, the night before.  "This isn't the end of the world!!"

     "My baby is leaving me!" Miriam,smoke drifting from her mouth, replied.  "It seems like only yesterday she and Jean and all the rest of them were running up and down this street!"

     "I wonder how many dogs Heidi had," Joe chuckled.  "I lost count long ago."

     "Don't bring up the subject of dogs!" Karl said.  "You know how Miriam and Heidi got emotionally attached to those pets!"

     "They were just babies!" Miriam said, revealing her love for animals as well as for children.  "We could never keep them for long because of these damn downtown streets! Every time a puppy would accidentally get lose, somebody would run over him!"

     The three, with sadness over Heidi's upcoming departure to college, recollected the last eighteen years.  The dogs.  Birthday parties.  Lu's kindness.  Swimming pools.  Heidi's first date.  Above all, the love life of Heidi.  The three hoped sincerely that Heidi would fall in love with a nice Jewish boy from New Orleans.

     The silence was broken by the arrival of Janet and Harry.

     "Good evening," Miriam said.

     "What time does Heidi's bus leave in the morning?" Harry asked.

     "I'll say seven," Karl replied.  "That way, when it really leaves by eight, the ladies will be there on time!"

     "Well," Janet said.  "Speaking of the bus station, have you heard the fellow who runs it wants to buy the temple?"

     "What?" a shocked Karl replied.

     "That's right!" Janet said.  "What's his name?"

     "Buddy something," Harry said.

     "Buddy Treacher!" Karl said.  "I think he's related to you know who!"

     "Well," Miriam said.  "This should speed up our plans to restore the place!"

     "I hope we can afford it!" Joe said.

     A pregnant pause followed.  Miriam, a gleam in her eye, calmly looked around the room.

     "Yep," Joe said, locking eyes with Miriam.  "I think we'll get to work on that project real soon! Nobody's going to buy our house of worship unless they're serious about keeping it up, and all Buddy would do is tear it down to expand his car wash!"

     "Well," Harry said, "that's a relief to us all!


     "Can I get you a drink?" Miriam asked everyone.

     "No thanks," Janet replied.  "I know y'all have to get up early.  Where's Heidi?"

     "Right here, Janet," Heidi replied, proceeding down the staircase.

     "Give me a big hug, honey, " Janet said.  "I don't know what you're majoring in, but I can tell you that college was one of the happiest times of my life! You behave in New Orleans, now!"

     "After all my misbehaving there," Miriam said, "I think she'll do okay!"

     Everyone laughed.