CHARLES WILLIAMS STORY Chapter 17

Are you sure you want to do this?
courtesy free clip art

 

It was hard to focus on work after returning on Monday for the weekend was still in Charles's mind.

The wedding was to be one week after Edie got out of school which meant it was four weeks from now.

Everyone wanted to know what happened while they were gone and if the honeymoon had already started.

Charles while looking a little embarrassed assured them that it had not and moved on quickly to tell them of the soon to be plans. The wedding was to be on a Saturday when the office would be closed. 

The partners would have to pick up the slack while Charles was gone for at least two weeks on their honeymoon.  Charles had a lot to do at work preparing to be gone and setting up a schedule for the partners to cover for him.

Edie had her hands full, finishing the last couple of weeks of school and going over all the plans for the wedding. There were many who wanted to help and their help was sorely needed with so many things to do.

Edie's mother was able to take over the printing and sending out the invitations which in itself was a big job. The church, reception, food and the clergy each took up a considerable amount of time.

The honeymoon was to be at an area where many people were going called Niagara Falls. It is where a city had just been incorporated.

The fact that Charles was busy with business helped keep his mind off of the most important event in his life so far. The weeks came and went one by one with Charles and Edie's time so full with wedding stuff they had little time to be with one another and when they did it was it was to discuss any problem that had arisen.

It would have pleased Charles to have gotten a license and had a preacher to marry them, but he understood how important all the pomp and ceremony was to Edie and more importantly to her mother.

Edie’s mother had waited almost twenty years for this moment and she wanted to savor it as long as possible.

Charles thought, “Now would be a good time to have Marvin actually do some lead work in court, because he had been working behind the scenes for the most part.”

Marvin had been part of the firms' presence in court but never as the lead attorney.  

Charles always wanted at least three attorneys present when going to court for it always gave the feeling of strength when a jury or judge saw them all lined up at their table during a trial or negotiation.

Marvin said he was nervous about it but he would do it, if the others would stand behind him.

That was the last thing Charles needed to do, he had his clothes and knew what to say when asked the important questions.

The other attorneys teased him unmercifully and said they had a Shivaree planned and maybe a Bride napping.

This was unnerving to Charles for he was already under a lot of stress and when he said, “You guys had better behave;” they broke down with laughter for they had penetrated his almost unyielding demeanor.

Tomorrow was the day...   

To be Continued

CHARLES WILLIAMS STORY Chapter 16

Cabin by the Lake
courtesy photobucket.com

 

Charles and Edie took a three day weekend and rented a cabin up at the lake.

This time of the year there would not be a lot of people there. This was the first time they had been alone un-chaperoned for an extended period of time.

Edie's mother suggested that she go with them, but Edie squelched that idea right off. She said, "How can we be alone and make our plans unless we are alone?"

Her mother saw she was getting nowhere with her suggestions, so that was the end of it. She just couldn't help giving some motherly advice about proper behavior and to make sure they have two beds and - - -

Edie finally walked out for she had heard similar speeches ever since she was a teenager, and didn't need to hear it again.  “Anyhow,” she thought “What is the worst thing that could happen?”

She had rejected several propositions put to her these last couple of years by some of the young men her mother thought well of, and she knew how to behave, and besides Charles wouldn't try to force himself on her.

Edie thought if her mother knew how she was looking forward to intimate times with Charles she would have really been worried.

Early on Friday Charles and Edie arrived at the train station and were off on their adventure.

At the town near the lake they did some necessary shopping for the next couple of days.  Charles found some horse and buggy transportation and they were off to the lake.

The roads were not too smooth, but it only took about fifteen minutes to arrive at the lake where the caretaker led them to their cabin.

As the porter was leaving he asked them how long have you two been married?

Edie looked amused at the question, but Charles said, “Not too long, actually this is our honeymoon.”

After they were settled Charles said to Edie, “I don't want to think about business or anything else but just us for the next day or so.

No thoughts about work or school or even the wedding, just us.

The lodge wasn't running full bore, but the restaurant was serving meals to guests and day visitors, so Charles didn't have to worry about cooking their meals.

The day went well, long walks, sitting on the porch and relaxing on the couch.  Of course there was a considerable amount of hugging and kissing.

