CHAPTER 4, Going to Africa

Chapter 4

John was on his way to Africa along with Sally and the boys.

Living in Africa would be very different than living in the states but they were all up for the challenge.

The African children were thrilled to meet the boys and the boys fit right in.

The boys could speak many foreign languages and most of the African children could speak some English.

No more suits and ties, Burma shorts and tee shirts. This was life!

They would be living near the Atlantic Ocean and the boys loved to swim, fish, and surf.

Fun in the sun all day but first the boys had to do their chores.

Living in Africa would be hard work because there was no modern farm equipment to use.

The boys did not mind as long as they could spend there free time at the beach.

John spent long hours planning his techniques to teach the locals.

Sally spent most of the time getting the small schoolhouse ready for the children.

Sally would not only be teaching history but many other subjects.

The children would have to share books for Sally had not brought enough books to go around.

No, I Pad here!

In the distance, you could see and hear gunshots and missiles

In parts of Africa, there is a lot of violence.

I hope that the rebels will keep their distance.

The rebels hate Americans and Europeans.

You do not want to be captured by the rebels.

The big cats have been driven out of their land and farmers have found carcasses their cattle and goats.

The big cats have not harmed humans yet!

The raining season has begun and many animals have started migrating toward the once dried up water hole that now is overflowing with water.

Now is the right time to start planting crops.

Unexpectedly appears Billy!

What is he doing here? 

This is so out of character for Billy!

Billy always wears a suit, but wait what is he wearing?

Had Billy come to stay?

Had Billy come to ask Sally for a divorce?

Did Billy know that John was here with his wife?

What a dilemma for John!

Chapter 1, The Dark Cloud of Friendship for Workshop

Chapter 1

Billy and John had been best friends since grade school. Everywhere you saw Billy you saw John.

Billy was a tall lanky boy with straight yellow hair. Billy wore a size twelve-dress shoe, white button-down shirt and black slacks.

John was a tall stocky boy with straight un-kept hair and always wore boots. John’s feet were small for his size and the bottoms of his boots were covered with dead bugs. If John ever saw a bug, he would follow it. Smash! It was dead!

For twelve years, the boys rode their bicycles to school. In the summer, both boys worked as lifeguards. John saved a small red-haired, freckled-faced girl from drowning. 

John’s father owned the local hardware store.

Jones and Jones Hardware had been in the family for many generations, where you could buy a variety of items for your home and garden. 

While Billy’s father was a partner in the local bank called Smith and Barnes Branch Bank of NY. Both Billy and John’s fathers were well-liked and both were very active in the community. 

After graduation, Billy went away to Harvard to study law and John went to Cornell to study Agriculture. 

Cornell is one of two private land grant universities.

After John got his Ph.D. in Agriculture he came back, home to began his career but he was not sure if he wanted to teach at the local university or plant his feet in the soil of farming.

Mean while his best friend whom he had not seen or heard from in years were working for one of the top law firms in NY.

Billy now went by the name of William James Smith III Attorney at Law. 

John was working with large farms helping them get grants from the government. Billy hated what he called second-class citizens and did everything against them. The Blue Collar workers he called them!

John had gone to Washington D.C. to get a bill passed to help the farmers.

While debating his bill in the senate, John saw Billy, now called William James Smith III Attorney at Law, sitting on the opposing side.

 Before that day ended John and Billy would become mortal enemies. The harder John fought for to get the bill passed for the farmers the more Billy fought to block the bill that John was trying to pass. Billy was acting as if he never knew John and made John look like an ass in front of his peers.

John wanted to take a gun and blow Billy’s brains out right there on the Senate floor.

The debate went on for several days, bickering back and forth; finally, the farm bill passed the senate. However, Billy and John became mortal enemies.

It was like they were living on opposite sides of the fence of life. How could someone that you had grown up with and spent endless days playing together have changed?

How could this be? When did they change?

At the end of the debate, a dark void, emptiness, had fallen over both men. A dark cloud followed both men as they left Washington D.C.