Prologue: Setting the Stage

The Wonder Wharf the sights, the smells aaah those wonderfully and weird unique smells. How does Tina make this writing thing look so easy? Why is it those first few words to start a story are always the hardest? Well she's been doing it as far back as I can remember with that diary of hers and that riveting erotic fan fiction she wrote. You would have thought she would have hid that diary in a better sport with all the times Gene, mom and I found that damn thing. Maybe she wanted us to find it? Maybe she wanted an audience? Maybe she wanted some encouragement or constructive criticism?

Mom skimmed the diary to make sure Tina wasn't on drugs and well Gene and I well we were bored and her stories are strange but they're entertaining the girl has a gift I have to give it to her. It was easy to see where Tina and Gene would end up from a young age. Tina was meant to spin stories or yarns to quote an old sailing term. Gene was always destined for the stage. We were never really sure which stage it could have been several like broadway plays, comedy (movies or stand up) but we knew he loved that keyboard so music seemed the most likely.

Now Gene is 34 and is a highly successful keyboard artist although he does dabble in other areas like the occasional movie or broadway play. When he produced and starred in Work Hard or Die Trying Girl and it become a broadway smash I knew it would blow the competition away. He won several Tony Awards for that including best musical. Gene left the wharf and lives in Beverly Hills California now. We knew he would fit right in over there. Last I heard from him he doesn't have his own place and usually stays at a 3 or 4 star hotel when he's not touring or involved in a movie or tv production. As far as I know Gene is currently single and hasn't found his other half yet.

Tina...well Tina is 36 now. With her gift we knew she would become a highly successful writer. She's written several hit romance novels and bought a horse farm in upstate New York. God does she love all those horses. It's all so much fun when the whole family visits her on that beautiful farm. It's in Warwick NY. It has 21 acres, 2 bedrooms, 3 baths and a beautiful patio. It features 28; 12 by 12 matted stalls, 13 paddocks, a riders lounge a hay loft, automatic waterers among many other amenities. It has to be worth over 1.5 million.

She loves writing, she loves the horses and of course she's married to you guessed it Jimmy Jr. Her dreams have come true well almost. She loves writing romance novels but she feels kind of tied down writing the same thing all the time. Plus her publisher specializes in romance novels and they keep busting her chops to churn out more and more and well she's already written five hit novels and she's growing tired of it.

She wants to do something different like a science fiction or a mystery novel. Her and Jimmy are very happy but there is one problem or issue but I won't go into that now. You'll find out about that in due time. This story has many layers that will take some time to peel back. Think of it like an onion. I'm going to start peeling the layers away slowly but in time I hope I can make sense of it all for you or at least most of it. That's my goal as the story teller of this yarn after all. Right now I'm setting the proverbial stage for this story.

Of course by now you must realize by now who is the protagonist of this story or let's say prologue at least as I feel like for this story the main character can change depending on the chapter. This is Bob's youngest daughter Louise. Unlike Tina and Gene I didn't know at a young age what I was destined to do.

I've thought about do many things like an ad executive, police officer (working with Sergeant Bosco everyday in robbery or even homicide would definitely be fascinating) running a demolition company, movie director, electrical engineer and even a mortician. That weekend we all spent at Mort's was so exhilarating but well I didn't know back when I was nine but when I got to 8th grade I would finally know what I wanted to do the rest of my life. Or at least know in what vein my career path would lead.

Mom and dad both said I could be anything I wanted and in this instance they were right. When I dissected a frog in biology class though I finally knew I wanted to do something in the field of science. I wasn't sure exactly what at the time but after dissecting that frog I was hooked and I was looking for anything and everything dead to dissect of course Mom and Dad refused to let me look at dead bodies at the local morgue (total buzzkills) but I found other ways.

Using dissection tools like scissors, scalpels, and forceps I brought so many dead things I found to the alley behind our house that I lost track of just how many. I brought whatever I could find dead rats, dead pigeons, dead mice you name it. Of course I always wore gloves and followed the proper procedures they taught us in class. Of course I did this late at night on the weekend when everybody was asleep. I did this for a quite a while. However I gave up when Dad almost caught me when he went outside in the middle of the night to throw away some old garbage and I had to hide behind the dumpster to avoid being seen.