The day had been just what they had hoped for, and the sun was setting and night had arrived.

Edie said she was tired and getting sleepy so they decided to go to bed.

The cabin had two bedrooms so there wasn't any awkward moment concerning the sleeping arrangement. 

Peek a Boo
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However Edie thought Charles could have been a little more careful when changing to his pajamas for she now knew what he looked like without his clothes.

She thought, “I have just had a prudish moment.” Then she bashfully thought, “What's good for the goose is good for the gander,” and now it was time for Charles to blush.

After a good nights sleep they had a good laugh about preparing for bed the night before.  Charles said he didn't think about what he had done until afterward and Edie lied and said neither did I.

After breakfast they selected a date for the marriage, and where to have it and who to invite, and all of the major things like where to honeymoon.

 

That night they didn't worry about seeing each other getting dressed for bed for they were closer now than ever and the anticipation of being married grew fonder each day.         

 

To be Continued    

 

 

CHARLES WILLIAMS STORY Chapter 15

Marvin passed the Bar Exam
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Edie had heard about the ruckus at the office, and she wanted all the details.

Charles patiently went step by step through the whole event for that way it saved her from asking so many questions.

The downtown law firms were hoping that the fact Charles had located near the docks none of their society folks would go down there.  Actually the opposite happened and clients seemed to be intrigued by the atmosphere surrounding that area.

Charles saw to it that they were safe by hiring some of his rowdy friends to patrol the area around the office.

Edie herself had been busy and was making headway in accomplishing her education goals.

Although it was the men who first used the new invention called the typewriter, Edie managed to learn from a teacher who was not intimidated by those who thought it was a man's domain.  He was pleasantly surprised that she was more efficient in the use of the typewriter than were most men. 

 

She was also progressing in accounting which was also thought to be a man’s field. As she dealt with men, she used the fact she was very pretty and she learned to manipulate them, with what you might say was "border line flirting."

She actually learned some of this while in school having to deal with boys.

She figured that men were just grown up boys and just had to raise the bar a little higher. As the days went by she discovered how far to go and when to stop without demeaning the interested party.

She wasn't too happy about doing this, but she was in "mans territory" and had to bridge the gap somehow.  She had seen many other women try and fail with skills only.

Edie was fascinated by another invention called the telephone which was coming into use. It had it's beginning several years before but now was beginning to have a practical purpose.  Just the thought that she could talk to Charles when he was far away excited her to no end.

Charles business was beginning to grow faster than he expected and soon he could pay back all the borrowed money, and all the partners would have some money they needed very badly.

Up to now, Charles’ dad had given him free rent, but currently he could start to pay for the use of the large building.  

His brothers were of the same mind, because they thought it was time for him to do that.  He was only using about one fourth of the building space but he had plans for expansion as time went by.

Marvin who had failed the first bar exam took it for the second time and passed with flying colors.  He had been coached by the other members of the firm and they had a small celebration at the office for him.

 

Marvin was intelligent and had been doing the necessary and important work within the firm.  He told the members he would like to continue the work he had been doing for them, except with his degree he would now be able to branch out more.

The end of the year was fast approaching and they finalized the agreement that all would be equal partners and would share the profits and responsibility equally. They all still looked to Charles as the leader for they knew this would not have happened except for him.

They also considered Mrs. Morgan, their receptionist almost the same as a partner for she was invaluable.

With the year coming to an end Charles realized that Edie will have completed the extra years training she wanted and it was time to consider some serious talk about getting married.

 

Charles made plans for him and Edie to get away for an extended weekend so they could come to a decision concerning a wedding date.       

 

To be Continued     

 

   

DER COURT

Letter to My Editor

Soon the supreme court of the USA will render its opinion on whether it is a legal or a constitutional right to go to Hades (better known as Hell). The question has the politicians rushing to support the idea lest they be branded with the Big H (homophobic) and lose votes. As people are fearfully drawn into the Gay and Lesbian camp they are no longer able to voice an objection to the unseemly state that is being espoused.

There is a higher court that is against all sorts of debauchery and that is the court of the Almighty God. He brought man forth, designed him and gave him rules to live by. 

