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It Is What It Is


ken barber

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  • 3 months later...

Al, Ken, I literally am home from work a half hour, saw the post about this story and went right to chapter one.

I'm only about ten paragraphs in and I'm hooked.  The writing style is fresh, smart, moves along quickly, and the introductory bits definitely draw the reader in.   I will be giving this so reading time this week.  Where did you guys find this writer?  And why does no one know about this story?

Be warned Mr. Trager: I may write a review of this story.  Interest piqued!

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  • 1 month later...

Be assured that at least one other CR reader is following this story. I've enjoyed it from the start, and anxiously await each week's new chapter.

(Apparently we missed a new chapter this week... I hope that's not a bad sign.)

I've been surprised not to find other readers commenting on it. I've written to Eric to let him know I like the storyline, his writing, and the accurate detail he has included.

I like to visualize story locations whenever possible. So I was delighted to discover (in most cases) I can easily follow this story with Google Maps. Everything is exactly where he says... you can drive along with the boys as the story progresses.

In his reply, he confirmed that he used real places he personally knows well, he only slightly changed things like street address numbers by a digit or two for obvious reasons.  I found their schools, the football fields, the city park, the churches, and other story sites he describes so well. The Alamo is really a very handsome Spanish traditional structure... it's based on the historic 1920 Russell C Parker House (lots of old pics available online), located just as Eric describes in the story. And there is indeed a ravine behind it that flows to the next neighborhood... where "The Speaker's" home is located... and the real (now former-) Speaker lives there.

I have to really enjoy a story A LOT to spend as much time "studying" it, as I have this story. But it gives me something to do while awaiting the next chapter, and keeps the story in my head. (The only other story I've studied this closely has been Drummer Boy... overwhich I'm becoming more than a little distressed.)

So, I hope our fellow "It Is What It Is" readers are many. And, I hope to see many more chapters.

Thanks, Eric!!!

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I have been waiting for this chapter to be posted on CR. I have been enjoying this story from the very beginning. I have been reading this on an other site. Now it is up to date on CR I can enjoy it here. I look forward to reading more as the boys have grown and so their families. I see many more adventures to come as good as we have seen. I might say maybe even better. Let's get comfortable and enjoy what is to come.

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Hey Eric!

I can see why it took so long to write that last chapter and why it was difficult.

Are we going to find out what happened to Andy? I'm guessing whatever happened to Andy was what Madame Zastrow told him, back in chapter 49:

“Andrew, yoo can neffer tell to Sean vat I am going to tell to yoo. I tell yoo now so zat ven da time come yoo vill know….” She then proceeded to give Andy some explanation that took only a short time. “Dat iss all vat I haff for yoo, Andrew. You are goot man. I vill not see yoo again. My time iss not lonk for diss vorld. I should haff been gone alreaty, but Gott said I must to stay for little vile yet. Goot bye, Andrew.”

Whatever happened, it pissed Sean off thoroughly.

Who is this "other" guy living at the Alamo? No, it isn't Andy. You would have said so. Fact is, Andy is not mentioned as being there (at this time) at all. All mention of Andy is in past tense - via flashbacks.

Tim reached out and grabbed Sean’s hand. He didn’t let it go. “You got a guy back at home who’s been trying to help you. Who HAS helped you. You know that.”

Then there is the Cabin (mentioned briefly in chapters 40, 41, 44 and 49). Something happened there (I have suspicions), and it revolves around Tim's (unrequited) love for Sean... And Why Tim is bringing Sean back there? Another signal that Andy is dead. Sean would never go there with only Tim, if Andy were still alive.

Scott and I have discussed all of the above (and more)... We can't have been the only ones to notice these things.

Hell! I have more questions than I have answers!

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You're not the only ones, Al and Scott. I'm right there with you... eager to learn more about what's going on as this story gets deeper, and deeper... especially now with the mystery related to Andy!  (You typed the dreaded deduction, I shuddered to even think.)

But in the end... "It Is What It Is!"  (I remind myself... the story started in a cemetery.)

TT  

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