Death,Atonement Tears (DAT)

Death, Atonement, Tears. (DAT)

Tony Miles

Death, Atonement, Tears. (DAT)

REVISED EDITON

Copyright © 2017 by Tony Miles

Milestony568@gmail.com

IBSN-9781386052135

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever including Internet usage, without written permission of the author.

Book design by Maureen Cutajar www.gopublished.com

TABLE OF CONTENTS

EXCERPTS

READER’S COMMENTS

BOOK REVIEW

PROLOGUE

BOOK SUMMARY

DEDICATION

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

DEATHS FORETOLD

MARTHA’S STORY

JESSICA’S STORY

SAMMY SPADE TELLS IT ALL

CASSANDRA’S STORY

MIRANDA’S STORY

JOHNATHAN & JACKIE

BELINDA’S STORY

EXCERPTS

CASSANDRA’S STORY

Camille’s pain and suffering for deceiving her friend.

My life of misery continued, each time I made love to Anthony, I saw your face, wet with tears staring angrily at me.

JACKIE AND JOHNATHON’S STORY

Jackie: on sexual-harassment at the work place.

You must all unite like the spider’s web to hijack the Jacks and Janes from the planes of power.

DEATH FORETOLD

My Dad’s forgiveness to the hospital’s surgical staff for carelessness regarding my Mom’s early death.

Forgiveness is man’s way of reconciling with each other, considering it cannot be overused, there is no limit to its application.

BELINDA’S STORY.

My heart-rending experience while interviewing Belinda.

I succumbed to my misguided vanity, that tears and strength are not twinned and cut short the interview, like a whimpering coward, who mistook the act of displaying human sympathy towards another, for weakness, and capped that unconscionable behavior by unleashing my appetite for a couple of drinks.

MIRANDA’S STORY

Miranda in her quest for redemption.

I wanted to correct the wrongs committed by my parents and myself. I freed my mother’s sex slaves with her help, offered them a new life, using my ill-begotten wealth from my deceased drug dealer boyfriend Tony and monies I stole from my mother.

TOUCHING, LINGERING, MOMENTS DURING MY INTERVIEWS

The somber look on Jackie’s face, tears, flowing from her eyes when she told me she was willing to temporarily lease her body to a stranger, although it was for only one night, on the instruction of her boss or lose her job.

My brief moments with Belinda awakened a dormant, soft, sympathetic trait in my character for another human being albeit a complete stranger, bringing me to tears at times, when her troubled, sad face, deteriorating physical appearance, reappears in my memories.

Reading Jessica’s letter from her son highlighted the hope for atonement and forgiveness on both mother and son’s part. The contents of the letter have left an indelible mark on me.

Spending hours with Sammy Spade looking at his two-hundred-pound body trapped in a wheelchair because of the negligence of a drunken driver, yet he forgave the man.

Martha who has self-inflicted pain on herself, living in remorse for years, blaming herself for her husband’s death, yet her unbelievable physical appearance showed no sign of the agony within.

READER’S COMMENTS

I must tell you your book is one of the best I have read, I finished reading it within a few days short of a week after I started reading it, even though I had to take breaks to stop the tears; yes I'm emotional. Upon completion I found myself feeling this great amount of love and appreciation for everyone who is a part of my life. Not only has your book inspired me but also allowed me to gain respect and adoration for Tony Miles for he perceives to be of good character and is above the bitter influences of this life.(Chantelle Brown)

BOOK REVIEW

AUTHOR TONY MILES

REVIEWED BY: DR. GLENVILLE ASHBY

If we could spend our time correcting our discovered flaws, our life span would not allow us enough time to find fault with others. (Tony Miles)