God's truth is not hidden from anyone, it can only be ignored.  He has by example shown his displeasure of such conduct as proposed by the case before the high court of this land and shown His willingness to adjudge the offenders with punishment.

In the example shown forth by God in the Sodom and Gomorrah issue, the Gay community and those who supported them suffered the same judgment.

The crux of the issue that all those who are participators or who support them are betting their eternal existence on there being no God for if there is He will be obligated to judge them and as recorded in the scriptures send them to Hades.

Those who oppose God's will haven't got a prayer.

 

CHARLES WILLIAMS STORY Chapter 14

Notice of Pass or Fail had arrived

 

Finally the letters came. They had all passed the exam except for one, and were now full fledged attorneys.

They were all breathing a sigh of relief except the one named Marvin who was very distraught.

He had spent all his money and some he borrowed moving and renting a place to live. Charles took him aside and told him he could take the test in a year's time, and until then he was still a part of the company and would be put on salary.

Charles said we are all in this together and are a family. We will either prosper together or will all fail.

Marvin never forgot this moment for it lifted him from despair to the feeling of belonging. It would be sometime for him to realize how much he was contributing to the firm.

They had prepared mailings ready to go out as soon as they were certified and they took boxes of brochures to the post office to be sent out.

In the next few days the whole city knew about this new law firm which was down near the docks.  Then as follow up, each day there were special invitations sent out inviting business owners to come down and visit.

Many came accepting the invitation just out of curiosity and for the most part they went away with a good feeling about this new firm.

That good feeling of itself was not enough to get them to abandon the firms they had been with for years but should something happen they didn't like they knew where they would come.

Once a month, Charles would place a testimonial in the paper from a satisfied client with their permission.  This angered some of the other firms for they considered the actions Charles had taken to be vulgar and unseemly, and besides that they were losing clients.

One special day a large group had been invited to get acquainted with the new law office.  Without warning into the office came a few rowdies and they began to insult the guests.

Charles knew some of them from the days he learned to box at the docks so he told them to stop it. When they recognized Charles they immediately stopped and in the next couple of minutes the story came out.

This guy came into the pub, and bought a pint for everyone, and offered five pounds to all who would go down and create a disturbance.

When Charles asked, “Who did this?” One of the rowdies said, “There he is outside.”  Charles recognized him as one of the partners he used to work for.

Charles said, “Go get him,” and a minute later they dragged him into the office, as he gave out a stream of obscenities.  Several of the guests recognized him from doing business with him and seeing him at parties they attended.  

They told him if that was the way he did business then they wouldn't be using his firm anymore for they didn't like what had happened here.

The prospective clients realized what had occurred and didn't blame Charles' firm for the event.  

Charles told his rowdy friends to get the instigator out of here for he didn't trust himself to be alone with him; so with a few slaps and a boot to the rear end the offending attorney was sent on his way.

The leader of the rowdies told Charles if they had known it was his business they would never have did what they had done.  They remembered that he knew most of them and had helped them many times.  They also said that they would see to it that no one would ever be bothered by anyone down here.

Charles thought about his making friends of these rejects from society in times past and it was going to pay off big in the future.

 
This had been an interesting day, and Charles knew that he would have to tell Edie all about it, for she wouldn't rest until he did.    

To be Continued

CHARLES WILLIAMS STORY Chapter 13

A Special Receptionist

 

Charles had not spoken to the firm he had been working for, so he figured he should tell them he was going to hang out his shingle and work for himself.

They gave him a disapproving look, and with tongue-in-cheek told him they wished him well and turned away.  

 

Charles could tell they were peeved for they had expected him to do a lot of the paper work for them and get paid poorly for doing it.  They couldn't imagine him going out on his own.

He promised to provide some legal advice for an architect to draw up the plans for what Charles envisioned as a homey yet professional office.

The five soon to be lawyers didn't wait a week before returning and saying they wanted to work with Charles. They were about four years older than Charles but respected him as an elder because he had earned their respect.

They also said there was a couple more attorneys that wished to join with them. The days became weeks and a month later the place was finished except for hanging some cheerful pictures.

The outside facade kept to the neighborhood look, but with an inviting entrance.

