My Requested Words Concerning My Brother and Other Topics

                                      Written By: Al Asher

 I enjoy reading these internet postings (especially the ones that emanate from my city of residence) as much as anyone else. Yet, sometimes it appears as though there just are too many problems to be confronted in our modern day society and, because of that, today’s writers can only grant so many words to topics they consider crucial.          But yet, at this time what could be considered of more importance than the fact that our modern media now seems to be condemning anyone who ever associated with, or spoke to any Russian citizen? And, a great load of lies and fake news has been deposited by that media on to the American public. And it seems as though the liberal media and entertainment types just can’t understand that their left-wing viewpoints are outmoded and worthless in this modern world. Nobody wants to hear liberal lies and fake stories anymore. And the American people are rightfully concerned today not so much about political correctness and all its ramifications, but rather about the fact that if the courses this nation pursued prior to the election of the current president are not reversed, America will find itself as a third world nation in the coming years – and if and when that happens, today’s Americans know that European, African, Middle Eastern, and Far Eastern nations will not help the U.S.A. then as it once helped those nations in their times of need.

  And maybe that’s understandable. Just think of all the money that’s being wasted on wild legal and political goose chases by the so-called Washington D.C. elite! And while that group of leaches looks down in hatred and disdain at everyday common Americans, its members continue to   confiscate the wealth of America’s middle class in a manner no doubt similar to that in which  aristocratic Europeans once dominated the lower classes of their continent centuries ago.  Alright, now I’ll move on to more local and personal topics! I’m only a factory worker, and I don’t like to write things. But Ralph Hawk asked me to write this piece to you; and I imagine he’s edited it by now. Nonetheless, these words are still mine, and they still speak about the strangeness of the city in which I live.  I know a lot of people will say the cities they live in are special in one way or another. And I’m sure most of them are. But I know one thing for certain; the one I live in is SPECIAL, and no one can deny that! Here, in this city, we live under the apparent close scrutiny of what we call “otherworldly entities.” And those entities basically “run” our city through the directives they give to our city’s leader ( and yes, last month we finally made it official and elected him mayor) Ralph Hawk. Now I’m not going to talk about who or what those entities are. That’s been spoken about enough in the books “The Same Tapes” and “The Students Of The Highway.” But I do intend to tell you about a recent conversation I had with Ralph and, yes, that conversation inspired what now follows in this piece.  Ralph Hawk, the mayor of our city (though he continues to work a varying eight hour shift at our city’s largest employer), called me the other day and asked if I’d come over to his house (which is also his office wherein he now has a secretary working eight hours a day, five days a week). He said he wanted to talk face to face rather than over the phone. And when I got to his house and rang the doorbell, his secretary let me in and escorted me to Ralph’s “office” (just a room in his house). And Ralph was very cordial and asked me to sit down. “I’m sure you’ve heard that

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Lauren is gone from our city and will never return,” he said.    “Yes,” I answered.   “And you know that she and your brother Kenny were having an affair before she bought that antique car for him, which he then drove into the river and drowned inside.”  “Yes, I know that too,” I said. “But did you know he was drunk when he had that accident?”  I asked.  “Yes I did, but as the leader of this city, I made sure that fact wasn’t publicized.”   “But it will be publicized now, won’t it?” I asked.  “Yes,” said Ralph.  And now for some background for my readers. Lauren Havess was an only child. She was the daughter of the man who founded our city’s largest factory and employment site. And since her father had died recently (her mother had been dead for many years), she’d now returned to our city, supervised her father’s funeral (with help from Ralph), and also tried to run that factory (also with Ralph’s help). But while her father’s funeral had been a ceremonial tribute befitting a man of his accomplishment, her efforts to run her father’s business had been expectedly unsuccessful. And I guess while I don’t like to judge or even characterize other people, I’m going to have to do so at least twice (in the case of Lauren and my brother Kenny) in this piece. So, anyway, the bottom line with Lauren Havess was that she was rich and in her mid-thirties, she was still a pleasure seeker only – not someone who could ever face great responsibility – actually, she probably couldn’t even face minimal responsibility well. Thus, it wasn’t long before she had gotten into trouble here (this chain of events is disclosed at the end of the book “The Students Of The Highway), and had been banished from our city by our leader and new mayor. Yes, Ralph Hawk had sent her off to a different reality of the earth, although before he’d done so he’d given her the chance to spend time in prison here instead.  But Lauren decided to leave this earthly reality. And apparently before she departed she left enough money here for Ralph to have the car Kenny died in refurbished. And she said when it was restored it should be given to me. And the company that did the work on the car did a good job. The 1955 Chev looks great, and I’m supposing it will continue to drive well also.  And, actually, as I’ve hinted, I’ve already driven it! First I took it down to the same spot where my brother had maneuvered it into the river. And then I drove it out to that old abandoned house a few miles outside our city – you know, the one Joseph Same spoke about in chapter twenty three of The Same Tapes – the one where he apparently confronted the angels of hell!   And when I told you that this 55 Chev handles well, I wasn’t kidding! It looks, feels and drives like a new car! Still, I can’t help but remember what befell my brother while he drove it. And I can’t help but be bothered by the fact that it was in a state of drunkenness that he ended his life here on earth, and then entered that great unknown known as eternity. And many people will criticize me for saying this I’m sure, but I can’t help but visualize a scenario in which the Savior extends his hand to Kenny and says “Mr. Asher, have you come to me while intoxicated?”  And I’m sure a lot of people will also dislike the next thing I’m going to say here, but you know, my younger brother Kenny really wasn’t a nice person. He basically cared about himself and no one and nothing else. And maybe that’s why he and Lauren Havess were able to “hit it off.” She apparently was such a type of person also, though I never really got to know her. But, maybe, unlike my brother, she’ll be able to change her ways now as she begins a new life in a new version of earthly existence. But as far as Kenny is concerned, I can say only this:  “If you can hear me

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across the divide which separates the temporal from the eternal, then live better there in eternity than you did here on earth Kenny. And do what you can from there to make life better for us who still remain alive here in an earthly setting that seems to be getting worse and worse as time passes.”   “And Kenny, do what you can to improve all of life here on earth. And grant to those who are your lords there the respect they deserve – the respect you and many others (and certainly me also from time to time) didn’t and don’t extend to them while yet mortally alive.”    “You know what it was like years ago. You also lived with an abusive father and an irresponsible mother. And you must remember the life we had on this city’s south side. And Ralph Hawk said that my description of that lifestyle on that side of this city, which I submitted as chapter nine of the book “The Students Of The Highway” was, although it was far from as well written as most of the other chapters, his favorite one therein.   “Kenny, while yet alive you lived in what probably is the strangest city on the face of planet Earth. But I doubt you ever realized that fact until now. Sometimes I guess we get so caught up in all the good times ‘going down’ around us that we don’t really see what’s actually around us. But don’t get me wrong, I’m far from an earthly saint myself. Yet, I’m always trying to improve. And I’m always trying to live at least somewhat righteously here on Earth so that I’ll be better prepared than I fear you were to become a saint of eternity.”