After that I told my self I was done doing back alley dissection and would stay after school to dissect. As startling as the words staying after school sounded to myself and the rest of my family when I told them; I knew had to do it. My need to stay after school outweighed my fear of being labeled a nerd so I didn't care. I had stopped caring what people think when I stopped caring if Chloe Barbash thought I was a "baby" putting baby in air quotes because at that time I was 9. Later when I was in 8th grade I was thirteen and later fourteen so I cared even less. This was something I loved and I couldn't care less what others thought about me for it. I was going to do what I enjoyed I wasn't going to let anyone else hold me back.

9th grade was a very interesting time for me I was volunteering at Mort's crematorium on the weekends as a mortuary cosmetologist in training. Mort was taking me on in hopes that I may take over his business or at least become a future mortuary cosmetologist someday because he didn't have any kids of his own.

Meanwhile Dad was a little weary of this because he was always hoping at least one of us kids would take over the restaurant business that his Dad had started. But mom convinced Dad to let me do it. "Don't stifle her dreams. She'll probably grow out of it. She does love science but she may go another way heck Louse may even become a science teacher." Linda had advised my father over dinner before I took the part time job as Mort's trainee.

I shivered at the time I heard the words teacher. I thought maybe at the time I would grow up to work in the city morgue, be a nurse, EMT technician, police lab technician, mortician, mortuary cosmetologist or still even a cop. The one job outside the medical/science field I seriously considered myself doing. I did have fleeting or passing muses of owning my own restaurant but it was a hibachi place or ice cream parlor or even yet an ice cream and chicken restaurant. They weren't things I seriously considered.

I didn't want to get Dad's hopes up by telling him about it. But unlike my family members; being around dead bodies didn't scare me it fascinated me and Mort loved that. He loved that he had someone other than his mortuary cosmetologist Shelia that loved some of the same things he did.

I worked with Mort and Shelia Friday's after school 4-8 and Saturday and Sunday 1-5. Shelia was a middle aged woman with frizzy blond hair of average height and build. She had a good sense of humor though and we would occasionally make references to one of my favorite comedies Weekend at Bernie's and its sequel Weekend at Bernie's 2. Not as good as the original by any means but a fairly good sequel with some chuckles here and there.

Anyway after high school I thew caution to the wind and embraced by odd desire to be around the dead I didn't go down Mort's road but I did pursue my bachelors, masters and later my doctorate in biology and I obtained my teaching certification. I also have an associates degree in cosmetology. (I still help out at Mort's crematorium as a mortuary cosmetologist on the weekends)

I went to become the thing I had once hated a teacher. If my nine year old self could see me now. I can only imagine what would she say. I don't know if my nine year old self could even look me in the eye and not grimace. Would I scream? Would I throw a tantrum? Would I question my older self and say "Oh My God! Are you serious Louise? I don't even know who the hell you even are anymore!" I had a feeling that one day I would see an adult from my childhood in my job every day but I thought it would most likely be Sergeant Bosco. This was due to my early fascination with the police department.

However I never in a million years imagined it would be Mr Frond. I didn't know it at the time but by the time I had graduated Wagstaff high school and began pursing my undergrad Mr Frond had left Wagstaff elementary and become the high school guidance counselor there. I remember my first day as a teacher in Wagstaff high school one year ago. When I went into the teachers lounge that morning to get a cup of coffee before the school day started and I saw Mr Frond; my heart leapt back into my throat.

I did a double take upon seeing the older Mr Frond at that moment. He was older and a bit grayer with his hairline was receding a bit. His face was older and more ragged from time but he looked mostly the same maybe a little heavier though. As for myself well I was now sporting long flowing dark brown hair, a white blouse and red slip skirt I was rather beautiful (and still am) If I do say so myself. I looked pretty much like myself but just older (grown up) and bigger. I was probably around 5'5 or so (and still am) about average height. Mr Frond was about an inch or two taller but with my red heels on we were about even.

"Lo...Lo..Louise belcher! I can't believe my eyes. You're, You're a You're a teacher now?" Mr Frond gawked in surprise. I cleared my throat and took a small deep breath to prepare myself to maintain a clam and cool demeanor. "Mr Frond...What I pleasant surprise (I smiled to myself that I was able to say the word pleasant regarding Mr Frond with a straight face) I haven't seen you since middle school. I guess you've moved on to become the high school guidance counselor here?" I inquired while feigning rather high interest. Although I must say I was slightly interested in reality to how Mr Frond had managed to leave his post as the middle school guidance counselor. I figured he saw it as a step up.