 

The other two men that wanted to work with them had moved nearby and was just waiting for the exam board's letter saying they were now legal eagles, and could begin to do business.

Charles had sent some material to the printers for some brochures to introduce the Charles William law offices to the public.

With things about finished, Charles wanted to spend some time with Edie.

For the next three days he and Edie spent the entire time with each other and their love for one another was increasing by the moment.

After being so close to her for so long Charles knew that waiting for a year to wed, would be difficult to do but he was determine to stick it out or at least give it a good try.

Having worked at the former law office and doing much of the research and paper work he knew most of their clients.

He didn't plan to try to steal their clients from them, but he felt they had the right to know there was a new firm in town who could handle their work more efficiently and at a lower cost.

 

He was determined to flood the city with his new firms’ brochures, and personally meet with as many potential clients as he could.

The soon to be attorneys managed to get some new suits for each of them, but still one of the most difficult tasks lay ahead.

While it might seem to be a simple mission, its importance to the success of the firm was paramount.  Charles needed a special woman, an extraordinary woman who was to be their receptionist, the perfect hostess.  One who was discerning, and able to size up all who walked through their door.  

He finally found a lady who was attractive, well educated, and able to make someone be at ease while waiting to see their attorney. She also had the ability to remember all the names of the persons, and his immediate family.

She understood men for she was also a young widow, and knew how to make them comfortable for conversation with her just flowed freely. The people would want to tell her everything about themselves and she was a very good listener.

Charles knew that that they were into the business of solving problems, and when a client came through the door they were a walking burden.  Mrs. Morgan could sense the state these people were in and by the time the attorney saw them she would have calmed them down and rationality would have returned to them.

When he told the members of the firm how much he had decided to pay her they were puzzled for they could have found someone to do the job for half what he was going to pay her.

When they brought up the subject of her salary Charles told them. “The success of this firm will depend upon her, because she will impress the clients beyond anything we will ever do in a court room.”

Everything was in place. A beautiful reception and waiting room was ready.

There would be both hot and cold drinks and foods to nibble on and Mrs. Morgan and the helper she had trained would pamper them while waiting.

Then came the day they all had been waiting for.    

 

To be Continued  

 

  

CHARLES WILLIAMS STORY Chapter 12

    

Converted into Law Offices
courtesy photobucket.com

So it was on to plan B as this was Charles's only choice, now that he had in essence been dumped by the law firm he had worked for.

Of course Edie wanted to know what plan B was but Charles said to her, “I will come over to see you tonight, and will lay out what my ideas are.”

He told her I have many things to do today, and I will know by tonight if I can put things together as I want to.

He gave her a hug and a long kiss and told her goodbye.

His plan wasn't too complicated, but in order for it to be successful, several steps were required to be taken.

The first thing to do was to go to his father and ask for two things.

One was he wanted to use a large warehouse his father owned next to his import/export business and set it up for his offices.

Two he wanted to borrow enough money to get started.

After laying out his plans, his father agreed to those requests for he wanted Charles close by if he needed some legal advice.

 
The firm his father normally dealt with was the firm who let Charles go.

The next step was to contact several of his class mates to see if they were having any success in securing a position and if not for them to come and see him.

The next thing would be to remodel the warehouse into a foyer and offices with a conference room.

Charles had got the wheels turning  on these things in one day, and now it would be a matter of time until he received the results for the bar exam.

He was tired from all the activity of the day but he showed up at Edie's parent’s home to explain what was going on.

Charles laid out the plan as it had evolved so far and explained some of the variables that might influence how everything would be carried out.

Edie was amazed, pleased and yes even proud of how well he was handling this whole affair.

His office was only two blocks from the pier where the ships unloaded and people going back and forth would see his signs on the office. He expected to get a lot of business from this location.

So many law offices were downtown, and were for all intents and purposes were hidden from the public's eye.

The next day five of his classmates showed up on his doorstep wanting to know what he had in mind, and his reason for contacting them.

He explained his plan to set up a full service law office that could handle any and all of their clients needs. This would require several lawyers, and if they were interested he would go further in explaining how this could be done.

