Preface
Life is a fragile blessing which is given to us by a being with power that no mortal could ever grasp. Some waste their lives by committing the act of hatred or the sin of sloth. It’s the lucky ones that are blessed with a second chance at life. A second chance to fix the mistakes they made in their previous form as well as a chance to free themselves of any burden they may have brought upon themselves.
I am one of those lucky human beings, and I have had the honor of meeting others who pronounce themselves as such. However, they speak of how their lives were joyous and adventurous, and how they were blessed with a second life on God’s green Earth due to the pureness of their hearts. But, what they don’t understand is that purity isn’t the reason we’re given a second chance. They don’t understand that sitting around playing poker, eating potato chips, and having sex with women who are so shallow as to sell their bodies to a man or woman they knew not existed until they stepped on to their street corner is not what life is about.
No one truly realizes the complexity of life. Sadly, I realized it the hard way. I realized that you don’t truly understand the meaning of life until you’ve lost it all: your family, your home, yourself. I pray that after hearing my story, you will appreciate the breath you’re taking with every word I say.
The year was 1890. I was the son of a civil war soldier who gave his life to set all slaves free. I was also a teacher; professor of English as well as the proud father of two beautiful young girls and the loving husband of the most beautiful woman I had ever met, Catherine Nicole Mayweather. This was the year I would lose everything.
