Written by Thomas Turner, Sonny Turner and Curt Chown:
January 1986- Sonny and Candy are celebrating their daughter's fifteenth birthday. Candy’s parents are there with their daughter’s new boyfriend Don and her brother is there too.
After it is over, Sonny's son decides to head to the mall with friends, Candy's parents head home and Don takes Sonny's daughter to get more gifts for her.
Sonny and Candy watch TV, while Sonny says ‘Everything seems good. No problems with the family and Pete is doing so on the job. I haven't smoked in awhile and my health is doing better. I think 1986 will be a good year ‘
Candy says ‘I hope it is. Do you want to do it tonight?’
Sonny replies ‘Yes, of course.’
Candy is having lunch with Pete's wife Melissa.
Melissa says ‘You have to help me. Pete is getting too much for me. I will tell you something about him. When we were married, he still was not experienced. We didn't have it until six months after our marriage. His father had to teach him.’
Candy is stunned. ‘Go on.’
‘He controls me. I can't have friends. He controls the money, even though he doesn't know what he is doing. Also, the place is always dark, because he always has the shades down. He is a lousy mechanic. He has received a few hundred thousand dollars from an investment company and now it is down to fifty thousand dollars in a year and a half. By the way, he is the one who shot at me. He fooled the cops. I am also cheating on him.’
Candy says ‘I have to go home.’
Candy writes something down and gives it to Melissa.
‘Here is my number. Call me when you can so we can talk more.’
When Candy goes home, she starts drinking and says to herself ‘Now I know what Sonny is going through.’
Sonny comes home from work that night and Candy tells Sonny what Melissa said about Pete.
Sonny says ‘Let's just deal with them when we have to. I am tired and I am going to bed.’
Candy understands.
A week later, the super is sweeping the hallways, when he hears an argument. He is seeing Pete hit his wife, while Pete is saying ‘I can't take it anymore’ while his wife is yelling for help. The super knocks on the door and tells Candy to call the cops. The super breaks the fight up. Pete tells him this is none of his business. The super tells Pete to shut up.The police are coming.
When the cops come fifteen minutes later. They investigate and Melissa is willing to press charges. The cops arrest Pete. Everyone hears Pete cursing while he is being taken to jail.
May 1986- Kings county Court House: Sonny is there as his job’s representative to find out the judgement on Peter.
The Judge tells Peter ‘Mr Ryan, you have been found guilty in the crime of assault in the third class. You are hereby sentenced to three months in the county jail, three months of counseling, after your sentence is over and one thousand hours of community service. Also, your wife will take control of the bank account, of which is worth one hundred thousand dollars, until you have completed everything.’
Pete starts to cry.
The judge yells ‘Mr. Ryan! Stop your crying! Bailiff, take this prisoner to the county jail!’
As Sonny leaves, he makes a call to his job and Roberta answers. Sonny tells her ‘Start the firing process of Pete. I should be in the office in an hour.’
Sonny gets home and tells Candy what happened.
Candy says ‘I thought they only had fifty thousand dollars in the bank?’
Sonny says ‘As long as we have peace and quiet.’
Candy says ‘Yeah, you are right.’
Sonny decides to take the family to Coney Island. This includes his daughter's boyfriend. Sonny packs the car and leaves at ten o’clock in the morning. At first, when they get there, the kids are in the water.
Sonny says ‘I am happy it is over.’
Candy says ‘You are doing great. You haven't been smoking in awhile and you haven't picked up a drink in years. Let's enjoy this day.’
After the beach, they go on rides. The last ride they go on is the tunnel of love. The kids are in one car and Sonny and Candy are in another. Once they are inside the tunnel, the two parents kiss and express love for each other.
When everything is done, they head home. Sonny drops off his daughter's boyfriend and drives the rest home. When they are home, Sonny says ‘We have to get up early for church. So get your sleep.’
Mid June- That weekend, Sonny’s daughter is at the mall with her boyfriend and the son is at Candy's parents house. When Sonny and Candy go shopping, they see Melissa holding hands with another guy.
Candy tells Sonny ‘That is strange.’
Sonny replies ‘We will not worry about it because they are out of our lives.’
When they get home from shopping, he checks the mail and both of them go inside the apartment. As Candy puts the food away, Sonny receives a letter from Pete.
It says ‘I have not heard from my wife in awhile. Have you seen her around the complex?’
Sonny puts Pete's letter to the side. Then the phone rings. It is from his youngest brother Mike.
Mike tells him ‘Can I talk to you tonight?’
Sonny replies ‘Come over around six pm.’
Later that night, Sonny and Mike are in the kitchen. Mike comes with shocking news.
Mike says ‘I am smoking marijuana.’
Sonny says ‘ You know I gave up drinking and smoking. You are an adult. You can make your own decisions. Just don't smoke here.’
Mike tells Sonny he understands.
Sonny tells Mike that if he needs help, Sonny is there.
‘Does the family know?’
Mike says ‘Yes. Joanne knows. She told me if she sees me smoking, she will call the cops on me. They are mad at you too.’
Sonny says ‘I know.’
Mike leaves and Sonny reminds him of what he said and also tells him to not smoke around Sonny's place. Mike thanks Sonny and leaves.