 
They all seemed interested so Charles told them to give it some serious thought.  Afterwards if they wanted to commit to doing this, and then come back in a week and by then things would be well under way.

He stressed that they would all have to relocate and be near the office because being a service business they would need to be reliably available to their clients.

Charles bid them goodbye and went to have dinner with his fiancée, it was the first time he thought of her by using that term and it made him feel more connected to her than ever.

He knew what the dinner conversation would be about, so he let her lead into the evening topic; and then he told her everything that had occurred during the day.

He wondered if she would always be this interested in what he was doing.

To be Continued   
  

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A LITTLE DAB WILL DO YA - Repost

This post is shared at: Tell Me a Story 

Please return tomorrow for my continued fictional story.

Follow me by e-mail so as to not miss the next chapters.

A Dab will Do Ya
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It must have been in the forties when this hair product began to use this slogan to advertise Bryl-creem.

Bryl-creem, a little dab'll do ya!  Bryl-creem, you'll look so debonair.

Bryl-creem, the gals will all pursue ya, They'll love to RUN their fingers through your hair.

I used it for quite awhile it was better than the grease I had been using to plaster my hair down.  I began to think they were using false advertising for I kept waiting for the girls to pursue me (It never happened,) and if they ran their fingers through my hair they would have had to wash their hand for that stuff was sticky.

There have been times when I thought that GOD must think a little dab of his power moving in my life would do me. 

I suppose I would like to have at least a miracle a day as a minimum and maybe a couple of healings but that hasn’t happened.  I have ended up with the (as the song says) mercy drops round us are falling because that’s the way it has been.

Over the years many strange things have happened, some quite interesting.  Within the scope of GOD’S spiritual gifts almost anything is possible, and can be manifested in a myriad of ways.

For instance we were in church one day doing our regular stuff and there was a grandmother from Guatemala that had been attending regularly and on this Sunday she brought her son and family who were visiting from Guatemala.  Her young grandson was paralyzed from the waist down.

 

When the time came for prayer the parents brought the boy who was about five years old, down to the front and asked for prayer for his healing.  Atrophy had rendered his legs down to almost no muscle from his hips down. There wasn’t much else we could do but pray for him, we were trapped.

Here was an impossible task and a family who wanted their son to be normal and as the pastor and I and a couple of board members began to pray I had a ton of hope but very little faith that he would become normal. He hadn’t walked, he couldn’t walk.

We sat him on the front seat of the church and people gathered around, the pastor got on his knees down to his level and took hold of his legs. He had scarcely began to pray when the legs began to fill out, muscle began to form, the pastors hands were expanded out as this was happening and shortly the boy stood up and began to walk all over the church.

 

As far as I know nothing like this has happened again in the pastor’s ministry before or since but on that night something began to loose the power of GOD and the miracle occurred.

Throughout my Christian life this is the way it has been, a healing here, deliverance there, victories won, some seemingly lost.  Mercy drops are falling around me, while for the showers I'm pleading.  A little dab just doesn't do me but it’s all I got.

 Http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DY6_r-1Lra8

This post is Linked up with Michelle’s Hear it on Sunday

 

CHARLES WILLIAMS STORY Chapter 11





Bar Exam
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Charles and Edie had expressed their love for one another and the parents had given their approval on their up coming marriage even though it will be put off for at least a year.

Charles needed to head to the university where the bar exam was to be held under the watchful eye of the state. Since he had to travel several miles by train he would be gone for three days. 

Because his plans were to be working in more than one area of law he would need to take the exams on more than one day.

Many students fail the exam on the first try, and are required to wait months before they can be retested.

Charles had been able to focus on the issue at hand throughout all the years of schooling,  and his ability to do this had gotten him good grades, so much so at times his teachers had been suspicious of him cheating.

The first day of testing went very well, and the second was on Maritime Law and was somewhat tougher, but he felt satisfied as to how things went and was glad to be on his way home.

After arriving home the first thing he wanted to do was to see Edie and kiss her warm lips. He didn't realize that he could miss anyone so much.

He spent the rest of the afternoon and evening with her at her folks place and at his parent's home.  

Edie knew Charles's mother from social events she and her mother attended, but she had never set down and had a conversation with her.