Mr Frond took a few moments to process what he just heard. It seemed like he was rather taken aback by my professionalism and general interest in himself. It seemed as if he was trying to decide if I was a good teacher and had changed from that precocious, rambunctious young child with a penchant for trouble that I once was. "As I matter of fact yes. It's funny a few years after you graduated from middle school I had a feeling that I wanted to mold the high school children's minds. I wanted to prepare them for their long journey into college or trade schools and their careers and lives and the troubles that they would face in the real world for years to come". Mr Frond proclaimed with an impassioned grin.

"I love that. That's a great cause. You were always so dedicated this seems like a perfect fit for you. Are you enjoying working with high schoolers?" I probed with a slight grin and feigned interest yet again. "Why yes I'm also happy that the children of this age our a little more mature than middle school children in general. (I nodded in agreement) "I'm sorry but I'm going to make some coffee now ok? I'll continue to lesson" I piped with a small smile". Mr Frond nodded in accord. "May I ask what grade and class you will be teaching?" Mr Frond implored as I grabbed a clean coffee mug from the pantry, a k-cup (pumpkin flavor) "9th grade biology" I responded while putting the cup on the stand starting the brewer on 8oz strong (which was already on and preheated)

"That's funny. I figured it would be have to something related to science. I remember how impassioned you were when your class dissected frogs. It was a pleasant surprise when I heard you stayed after school and did those science labs for extra credit. I almost didn't believe it at first, Louise Belcher doing extra work! There as a time I never would have dreamed it was possible" Mr Frond praised.

I bit my lip to stop myself from getting angry over this backhanded compliment. I got half and half from the fridge and poured it into the mug as it finished brewing and closed the fridge . "Well I was still young. People change I knew what I wanted to do with my life and I enjoy it. It doesn't feel like work to me. I always say If you enjoy your job then you never work a day in your life". I vowed with a genuine heartfelt smile. Those words held deep meaning to me and I believed them (and still do) with all heart. "Well said Louise. That's the same attitude I try to instill in my students. I have a feeling we're going to get along swell". Mr Frond declared with a big grin as he got some water out of the water cooler. "I'll see you later I'm heading to my office". Mr Frond bubbled as he took a drink of water from his paper cup and then threw it in the garbage.

"See you later" I greeted. We both waved to each other as he walked away. I took a few sips of coffee as I pondered over my conversation with Mr Frond. I was very astounded to see Mr Frond and pretty happy with myself for how well I was able to get along with someone who had once been a dare I say a nemesis of mine.

But a lot has changed since that time. I again thought of my nine year old self and what they would think of me. I pushed that thought out of my head. I'm a different person now. I'm fortunate to be where I am today. This isn't work this is my love, this is my passion. This is my dream. "This is Sparta!" i giggled to myself quietly. I was now 32 years old having my first day as a 9th grade teacher. Although I previously taught 8th grade biology as a substitute cause I was going to school at the same time. Teaching 8th grade biology to kids was truly wonderful. It was like coming full circle in that the student (myself) was now the teacher and I hoped that I would have students who would have the same passion, love and drive that I did.

I missed those days sometimes but this was a step up. I was now a 9th grade teacher. I have to look back I can't look forward. I have a family of my own after all. As you might have already guessed I'm married to Rudy who works as an emergency room nurse at the local hospital and we have a five year old daughter who reminds me a lot of myself. Too much like myself sometimes it's scary. She looks a lot like me but she has Rudy's eyes and nose. God I could get lost in those eyes. Rudy really wants another kid but I don't know I'm scared. What if my daughter Hailey is just like I was.? What if we have another boy or girl who's just like me? One of me is crazy enough but I don't think I can handle two of them?

I'm really happy with where I am now but sometimes I wonder if I should have pursed that ice cream store or that ice cream and chicken store. Don't we all have that road not taken? Well twenty four years have passed. That was then and this is now. I can't live in the past anymore I have to live in the now and seize the day. The school bell is ringing signaling the start to the school day. "Well enough of that I'm a 9th grader teacher now onward and upward and all that" I declared to myself quietly as I walked out of the teachers lounge (mug in hand) and over to my teacher's office to do my final preparations for my first class.

End of Prologue