Human Weakness, Forgiveness Epitomised tugs at the con- science of a world that has lost its moral bearing. Deception, infidelity, hubris, and greed have always found a home in the bosom of man. But now and again there is a messenger who clamours for change. We need to be reminded of the Golden Rule, if only to prevent us from falling into an existential abyss. Tony Miles has assumed this role with passion. And, by virtue of his age and experience, he is more than able. He is didactic and exhortative at times, but is never at risk of losing us. He admits his inadequacies and flaws. He, too, is haunted by bad choices. And this candour is refreshing. Human Weakness is deftly produced. Surely, we can argue that the power of forgiveness is pontificated on tens of thousands of pulpits and beamed globally almost daily. So what makes this undertaking different? For starters, the written word, read multiple times, embeds itself into the unconscious, impacting us on subliminal levels. Also, there is an unmistakable authenticity to Miles’ writing. His empathy is contagious and long before the curtain drops we are moved, taken up by a sea of emotion. Indeed, we mirror the experiences of Miles’ many interviewees. We search our moral compass. Are we really sound, good-spirited, and communal- minded? Are we really compassionate? Miles goes at length to test our altruistic standing. He asks, You are a passenger on a hijacked aircraft carrying 158 passengers and crew…would you volunteer to save the lives [of everyone if] the hijackers only have one demand: they need a volunteer to commit suicide to highlight the seriousness of their demands?

Other probing enquiries continue: Your friend has deceived you; your friend has engineered your demotion; your friend is having an affair with your spouse…if the friend dies it is almost a certainty that you will get the job. Are you heading to the new office or your friend’s funeral soon, or both?

You are travelling on public transportation [and] you pick up a suitcase that looks similar to yours … On opening [it] you see a large amount of money. Would you make the effort to return the money or would you keep it?

And in a tale of sexual harassment, a woman must weigh sleeping with a superior (if only for a single occasion), or risk losing her financial independence. Would you?

These questions can be taxing. As the focus shifts to forgiveness some of Miles’ interviewees, victims of duplicity and inhumanity, genuinely overcame their resentment.

The case of Cassandra, duped by her best friend, Camille, stands out. Here, betrayal knows no boundaries. That the victim kept vigil and consoled her tormentor while she died gives tangible meaning to the biblical counsel: Turn the other cheek.

And so, too, does the story of the former police officer whose paralysis was due to a drunk driver. That the officer forgave and forged a meaningful relationship with this individual speaks to our capacity for mercy.

Miles’ chronicle of tragedy is tempered by redemption for the most part, but there are personal experiences that collapse under the weight of suicide, unsuspecting incest, and a withering death. Here, there are no opportunities for amends.

Throughout, though, Miles errs toward simplicity, believing that we can circumvent or transcend stubborn obstacles with sheer will. But many fail, not for want of trying. We do not possess the same defenses against life's assaults. Sometimes, our impulses are overly complex, unfathomable, seemingly delivered by providence. Failure and personal culpability do not necessarily march in lockstep. Miles should know that much.

Clearly, Human Weakness captures the consuming battles we fight. It serves as a reminder that karma is never distant. We sow what we reap, a poignant maxim that should have long led to good governance on a personal and collective level. That we are endlessly mired in a world fueled by narcissism begs the question: Will Miles’ efforts spur reflection and change? What is certain is that forgiveness liberates us from the shackles of hatred. And if a single reader truly decides to live by this principle, the author's noble mission would not be in vain.

PROLOGUE

What motivated me to write this Book?

I was the recipient of almost perfect upbringing by my parents, yet failed to implement most of it, once I entered my adult life. Inspired by their exemplary lives, feelings of guilt shadowed me throughout my latter days. Act of atonement was divinely sought, which led me to this avenue. Knowing my imperfections, I sought to blend them with other persons who have genuine intentions of telling their stories with one objective; others will benefit from their experiences. If benefit is positively derived from our efforts, the quest for redemption would have been fulfilled.

Death, Atonement, Tears is a collection of short stories based on life experiences. It highlights three gripping incidents of deaths foretold my mom and brother the other by a loved one who heralded the pending death of her fiancée by tears at a function six days before. In addition, the contents epitomize three classic heartwarming incidences of the forgiving spirit. Encouraging episodes of characters seeking redemption for their actions. Another, overcome by the series of hurt, both mental and physical inflicted on her, surrendered, denying herself the chance of mankind’s offer of a second chance was divinely ordained. Others, have shown faith in a supreme being when faced in difficult situations. Admittedly, the episodes take you on a unique journey, covering a variety of incidents, exposing some of mankind’s common indiscretions. Specifically chosen because of the moral outreach of the stories. Yet, your emotional barometer will climb to a new high.