Now that she was going to be part of his family she planned to spend time with Charles mother and get better acquainted for after all she was going to take her “baby” away from her.

On Monday Charles returned to the law office he worked at part time, and announced that since he had finished his formal studies he could work full time if they needed him to do so.

It would be two or three months before he would know if he had passed the bar.

Charles also spoke to the partners about setting up a division which could handle Maritime Law cases since he had specialized in that.

Apparently they had already decided they weren't interested in working with Maritime Law cases. 

The Senior Partner told him if he passed the bar exam he could work as a law clerk and handle much of the necessary paper work needed for handling things related to corporations.

They assured him he would make a little more money than he presently did.

This didn't set too well with Charles for he had spent five years studying all phases of the law, had received his degrees and soon would pass the bar. 

He could have handled that job after the first year of school, and no degree was required for what they wanted him to do.

He thought to himself, “Was this all they think of me to offer me a clerk's job.”

While he was disappointed he wasn't altogether surprised because from the time he had questioned one of the Partners about their handling of a case the attorney had shut him off, and would scarcely speak to him.

He hesitantly told Edie what happened for he wanted to share everything with her whether good or bad.

She asked what he was going to do and he said, “It looks like we go to plan B,” and she wanted to know what plan B was.  

To be Continued   

 

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CHARLES WILLIAMS STORY Chapter 10



Should I say 'YES?"
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Edie had just been asked by Charles if she would marry him!

As the reality of what she was asked to do hit her, her mouth went dry and her mind went into overdrive.  

It was alright to fantasize about getting married, which she had often done, but to come to the place where you make the commitment to do so was something else.

Her mind was racing looking for the right thing to say, she didn't want to say no, yet she was hesitant to say yes.

This whole thing had evolved within the last week and it was overwhelming.

One day she was looking forward to graduation, and the next day it was welcome to the M.R.S. club. The image of that was of an older woman of thirty plus years and she still felt like a young girl.

Then a thought came to her mind; if I don't say yes then someone else will grab him. 

 

She knew he was the soundest thinking boy she had ever known, and was probably the smartest one.

He wasn't asking her to give up her plans for more education or to rush into marriage the next day.

The idea that somebody else would get him angered her.  The very idea someone else would get her man just riled her and that wasn't going to happen.

Then she realized that she had just thought;" He's my man" and felt that he belonged to her. Then it dawn on her, what am I waiting for, of course the answer is yes.

She looked up and Charles was anxiously waiting for her answer and she blurted out "Yes."

He broke out in a smile and said, “Now comes the hard part. I must ask your father for your hand in marriage and I have been dreading that.  

He has been cordial to me but this is something else.”

Edie said, “I know how to handle my dad, and by the time you come over tonight he will be glad to have for a son-in-law maybe even grateful you are taking me off his hands.”

Charles breathed a sigh of relief for that was a load off of his mind, yet he still had to go through the process.

There was one more "Lion" to face and that was his own family.

He knew his father would be worried that he wouldn't follow through in becoming a lawyer, and end up in a menial job.  His brothers would question his sanity for they still viewed him as a boy.

His sisters would surely rag on him saying, “You should wait until you are older, around thirty, you should date more women, and then you would understand what you are getting into.”

And lastly his mother, she would be the easy one. Charles could do no wrong in her sight for he was still "The baby."

With his family, it went pretty much as he expected, and after getting raked over the coals, finally the dust settled and they began to ask questions as to what his plans were.

After being grilled for an hour and answering all their queries they seemed satisfied with what he had planned.  It seemed he had taken everything into consideration, even more than his siblings had before they were married.

Charles arrived around eight in the evening at Edie's home.  He knew her folks went to bed around nine so that would only give them an hour to examine him before they would want to go to bed.

Edie had laid everything out before her parents and their objections had pretty well been overruled by Edie. 

When Charles asked for permission to marry Edie it was a foregone conclusion, and they agreed to the marriage and welcomed him into the family.

To be Continued
 

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CHARLES WILLIAMS STORY Chapter 9

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Charles got up early for he had many things to do.  

Later in the week he was to travel to the Law University to take the bar exam and since he would be gone for three days he had to pack for the trip.

