“Carol, this is Tim Williams from Butler, Land and Reyes.”, I explained. “Hello Tim, what can I do for you today.”, Carol asked. “I’m over...at the Mercedes dealership on Highland Park Road and I just bought a vehicle. Would you verify that a personal check from me is good with the funds I have in your bank.”, I asked. “I can immediately write a letter to the dealership vouching for your personal check or have a cashier’s check ready before we close.”, she stated. I put the manager on the phone. To our surprise, three firkins of O’Connell’s Irish Ale appeared on the morning of the 27th. Additional mugs had to be hurriedly borrowed from Fort Washington and Mount Sterling to accommodate all of the guests.Thanksgiving turned out to be a tremendous success, even though the meal had to be held in three separate rooms. Seamus, I, and many of our relatives visited each group and had a little something to eat and drink with them in addition to eating our own meal in the dining room. Everyone. Mostly the family lived on welfare that the mother used for dope and booze. She was about 38 or 40 and looked like 40 miles of hard road. But she had a warm, wet place for guys to dump a load so she was not lonesome. To her, Sally and Bridget were just a nuisance and she was glad to see them go, anytime. The addition of the car was a blessing to her. She didn't even question where it came from, she was just glad they had the ability to get the hell out and leave her and her current boyfriend. That's where I need to be.I kick my legs out above me and hurtle my body forwards. Downwards.Towards the lake. Towards the ice. Not too fast, but fast enough. Ihave to break through.Down, down, past the wind. I have to break through. I can see thecracks down there, I can see the current beneath the ice. Down, down,to the bottom, to the lake, to the water below.Crash.I shatter the layer of ice effortlessly. I barely even feel it. Thefrigid water constricts my blood vessels for a moment,.