by C. L. Wells
“No, everything is fine, Martin. This is actually a personal call. I have a delicate situation that needs handling and I was wondering if you might recommend someone who could help me out….”
After Samuel hung up the phone a few minutes later, he smiled and sat back in his chair. It was nice to have such influential and discreet business associates. He contemplated this fact with satisfaction for a few moments before leaning forward and beginning to gather the pertinent information. The photographs showing Susan and her lover must, unfortunately, be included. It would be less embarrassing if there were some pictures with the man by himself. It wounded his pride a little to let someone else see them like that. He selected the documents listing the home address where he and Susan lived, the home address of her lover, and the details concerning the times of their meetings. Adding these to the photographs, he slid the items into a manila envelope.
He stood up and moved his chair out of the way as he turned to face a picture on the wall behind his desk. Pulling on one side of the picture frame revealed a safe mounted in the wall, as the picture swung open like a door. He typed in the combination on the illuminated keypad and turned the lever to open the safe’s door.
In his line of work it was prudent to keep a large amount of cash on hand in order to take care of the frequently fluid cash flow needs of his more unconventional clients. Having this cash in his office meant he could be more responsive to those needs, and therefore, charge a premium for prompt service. He hadn’t counted on being the next one to need the cash so readily available, but then again, luck favored the prepared. He counted out fifty thousand dollars and added it to the contents of the envelope, returning the remaining funds to the safe.
As he waited for Martin’s courier to come by and pick up the envelope, he went about his day’s work. Between the conference calls and emails, he frequently wondered what his wife’s lover was doing at the moment. Martin had said not to worry, that the situation would be taken care of, and the less he knew, the better. Samuel did know better than to press the point, and contented himself with the thought that he needn’t worry about the interloper again.
***** END OF PREVIEW *****
Author’s Note
Utopian Day is filled with interesting characters, most of whom are deeply flawed by way of being thoroughly human. One of the main themes I attempted to weave throughout the story was the theme of redemption and positive change in the lives of people whose past and present is marred with moral and personal failure, greed, and tragedy. There are a number of questions that are touched on throughout the story that are related to these themes. How does positive change happen? What is the process a person goes through to decide that they want to change? What does that process look like? How can a person who starts out life with a series of moral failures and bad circumstances actually turn their lives around?
One set of characters in this story decide they want to turn their lives around and pursue that process of recovery and positive change through a unique prison program that intertwines psychology, religion, and a twelve step program. Another set of characters evolve over time from criminals who appear to enjoy their lives of crime and the fortune it brings them to a place where they have developed a different set of values that is no longer compatible with the old criminal lifestyle. The transformation for both groups of people is gradual and incomplete when our story ends, but the change is undeniable and the process is ongoing.
We live in an imperfect world where there is good mixed with bad. We see people commit crimes and atrocities on the one hand, while others do good deeds – sometimes there is a progression from one to the other for the same person over the course of time. My hope and desire is that you found this book entertaining on the one hand, and encouraging on the other. Wherever you are in life, know that positive change is possible. You can be different, and you can stop the unproductive habits of your past or present and begin the process of positive change. I hope this book has given you some ideas about how you might begin to do that if you so desire, or perhaps encouraged you to continue on the journey of change that you are already on.
I encourage you not to allow yourself to be defined by your mistakes. Instead, I challenge you to allow yourself to be defined by Whose you are. We are all God’s beloved children and are intrinsically valuable by virtue of that fact. When we live life in that reality and combined with God’s assistance, positive change is always possible.
Thanks for reading,
C.L. Wells
Thank You
If you enjoyed this book, I would appreciate a short review on the site where you purchased the book. If you know of others who would enjoy reading this book, please pass the word along. Your participation is greatly appreciated. Thank you!
To join my email list and be informed about new books as they become available, or simply to ask a question or make a comment, you can email me at [email protected].
Acknowledgements
Thanks to my wife for her support and encouragement during the writing of this book. Thanks to Alcoholics Anonymous for the twelve-step program that organization initiated that is referred to in the book, along with references to some of the principles taught by that organization. Thanks to Reinhold Niebuhr, the author of the Serenity Prayer, portions of which are used at various points in the book. Thanks to Jennifer Collins, my editor, whose work and comments helped to make this a better book. Thanks to Monique Nelson, who designed the cover of the book. Both Jennifer and Monique can be reached at Elance.com.
About the Author
Christopher Wells has a degree in History from West Georgia State University and a Master’s Degree in Computer Information Security from Capella University. He lives in South Carolina with his beautiful wife and their wonderful children. His hobbies include kayaking, paddle boarding, hiking, and bicycling.
To find out more about the author and see a complete list of books by the author, please visit www.ficitionwithamission.com.