SAINTS AND SCHOLARS
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Picture
Forgiveness Day

James Austin Kerr


The heights this small idea was attaining were dizzying to its creator.
His small boutique advertising agency was receiving attention like never before.
He put his head down on the drawing board and tried to excise the phone calls,
the articles, the radio interviews from his sleep-deprived consciousness.
What had started as a public service campaign for a little known department
of trade and commerce was taking on gargantuan import.  All he had asked
in the pitch to them was:  "If February 14 is Valentine's Day and April 22 is
Earth Day, why couldn't March 1st be Forgiveness Day?"  But his clear intent
had been to generate commerce not communion.  A day in which the Colonel of
Chicken redeemed coupons from the Clown of Hamburgers and vice-versa,
Ford honored rebates from Chevy, and Pepsi drinkers shared soda pop and sales with
Coca-Cola's thirsty base.  How had it evolved into a day without bombs in the Gaza strip,
a repast between Koreans on either side of the enforced boundaries, Cub fans
coming to terms with White Sox exuberants, the mending of fences between
warring neighbors, Dems and Repubs breaking bread not promises and                                                                                                                                                                        ex-spouses all but making love with their formers?  How indeed,
he thought, and now his estranged brother was on the telephone and his secretary
was asking if he wanted to take the call.  The reprobate!  What he had cost his siblings
in the sale of their late mother's house by bringing in his own attorney and demanding
what he considered "transparent" terms that were brazenly stacked in his favor and
which had postponed indefinitely the courting of prospective buyers.  The gall to call
now on World Forgiveness Day!
He raised his head from the drawing board and said to Andrea:  "Tell him I'll
talk to him."  He took a sip of his lukewarm coffee and leaned his head back.
The faint buzz sounded on his extension.  He pressed the speaker mode.
"Good morning, dear bro'" came his brother's smooth voice.  There was a cynical tone
to its good humor.  "How are you on this historic first Forgiveness Day?"
"Tired," came the succinct response.  "Too many interviews, too little sleep,
not enough peace."
"But, brother, that is not accurate.  There is peace in the world thanks to you."
"An armistice for one day.  Nestle loves Hershey, NBC loves CBS and--"
"And brother loves brother?'
He did not answer right away, then straightened in his chair.  "Okay, brother
loves prodigal brother.  What do you want of me now?"
"I want you to let me buy you lunch."
He thought it over, said:  "I'm too exhausted to decline.  Where are you now?"
"In the lobby of your building."
He raised himself with great effort.
"Just remember this, though, baby brother, tomorrow is the day after the inaugural
Forgiveness Day."
"End of ceasefire so soon?"
"We'll see."  He grabbed his topcoat from the antique stand.  There was still a
wintry chill in the air.  Outside and inside, he thought, laughing to himself.
Forgiveness Day the world over.

We'll see, we'll see.
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  • Home
  • Roadmap to HEAVEN
    • Title Index >
      • .005
      • 8086
      • A Letter From Your Secretary
      • A Woman's Pride
      • Aliens or Angels?
      • Alpha Beta Traitor
      • Amy And Amy And
      • Are You Telling Me?
      • Baby Blue Sunbeam
      • Ballpark Hero
      • Barn Quilts
      • Beautiful with Braces
      • Because it Still Rains
      • Bend
      • Better
      • Better Yet
      • The Big Yellow Elopement Machine
      • Blind Date
      • Brother
      • Cadmium Gold
      • Calico Charms
      • Caramels
      • Carrie Me Back
      • Cat in the Corner Chair
      • CATCH from 13 Stories
      • Cat's Eyes
      • The Cherry Spot
      • The Closer Wins a Steak
      • Cloud
      • Coffee Shop HEARTS 2
      • Company
      • Confessional
      • Confetti
      • Cover!
      • Cover Art Gallery
      • The Dad Who Was 24-Feet Tall
      • The Day the Avanti Didn't Start
      • Days of Christmas
      • The Devil Sells His Soul
      • Double Sugar
      • The Ebullience of Being Elaina Brightman
      • Escape
      • Everybody's Teddy
      • Fall of Winter
      • Fatal Flaws
      • Final Final: The Last Newspaper
      • Forgiveness Day
      • The Girl as Good as Mozart
      • The Girl Who Never Was
      • Girl With Backpack
      • Grand Lady
      • Guardian
      • Hard-Boiled, Soft-Headed
      • The Heart of an Unknown Soldier
      • Help Wanted, Hope Needed
      • Hurt
      • I Am Afraid of My Feelings
      • I Don't Care if I Ever Come Back
      • I Will Be Leaving
      • I Wonder Where He is Now
      • In the Throes of Coca Coma
      • Jailhouse Judy
      • Jigsaw
      • Kansas City
      • The Kid Goes 0 for April
      • KISS
      • Kiss Me, Kate-Lynn
      • klick-klock
      • The Last Elevator Girl
      • Lawyer Vs. Rodeo Rider
      • Library Doors
      • Lighthouses
      • Loft in Space
      • Lookalike
      • Love Nothing Novel
      • The Lunacy and the Lace
      • Man in the Big Pajamas
      • Mermaid
      • Morning Jog
      • Mr. In-Between
      • My Brother's Science Project
      • A Nice Quiet Space
      • Nine
      • Not Fields Afar
      • The Note
      • On Briarwood Roof
      • One-Two Punch//Delivered
      • One Way Ticket
      • Out of Limelight
      • Parallel You
      • The Passenger
      • Perfect
      • Physical
      • Pitch Count
      • Polaroid Manipulations
      • Portrait of Genevieve
      • Pretty Dresses, Petty Thieves
      • Pretty, Ugly
      • Proposal
      • PurgaStories
      • Red Chair to Mars
      • Reentry
      • Return to Fine Arts
      • The Ride of a Lifetime
      • Run-Run Runaway Caboose
      • Saturday
      • Secret Game Workshop
      • Shadows
      • Signals
      • Slideshow
      • Slugger
      • The Small of Her Back
      • Southpaws
      • Spelling Bee
      • Spring of Summer
      • Starry Night
      • Stewart Survives the 7th
      • Stuntgirl
      • Stopover
      • The Stowaway
      • The Super Secret Planet Finder
      • Tail of the Lake Monster
      • Team Bus
      • Telephone
      • Tow Me
      • Turret
      • Usherette
      • Varsity
      • Veranda Nights
      • Wicked Curves
      • We
      • Where's Your Faith?
      • You
      • You Kill Me
  • Suit to Kill, Slip to Thrill
  • Prayers Answered
    • Postcards
    • Pitch Count
    • Where's Your Faith?
    • Spelling Bee
    • You Kill Me
    • Cruisin'
    • Casey's Comeback
    • Archives
  • Library
  • Contact
  • Omnibus
  • Parables
  • Love Stories
  • 5-Minute Stories that Last Forever
  • Miracles
  • Healing
  • Meditations
  • PurgaStories
  • Scenes of a GT Hawk
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