He also had some work to finish at the office that had to be ready for Monday. Then there was the lunch with Edie at one o'clock, and he had left the afternoon open for that.

The work at the office took a little longer than he expected due to some changes in the terms for settlement so he was running a bit late.

Edie had been thinking of how to answer Charles if he wanted to marry her.

She had some plans of her own and it didn't include marriage at the present.

One minute she wanted to accept his proposal and then the next it was, “How dare he upset me this way.”

She wasn't very busy this morning so the minutes drug by ever so slowly and he being late caused her to be a little miffed.  

By the time Charles arrived she didn't care if she went to lunch with him or not, and then he immediately began to apologize.  He explained what happened at the office and it was something he had to take care of.

He then hugged her and kissed her on the forehead and said, “I have been waiting for this moment since early morning.”

Edie didn't know where her anger went but it was long gone from that moment on.  As she thought about it she wondered why she was mad.  His coming meant something to her, and she also was looking forward to being with him.  It struck her that they had connected on some meaningful level.

Charles was quiet for the most part while they ate but as they were finishing their dessert he said, “Have you given any thought to what I said to you?”

Before she could answer he asked, “Do you remember the early years of our friendship how we would argue and then make up? You used to get the better of me in those days for you could out talk me.”

She said, “Yes those were fun days.”  Charles answered and said, “I thought you were the neatest girl in the school and especially well mannered, it caused me to behave much better than was normal for me.

The thing I had wondered about was - - if you were the same as you were in those days, and I discovered in the last few days you are still the same girl I knew then only more beautiful and all grown up.”

Charles was delaying her answer for fear she would say the equivalent of “Get lost” and that he didn't want to hear.  When he couldn't put it off any longer he asked her again if she would consider him as a husband for her and waited for her answer.

Edie began by saying. “Before you came back into my life I wasn't even considering marriage for I still am going to further my education at least for one year. I want to improve my secretarial skills and advance in accounting for I may need to support myself someday.”

He replied, “That aside the question is, will you marry me with conditions? The reason I say with conditions is we will have to wait for one or two years until I get settled into a job where I can support us. You would be able to get the training you want, and I will have an income by that time.”

There was one thing Charles had not done and that was to tell her loved her and he corrected that right now.

He swallowed hard and said, “Edie I have discovered something, and that is I have loved you since we first met, and I love you more each day.

Being a practical person I always think of the sensible things first, but all of that comes second to you and if I needed to be foolish to win you I would do it.”

All he said made sense to Edie but the question was will she marry him? She asked herself does she care for him at all, does she love him, does she want him? She thought back to when they were small, and she thought I know it was puppy love but I did love Charles then.  

 

As she thought of when they met again a little over a week ago, and how each day she has grown fonder of him; she had to admit that she had begun to love him.

“But do I love him enough to marry him for life?”   

 

To be Continued

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CHARLES WILLIAMS STORY Chapter Eight

Prom Night
courtesy free clip art

It was Saturday morning and it was going to be a busy day.  Charles had to pick up his rented dress suit, a corsage for Edie, confirm their transportation and a slue of other things.

As the hour neared he went over to his sister's home, and had her check him out to make sure he looked alright. She gave him a once over and fixed his handkerchief and tie and approved his looks.

She knew he was going out with Edie, and wondered if he was getting too serious about her. In a sisterly fashion she told him that he needed to date several girls, and not to concentrate on just one. Charles wasn't surprised by this for she had said that before.

He asked her where Edie was falling short as a girl friend, and possibly a wife in the future. She answered by saying, “She is a fine girl but I just think you should see other women.”

He was a little defensive when saying, “Who do you think would be better than her?” and she responded by saying, “I could give you a whole list of prospects.”

In closing the discussion he said, “I think I already have made the best pick of them all, remember it was you who selected Edie to be my friend when I was five.”

With that he left and besides he had already made up his mind.

He went to pick up Edie and was thrilled to see how pretty she was in her formal.  He had their tickets and so they hurried to where the hall was.  It was decorated rather nice and other students were arriving.

A band was setting up and the band members kept going back and forth eating at the buffet table. It looked like they had not eaten for a month.

