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Turbulence
Turbulence
Description
Brad Adams appears to have it all But the death of his mother in a plane crash disturbs his tranquil existence. Weeks pass but he cannot put the grief behind him. Instead he enters a world of panic and nightmares. A single incident of rage, brought on by constant stress, destroys all he has worked so hard to build.
The pain of Brad's failure leads him to a path of destruction which becomes an odyssey as he searches for the peace he has never known.
Excerpt
He's going to fire me. I have been with that company for twenty-three years and seven months, but one idiotic outburst has put an end to it.
How will I tell Beth? We can't afford our lifestyle on her salary. We'll have to sell the house and the Lexus, and learn how to do without. We've always been able to buy what we want. That's over now. I'm finished.
After Ted fires me, I won't be able to find work anywhere in Chicago. Word travels fast. Where can we go? I can't start over. They're looking for guys like Hendricks, young and fresh out of grad school. Nobody wants a middle-aged man who's been tossed out on his ass. I'll never work in engineering again.
And these damn nightmares hound me nearly every night. I can't sleep. I can barely eat. I can't live like this.
I can't live. . .maybe I don't have to.
I have a nice life insurance policy. Once Beth collects on that, she can keep the house. She and the boys won't have to do without.
How should I do it? Sleeping pills? Hanging? Or should I buy a gun?
Maybe I should take them with me. Guys do it all the time these days. One day they're model citizens. The next day their pictures are on the news. Another murder-suicide. Beautiful, saintly wife. Two adorable kids. Who could have guessed?
I'll buy a gun. I'll wait until they're asleep and. . .no, I can't
I need to go. Just me. The question is, who will find the body?
Excerpt
He takes another shot at conversation. "Will you go home now?"
"I don't know. I should."
"You told me what happened. But why exactly did you leave?"
I don't like all the questions. "It's complicated."
"Was it the plane crash, or was there something else?"
He won't give up.
"What would your father say about the plane crash?" I ask.
"He would say everyone has a life span. When our lives are over, we die."
"Just like that?"
"We can't live forever."
"Are you saying my mother and stepfather were meant to die on that plane?"
"I know it sounds harsh."
"Three hundred and forty-six people were killed in that crash, some of them children. You're talking about mass murder."
"I wouldn't call it that, but I believe Allah has a plan."
"A plan? Killing three hundred and forty-six people is a plan?"
"I believe there's a purpose in everything. Even in the plane crash."
"I can't accept that."
"It does sound unreasonable to someone without faith."
"That's me, then."
Turbulence by Jamilah Kolocotronis
Muslim Writers Publishing, 2007
ISBN: 978-0-9793577-0-1
343 pages
$15.95