As the tide of multiple, varying human behavior entrap you throughout the book, it is likely your tear duct will be activated, as your emotions will swim to reach out to some of the characters portrayed, as their experiences may mirror your own. You will be fully engaged, as a series of questions at the end of each episode is intended to heighten your interest in the characters’ experiences, giving you a chance to make a fair analysis how you would react were the roles reversed. It is the Author’s and the interviewees’ hope that a wide cross-section of readers will find within these pages, some quotation, some deed by a character, or characters, some happy or sad moment, that compels one to ask the question. Have I treated others how I wish to be treated? If you gain anything from the contents of this book, share it with others, if you haven’t, we are sorry we failed you, we hope others can do what we failed to achieve

Whenever you are given a second chance ensure the mistakes of the past are corrected.

God bless you all.

Martha

Jessica

Sammy Spades

Cassandra

Miranda

Jackie & Johnathon

Tony

BOOK SUMMARY

DEATHS FORETOLD

Hints, foretelling deaths of my mother and brother, the other like the two were heralded by tears. A clock set to alarm at 12noon forwarded the alarm time to 11:40am, exact time my brother George died. And what of Elizabeth, whose tears at a function foretold the tragic death of her boyfriend six days before it happened?

A series of bizarre coincidences that appear in doubles, will make you think twice before dismissing any Twin Coincidences"

Was my own pending death foretold?

"While I was writing the aforementioned episode, I was not aware that my mortal galaxy was targeted, and plans are in place for a visit in the not too distant future. Recently diagnosed with terminal cancer, placing me in the most feared departure lounge. Yet, any fear of dying is almost non-existent having surpassed threescore and ten, I firmly believe in life after death, which is merely a transition from one life to the other.

My mother’s display of strength at the tender age of 49, while on her death bed, looking at her facial expression of serene happiness has indeed left a lasting impression on me, regarding my own concept of dying, despite the fact it is over five decades ago.

It is my wish that all my readers’ fear of death will be greatly diminished when it is inevitable the transition is about to take place". Tony Miles.

MARTHA: She has been a widow for over twenty-nine-years suffering from self-pity, and slumped into remorse. Lack of communication between the couple while her husband was dying of terminal illness led to her unhappy life after his passing.

JESSICA: Deception of her husband exposed the Russian roulette-like actions, which can prove deadly and devastating. She was taken towards the precipitous cliff of an incestuous relationship with the son she didn’t even recognize. Experiencing rejection months before her second marriage forced her to take stock of her life, meanwhile her once luxurious life plummeted into penury. Could her son forgive her enough to snatch her from the gutters of ruination?

SAMMY SPADE: Took us on life’s unpredictable journey, unveiling his occupational experiences from police officer to senior manager turned pig farmer. A dramatic turn of events after being the victim of an accident caused by a drunken drive meant that his medical bills drained the family’s resources. Clutched by the jaws of financial ruin, a dream could save him. He took us to the pinnacle of forgiveness, making it crystal clear that a forgiving spirit is the clearest path to inner happiness, not only to us, but to the recipients of our forgiveness.

CASSANDRA: Betrayed by her fiancée and best friend, she took her disappointment to a new level of forgiveness when she unearthed the truth behind her girlfriend’s motive for betrayal. Caught up in the circle of deception, her own infidelity during her boyfriend’s overseas trips brought her commitment into question.

MIRANDA: Brought up in the ghetto, parented by a gangster father and a mother who operated a brothel. Between them, her parents had seventeen other children with different partners. Her life while hanging on the cliff of despair, used her strength and mental fortitude to turn it around, motivating her mother’s sex-slaves to grasp the opportunity for a better life as well

JONATHAN AND JACKIE: They thought they were able to swim out of the pool of poverty after Jackie landed a well- paid job, but then she