Finally the band members got filled up and tuned up, and began to play some background music. They ones in charge did all the usual king and queen stuff then the dance really got started, and Charles and Edie danced almost every dance.

Toward the end they played some slow dance music and since Edie didn't object he held her close to him, and with her head on his shoulder he said, “You were my first girl friend and I'm hoping you will be my last.”

She was surprised at that and told him, "I need to sit down."

Her mind was trying to processes what he had just said and she thought "He couldn't have meant that to be a proposal of marriage, or could he?”

They left the floor while the music was still playing and sat next to the wall.

Edie replied, "I think I know what you said, but I'm not sure what you meant.”

Charles couldn't believe what he had said himself. He didn't want to try to explain so he said, “Just think about what I said and see how you feel about it tomorrow. I realize there is a lot of in between stuff but we can work those things out. Perhaps we can go out and have lunch and we can talk.”

Charles continued saying, “I have thought about you over the years, in fact many times I wanted to look you up and renew our friendship but something always came up.

 

Let's enjoy the rest of the evening and have a good time.”

The end of the prom came about eleven thirty and Charles took her home while holding her hand all the way.

They walked up the steps and said good night, he leaned in to kiss her on the cheek, and to his surprise she turned and kissed him on the mouth, said good night and quickly slipped into her house.

For some reason he had difficulty going to sleep, he was rehearsing the evening over and wondered if it should have went differently.

He concluded, “She might as well know how I feel, and if she doesn't feel the same way then we can still just be friends or could we?”

To be Continued  

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CHARLES WILLIAMS STORY Chapter 7

Prom Night?
Courtesy free clip art

 

It seemed like an hour since Edie had said. “There may be a problem about going to the prom with you instead of going with Sam or slugger as his friends called him.  He doesn't like it when he doesn't get his way.

Several times I have stayed home instead of going out with him to school events. He has intimidated most of the boys I may have been interested in enough to go out with.”

Charles told her that wouldn't a problem for him and said, “It's a date then?” and she agreed “It's a date.”

He arrived at her house and her mother gave him a good welcome.  She about squeezed the breath out of him.  

The next hour was spent talking to her and he didn't get to be with Edie alone.  He decided he better leave and as he left he told Edie that he would meet her after school tomorrow and they could spend some time together.

She agreed, and said, “I will be looking forward to it.”

He spent the next three days meeting Edie after school and by this time they were getting to know each other again and were on very friendly terms.

The prom was to be on Saturday, and this was the Friday before. The word got out that Edie was going to the prom with someone else and this enraged Sam, so he wanted to know who the guy was.

Some of the guys told him Edie has been seeing some guy after school and it probably was him.

On Friday Sam was waiting to see if she was meeting anyone and when she walked up to Charles and gave him a hug - - Sam was fuming.

He came storming with a great deal of bluster, and verbally lit into Charles with threats of mayhem if he took Edie to the prom.  Charles said. “Why don't we settle this around back of the school right now?” This wasn't something Sam expected for he was big and very strong, and everyone was afraid of him.

Since he had made all those threats he had to back them up and so around to the back of the school they went.

Before they got set, Sam swung and Charles received a glancing blow which was enough to knock him down since he was thrown off balance.

Sam reached down and yanked Charles to his feet, and was going to hit him in the face when Charles used something the sailors had taught him years ago and that was a thumb in the eye trick for that when properly executed would stop almost anyone for a little while.

Charles hadn’t been able to spend much time in the gym lately, but he was still in good shape as he hit Sam in both eyes so fast in succession that Sam didn't see it coming.

While street fighting Charles had been taught not to tarry and when you have an advantage to follow it up quickly and he did just that.

In the next three minutes Charles gave Sam the whipping of his life. A kick to the side of the knee had put him on the ground and then the licking took place.

When asked if he had enough he shouted yes, “More than enough.”

Charles gave Sam these parting words, "The next time if there is a next time I won't be so easy on you.”

He joined Edie and said, “The whole matter has been settled, and we are on for tomorrow night.”

She laughed and said, “I will probably be the only girl there with a guy with a black eye, for his eye had already begun to swell from Sam's sneak punch.”

To be Continued

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