Kindle Edition
Amazon
American Writer Michael Embry
Category:
Mainstream
Publisher: Wings ePress
ISBN-10: 1613097638
Pages: 395
Copyright: Oct. 1, 2015
ISBN-13: 9781613097632
Price: $3.99 (eBook)
"Old Ways and New Days" is a coming-of-old-age novel about a man making the transition from the workforce to retirement.
John Ross is retiring after working for more than 40 years as a journalist. But he learns that retirement isn't as easy as he thought it would be. Ross has free time on his hands, but now he has to decide what to do with it.
Ross wants some purpose and meaning as he enters his twilight years. He has a supportive wife and children. He discovers that he's been so wrapped up in his career that he's missed a few things along the way.
Now he must change some of his "old ways" and he moves on to "new days" in his life.
Excerpt
The kitchen was quiet when he opened the door. When he flipped on the switch, there was an instant shout in unison— “Happy retirement!”
Stunned for a moment, John glanced around the room at all the familiar faces. A banner draped across the wall in the adjoining dining room proclaimed “Happy Retirement, John!” in big red letters. He looked around to locate Sally. She stepped toward him with her arms spread wide and hugged him, then gave him a quick peck on the mouth.
“Did we surprise you, sweetheart?” she whispered in his ear.
“What do you think?” He grinned awkwardly as he looked around the room.
Before John could say anything else, friends and neighbors flocked over and patted him on the shoulders, shook his hand, and some of the women kissed him on the cheek. He was at a loss for words. He didn’t enjoy being the center of attention. He mentioned to Sally on several occasions that he didn’t like surprises, especially on his birthday. Maybe he should have included retirement. Too late now.
He made his way past multi-colored helium balloons strung to chairs and the streamers made from newspapers that dangled from the ceiling in the dining room. In the middle of the table was a large white sheet cake designed to look like a news page with a large “Happy Retirement” in black icing on white across the top like a headline. Brightly wrapped gifts sat on the folding table. Other than accepting the well wishes from the attendees, John didn’t know what to say, think, or feel.
“Congratulations, Daddy!” John turned around and his daughter, Chloe, gave him a big hug and kiss on the cheek. A moment later his son, Brody, a half-head taller and thirty pounds heavier, firmly shook his hand before giving him a bear hug that felt like air was squeezing from his lungs.
“This is a surprise,” John said, who could feel some tears coming on. Chloe had flown in from New York City, where she worked for one of the television networks as an assistant producer. Brody, a certified public accountant, was in from Chicago.
“We wouldn’t have missed this for anything,” Brody said with a beaming smile. “It’s not every day a person gets to retire. That officially makes you old.”
“Gee, thanks,” John said. “I guess that makes you my old son.”
“Whatever!”
“You deserve this, Daddy.” Chloe was teary-eyed, holding his hand. “Now you get to do what you want to do. And, by the way, you’re not that old.”
“Sometimes I feel that way,” said John, slightly rolling his shoulders up and down. “Now I have all the time in the world.”
“Or what’s left,” Brody said.
“Would you stop it, Brody?” Chloe gave him a nudge with her hand.
“Only kidding, sis!”
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