At a PAR meeting, Sonny is talking to Tom and Curt about Mike.
Curt tells him ‘Maybe he is like you. He will stop when he wants to. Just be there for him and do the best you can to help him.’
Sonny says ‘You are right. That is why you are my mentors. Let's enjoy the meeting.’
Sonny is at work, and Candy is cleaning the house. She hears a knock on the door. She goes to the door and answers it. It is Melissa and another man.
Melissa tells Candy ‘Can I come in to talk to you?’
Candy replies ‘Come to the kitchen.’
When they are in the kitchen, Melissa spills the news. ‘I want you and Sonny to know that I am divorcing Pete and moving in with my new boyfriend Pete to Staten Island.’
Candy asks ‘ Are you giving up the apartment?’
Melissa says ‘No. Pete can have it, while I move out.’
After that, Melissa and Phil go to the apartment. Ten minutes later, Candy calls Sonny and tells him what just happened. Sonny isn’t happy, and wants to talk tonight. Candy agrees.
Sonny is at work and checking the personnel papers of his employees and former employees. He finds out that Pete was never terminated. Pete was suspended for six months. Sonny calls up his boss and the boss tells him ‘When Pete gets out of jail, we still don't have to take him back for three more months.’
Sonny says ‘Just checking.’
When Sonny gets home, he talks to Candy about what happened. Candy tells him they will take his advice. One day at a time. Also that it could be worse. Sonny agrees.
‘It could be our family.’
Sonny gets a phone call from his mother.
‘Joanne is being transferred from Texas to Europe. Joanne will take her husband and kids with her.’
She is complaining about it.
Sonny says ‘Only the spouse and children go. If you want to come back to New York, I will help you.’
‘I don’t need your help or Joanne ‘s help. She isn't my daughter anymore!’
Sonny says ‘Call me back when you have calmed down a bit.’
Sonny hangs up.
That night before going to bed, Sonny tells Candy what happened
‘Don't get too frustrated.’
Sonny tells her ‘You are also my mentor.’
Sonny is in a PAR meeting with Tom and Curt. He hears the speaker talk about what he went through and it sounds similar to Sonny’s own life. Sonny decided he would approach the speaker after the meeting to see about their familiar problems.
October-Sonny is hiring a hall for his anniversary. Everyone is there. With a few other people. The son is there, but the daughter is over at the boyfriend’s house. The bishop is the lead speaker and Tom and Curt are the following speakers. The celebration lasts about four hours. Afterwards, after the party, everyone leaves.
When Sonny and Candy get home, they notice that Melissa and her boyfriend are leaving the apartment.
Candy said ‘That is strange. I thought she left him.’
Sonny says ‘They are all crazy. I am going to take a nap, while you pick up our daughter.’
Sonny is in his office at work, when Roberta tells him ‘A military person wants to talk to you.’
Sonny says ‘Bring him into the office.’
The soldier introduces himself ‘ Edward R Turner. Sergeant Major, Headquarters-First Army.’
Sonny asks him ‘How can I help you?’
The soldier replies ‘Do you know a woman by the name of Sandy O’Brien?’
Sonny replies ‘Yes I do. I dated her when I was stationed in Baltimore. Why?’
The soldier says ‘I am her uncle. I just came back from her funeral. She committed suicide a few days ago.’
Sonny says ‘I wanted to marry her when I dated her, but her parents didn't approve of it ,so she said no. I haven't seen her in years.’
The soldier says ‘Look, you got her pregnant and she miscarried your baby. You drank and you left her. I am going to make your life miserable. I have reviewed your military papers and you have done a lot of shady stuff.’
Sonny tells him ‘I had an honorable discharge. I am not worried.’
The soldier says ‘They didn't have enough evidence.’
Sonny stood up and said ‘Get out of my office before I have you forced out of here.’
The soldier says ‘You have not heard the last of me.’
Sonny sternly tells the soldier ‘Get out, now.’
So Sonny has a meeting with Curt and Tom. He tells him what took place in his office with the Sergeant Major.
Curt says ‘If he touches you, press charges.’
Tom says ‘Make sure you let him throw the first punch. You will be justified in hitting him back.’
Sonny says ‘I will wait for his next move. I will be watching out for him and if so, I will have an investigation on him, as well.’
They all agree on that.
Curt says ‘You can have him follow secretly too.’
Sonny tells Curt ‘I will think about that.’
Tom asks ‘Did you get his name?’
Sonny tells Curt and Tom his name. Curt thinks he has heard the name before, but he isn't sure.
Tom can probably get people to look him up for something on Edward.
Sonny accepts the help. He will give it thought. In the meantime, they listen to the meeting.
Bio:
I was born in Brooklyn, NY June 30th 1972. I currently have three ebooks online on kobo. I
know I never meant that much to you, secession and sovereignty and Oh, Canada. I am
currently trying to get a few of my short stories published or recognized or plays getting
produced. I have written a lot of plays and am currently in the process of writing several novels.
I am working on a baseball book, as well. I don't have anything else published other than the
three ebooks. Thank you for your time. Sincerely yours, Thomas Turner.