Lost in thought by D.A.Sanford - HTML preview

A quick explanation

The stories in this book come from others I have not published or have published but as extras in another book. I will explain where the story comes from and then ask that you keep an open mind and look at the substance. All these stories are lessons for the soul.

This first one deals with not understanding what has happened to you but learning to make the most of what has happened. Opportunity does knock. Do you answer or not.

Back in time

I knew that there was something wrong when I crossed that river bridge. I needed to pick up some more traveling supplies. You see, I live out of my RV on the road. I’m a free range person. I had a windfall opportunity drop in my lap.

It is a cliché but I had a rich relative leave me with his fortune with one condition. I was just to go and enjoy being free.

There is something wrong here. This, by all standards looks like a prospering town but I do notice that their grocery store is the A & P. That should not be open but it is. There are stores that were coast to coast chains that went out of business but here they are not open as museums, people are shopping.

The one thing is that the people have stopped and now are following me as I drive by. I just need gas but I drive past the Pegasus sign. I have got to get back to that bridge. The only thing is that bridge is now an old girders and rivet bridge as opposed to the modern suspension bridge that I originally crossed.

Now the other side is like the one I just left. I pull over and try to figure out what the hell is happening. The reason I stopped here is because there is a phone booth. The solid red panels with glass sides and that by fold door. Inside is that chrome and black rotary pay phone with the directory hanging below.

I open the phone book and find that the date is 1960.

Turning back to the RV. I left it to explore the phone booth, standing there is a converted 1940s commuter bus. Inside is the same. It looks like something that someone would have hired a carpenter to make. It is not a do it yourself job.

I start looking and find the clothes are appropriate for the era. My food stock is of the same. The biggest problem is that it is now manual shift. It took a few miles but I got the hang of it. Not bad for someone that only drove automatic. This bus still has the power of my RV. Not the underpowered of the old bus motor. Without that, this would bog down on the hills.

There is a gas station in view, now I can pull in. People come running out and welcome me to the station. One is washing the front windows and one the rear. I remember reading about this and say “Fill her up. High test. I’m giving the motor a treat. There are mountains ahead.”

No GPS so I ask for maps of this area and the next.

With what has happened to everything, I took a chance and left my wallet in the RV. I stepped inside and got it. All the money there had gone to the proper ages. The bill was small 50 gallons at 31 cents a gallon. Smiles all around when I slipped them a couple of bucks each for the service. This must have been the first time for them.

For young guys, that is probably a days pay. I’m glad that is making their day.

I still have not figured out what the hell has happened but I am going to make the most of it. I have a plan. I have the old money that was my new. For some reason, the money I use is just replaced. With that in mind, I know just what to do. I am driving to a major city.

Walking into the stock broker’s office, I sit down with my list of stocks I want to buy. All different companies. What surprised the broker are the small newer companies, some are food stocks. He did not need to know that I am from the future. I know how big they are.

Soon I had the certificates for those stocks in hand. That had me staying in the city for a week to have those certificates expressed to his office. The broker had a great commission. Like I said, I have a plan.

As the years go by the areas have progressed along the lines I remembered. The RV progresses to a newer version. I have had fun. I travel and remain that mysterious person that will see someone that just needs a hand up. I’ll buy that cart of groceries. I will go into that new idea of lay away and pay off the entire bill for everyone. More other things that are anonymous. I want the good feeling but not the accolades.

Over all this time, my RV, my clothes and the money has also been keeping up as not to stand out. I however have been aging with the time. Now I am feeling my age. I decide that I want to, while I still can, visit the area that I grew up in.

It was amazing when I see myself playing with my best friend. Then I remember that she died very young. She died falling out of a tree that we were building a tree fort in our back yard. I am amazed that all those years of guilt come flooding back. I should have not let her work that high.

I know what I need to do.

Stopping in front of the house, I know that my mother had an uncle that went missing during a war and always was listed as missing in action. Seeing the RV stopping caused my friend and I to yell for my parents.

“Mom, dad, someone is here.”

They come out and I have real tears because, when I started this trip, both had died years before. Now I was older than they were by about twenty years. They are looking at me and see a good resemblance to them.

I hold out my hand, “I’m your uncle John.”

My mother puts her hand over her mouth as I say, “I was injured in battle and put in a civilian run hospital. They thought I was a civilian. I was discharged from the hospital and went back to the army staging area.

They were pulling out and some of us were eligible for discharge. I was in love with my nurse and we were married. I made a fortune there rebuilding that part of the world. It was only after my wife died that I returned to this country. I found out that I was listed missing in action. I learned that the truck that had those records had been destroyed by an unexploded ordinance that finally went off. I was able to show the discharge papers. Now I learned that my sister had died but had a daughter. I sought you out and here I am.”

They invite me in. We talk and they invited me to use their guest room and stay for a while. “I have been traveling in the RV for a long while. Would it be alright to just park where I am. I would like to stay for a while.”

I look at my younger self. “I see you are making a tree fort. I made quite a few houses, could I help by showing you to be safe and build right?”

He says that it would be nice. I could tell that he was just being polite. Now I can correct something that I never felt I could ever do. I woke very early and I like my RV. It always has what I need. Today I had exactly what I needed.

My family woke up to the noise I was deliberately making. They came out to see that I had erected a safety net all around the tree that she fell out of. My mother was looking very relieved.

“I was worried that one or both were going to fall out of that tree and break their necks.” My mom said.

I winced and told them that I had a daughter that did just that. She died. “I saw the tree fort in progress and did not want you to go through that,” I look at him and continue, “also your friend. I would not want you to see her hurt. I know that you would not like that. Now let’s sit down and figure out what lumber you will need. My treat. Maybe you need some of your own tools. I think we should invite your dad also, what do you think dad?”

We all go to the lumber yard, with his friend and dad. I set them up completely along with the tools and safety equipment. The lumber was delivered that day. Over the next week, I let them both do the work but dad and I just instructed. The fort was soon done with a good stairway, railings that will not budge and very sturdy support.”

After a week of making sure that everything is safe, “I need to move on but one last thing I need to do for you mom and dad.” I go into the RV and come back with a brief case. We three sit at the table.

“I have a way of knowing things that I will not go into. You both are just making do. Neither of you have the resources to get health care let alone other things. I can see that you need things.”

Opening the case. “I have, over the years, purchased these.” I drop the stocks on the table. They are just looking at me. I also drop my license in front of them. “Many years in the future, after the both of you die prematurely from illnesses that you could not treat due to lack of insurance, I had a rich uncle leave me a fortune with the instructions to live. I bought that RV and drove. I went across a bridge and found myself back in the year 1960. I bought these stocks certificates. Each year the RV has evolved, each year I got older. Now I know why I crossed over into the past.

That boy, upstairs asleep is me. That friend, she fell from the tree, broke her neck, she died. I bore that guilt all these years. I now know that I was sent back to save her but also you both. Cash these in and get to doctors now. You will save your lives and mine.”

I take back my license, then walk out of the house and drive away. There is a bridge across the river in the town. As I cross it is turning into a new suspension bridge. I am flooded with new old experiences. The RV is back to what it was. I hear a female voice as she comes up to sit next to me.

“That was a nice visit with your parents. They are always the nicest to visit but I will be glad to get home.”

I just know that she has been my friend from early childhood. We were married just after high school. I am a carpenter but I have a sideline of tree house building. People always like my work especially because I use all the safety precautions and yes, we still use the safety net that is always in the back of this RV.

I know it was me back then but, in my mind, I thank that rich uncle.