She was practically a gift – perhaps even a god-given reason for me to be here. I now had an excuse to come to work. Excuses became reasons, reasons... became objectives, objectives became my focus.Pattern recognition played in heavily here. I began to number the Claras that I saw. Clara #1 was the Clara I saw at work. But then there was Clara #2, The Clara who was just off work, exhilarated to get out of the chair, stretch, and leave her cubicle. For a while, the bouncing between Clara #1 and. He kept us out of trouble, he was fair and resolved our differences. He was the link between us and the older boys who were becoming teenagers in a housing project full of kids without fathers. The older boys respected him too. Johnny was smart and caring and brave and full of life. There were four or five of us who hung together everyday. There was Johnny, Keith Norwickie, Karl ‘Krazy Karl ‘ KInchie (sometimes just Kraz), Karl’s brother Joey, Johnny’s brother Bobby (a year younger than me),. “Hello?”“Hi darling, it’s me!”“Hi Marie.” Did she know what I was thinking orsomething?“Just thought you’d like to know… I’m at home.” Icould guess what was coming here. I got up and tried tolock the door without Carol hearing the key turn.“Yes?”“I decided not to go into work today.”“I guessed that,” I replied.“I wanted to tease you instead. I want you to picture meon the bed. She would leave it at that. When she finally reached home Ashley couldn’t wait to take a warm bath. She didn’t expect Peter to be home for another hour and a half, giving her just enough time to relax before throwing something in the microwave. They both had such busy lives nowadays, it was a wonder that they found any time to spend with each other. Tomorrow would be better, though. Ashley would get home from work early so she could spend her third wedding anniversary with her husband. He’d.