Letting Go Page 4

Three days ago, he told me about you and your mother.”

  Jim explained that Mr. Crawford knew nothing about Jim’s visit to see them. He also told them about Bill’s confession and his biggest regret in his life.

  Sarah had been very quiet while Jim was talking. When he was finished, she asked, “How sick is he?”

  Jim hesitated, but when Sarah insisted, Jim finally said, “If he doesn’t have a bone marrow transplant, he has six to seven months at most. So far, he has not been too interested in finding a marrow donor, because he thinks that Leukemia is his punishment for what he has done to the two of you, and he is trying to make peace with God before he dies.”

  “Why did you come here?” asked Mrs. Crawford angrily, “So that we would feel sorry for him and take him back?”

  “No” replied Jim, He does not even know that I am here. He does not think you will ever forgive him. He cannot even forgive himself. That is why he has not contacted you. I thought that Sarah should have the chance to confront her father before he dies, if she chooses, even if it is just so she can tell him how much he hurt her.”

  “My father deserted my mother and me twelve years ago. I wish I knew where he was, so that I could confront him and tell him how much he has hurt my mother and me.”

  Jim walked to the door and as he prepared to leave, he said, “I’m sorry if I have upset you. I think that what Mr. Crawford did was wrong. I think he owes you both an explanation, so that you can have some closure before he dies.”

  Sarah looked at Jim and said “Thank you Jim. My mom and I do need to get on with our lives, and I do have many questions for my dad. Thanks for coming over.”

  The following Saturday, Jim was not scheduled to work because he was taking his PSAT exam. It was two weeks later, when he saw Bill Crawford again. When Jim walked in the room, Bill looked up and with tear filled eyes, he said “Thank you, Jim.”

  “What for?” asked Jim.

  “For giving my family back to me” said Bill. “Over the past several days, I have spent a lot of time with my daughter, and my ex-wife is at least talking to me.”

  As Jim and Bill sat and talked, Sarah and Mrs. Crawford walked into the room. The first thing that Sarah did was to give Jim a big hug. “Thank you, so much Jim,” she said. “I have my father back and we are becoming closer every day.”

  Then, Sarah hugged her father and told him “I have some good news for you Dad.” She was so excited, that she could barely contain her enthusiasm.

  “What’s the good news?” asked Bill.

  “I was tested and my bone marrow is a perfect match. Your oncologist said that I can be the donor for your bone marrow transplant.”

  “No, Sarah.” said Bill. I cannot let you do that. I will not let you do that. It is a very painful procedure and I do not want to see you get hurt again. Besides, I don’t deserve anything from you.”

  Sarah got very angry and said, “I lost you once and I will not lose you again! You do not have any say in this matter. I am doing it and that is final.”

  Bill looked over at Carol and saw that she was crying and Bill began to cry as well.

  Jim excused himself and started to leave to give Bill some time alone with his family. Before he left the room, Bill stopped him and told him some news of his own.

  “Jim, I showed your manuscript to a friend of mine, who is an editor for a major publishing firm. He was very impressed with your writing. He would like to meet with you.”

  Bill handed Jim a business card with the Mr. Van Allen’s name and phone number on it.

  “Give him a call and set up a meeting with him, Jim. We both agree that you have a lot of talent as a writer.”

  Jim agreed to give Mr. Van Allen a call and then he gave Bill a hug and then both Carol and Sarah gave Jim a hug as he was leaving.

  Later, that week, Jim met with Mr. Van Allen, the book editor. Mr. Van Allen made some suggestions, such as using narrative that is more descriptive in the book to make it a little longer, and to make it flow a little smoother.

  Jim agreed to rewrite the novel. Over the next several months, Jim and Mr. van Allen sent the novel back and forth by email, with Jim making corrections and Mr. Van Allen making suggestions, here and there.

  In the meanwhile, Bill underwent his bone marrow transplant and was waiting to see if he would go into remission. He was out of the hospital and he was seeing his daughter on a regular basis, and he and Carol were friends again.

  In the fall of Jim’s senior year, he received a call from Mr. Van Allen. The publishing firm was willing to offer Jim a contract to publish five hundred thousand copies of his book; ‘Frontier Justice’ with an option for at least six more western novels.

  Jim and his mother met with Craig Anderson, a lawyer who specialized in contract law. Together, they all sat down with Mr. Van Allen and worked out the details of the book deal. Jim signed the contract and Mr. Van Allen presented him with a check for seven hundred fifty thousand dollars; an advance on his first book. That was enough money to pay for Jim’s college education at Arizona State University where he had been accepted, with enough left over to buy a new house for his mother.

  Within four months of the book’s release, it skyrocketed to the top ten of the New York Times Best Seller List. A million more books were printed in a second printing.

  Jim was asked to do book signings in Phoenix during Winter break. At the first book signing, the first people in line were Jim Crawford and his daughter Sarah.

  Bill was now in remission, he and his daughter were closer than ever, and he and Carol had begun dating again.

  As Bill handed a book to Jim to sign, he asked about the name on the cover; “Frontier Justice’ by James Kennedy.

  Jim explained that Kennedy was his middle name, as President Kennedy was a hero to Jim’s mother when she was younger. So now, James Kennedy would be Jim’s pen name.

  Bill told Jim that he loved the book, especially the new ending.

  One of the changes that Jim made in the book was that he added a new character. Buck now had a sixteen-year-old daughter named Sarah. In addition, in the second half of the book, Buck discovered that that the real reason Sam wanted to find his father was to get revenge and kill him. Buck told Sam how his own anger had gotten him into a lot of trouble over the years and that if Sam killed his father, it would not make his pain go away.

  In the final chapter of the book, Sam had stopped searching for his father, giving up the idea about getting revenge. He came across his father in a saloon in Jefferson City, Missouri.

  Sam thought about shooting him, but after looking over at Buck and remembering his advice, he changed his mind. Instead, Sam walked up to his father, and in front of several men in the saloon, he called his father a coward and Sam told his father that he felt sorry for him.

  Sam explained to the rest of the men in the saloon, how his father had abandoned his wife and seven children in New York City, s three years earlier, stole all of their money and walked out of their lives forever. The men looked at Sam’s father with disgust and contempt.

  Sam’s father became angry and reached for his gun, but before he could get it out of his holster, Sam had his gun in hand pointing it directly at him. Sam stood there for a moment, staring into his father’s eyes. However, then something strange happened. The hate he felt for his father turned into pity for the pathetic man standing before him. Then Sam spoke to his father, “For years, I have thought of finding you and killing you, but I’ve grown up a lot these past few years. I feel sorry for you. You aren’t even worth wasting a bullet.”

  Then, Sam holstered his gun, turned his back on the man who used to be his father and walked out of the saloon, never looking back.

  Jim had also changed the dedication page. He dedicated the book to his mother and; “To Bill, a good friend and substitute father.”

  L
ife for Jim kept getting better. His first book was a best seller and he was working on his second novel; titled “Sarah Stands Her Ground”. It was a sequel to his first book. Sam helps Sarah save the ranch from a bunch of cutthroats who shot her father. In the end, Sam and Sarah fall in love, get married, and take over the ranch when Buck retires.

  Jim’s books attracted the younger generation of readers who loved his writing style. Jim and Sarah Crawford began dating. Bill and Carol got remarried and Jim’s mother began dating Craig Anderson, Jim’s lawyer and the four adults became good friends, and one day, may become in-laws. Who knows?

  The End