ol remus and the woodpile report

Duffy Cobblesworth
Sequel to The Gland

Chapter 7

Duffy and Billy would meet Julie on the afternoons when she would come to high school for classes. “How do you like your classes?” asked Duffy.

“The kids ask me if my mommy is a student”, says the eight year old Julie.

“I had some of the kids ask me the same thing, but then apologized when Billy looked at them like he was angry. Want to borrow Billy?” and Duffy laughs.

“How are your classes going?” asks Julie.

“We are in almost all the same classes except Billy is taking Shop Class and I'm taking Biology. High School is easier than I thought. The only thing I don't like is how big the older kids are. They all think they are tough. Four of the Seniors are even bigger than Billy. One of them, Ronny Brockwood, even asked Billy if he wanted to fight.”

“What did you tell him, Billy?” asks Julie.

“I told him I promised my Dad I wouldn't hurt anybody. He said he didn't promise his father that and he wants to meet me behind the school tonight.”

“Billy can't make it to the fight because he already promised me he would ride me home on his bike right after school so we could be home to see The Hillbillies on TV.”

“That's a silly program, Duffy”, says Julie.

“For some reason we like it. Anyway, big Ronny will have to fight someone else at three thirty.”

That afternoon Ronny was waiting for Billy at quarter after three. All of the Seniors were there to watch the fight. Duffy shows up and says, “Billy isn't coming.”

Ronny says, “You said the fight would start at quarter after three. Why did he bump the time up if he was going to chicken out?”

Duffy stretches his skinny arms and legs and says, “Billy asked me to handle the punks and the creeps.”

That comment made Ronny furious. He grabbed Duffy by the arm and was about to push him to the ground when he felt a piercing pain in his shin. He released Duffy and looked at his shin. There was mud on his pants and he saw mud on Duffy's shoes. Duffy just stood there with a straight face. Ron swung a hard round-house right that was intended to really hurt Duffy. Duffy ducked. When Ronny's fist was fully across his body at the end of the swing he felt an excruciating pain in the right hand side of his chest. When he doubled over he then felt a stinging pain in his temple. Then he felt nothing. He was unconscious. Duffy turned to the other Seniors and said, “Billy can beat me easy. Who wants to schedule a fight with him ?” The Seniors scattered and Duffy left to meet Billy at three thirty for his bicycle ride home. But alas, Duffy never saw Julie who had come behind the school just before the fight started to see how big Ronny Brockwood really was.

Even though the fight was all that the Seniors talked about the next day, no one mentioned the fight to either Billy or Duffy or any of the lower class students, and, of course, Duffy never mentioned it to Billy. The Seniors were embarrassed. Ronny especially was embarrassed. He wondered what kind of beating Billy would have given him, and now thought he knew why Billy's father didn't want him to hurt anyone. The Seniors now had respect for Billy, and they now had a fear of Duffy who they knew would hurt people if he had to. The only person who knew about the fight other than the Seniors was a non-high school student … an eight year old eighth grader, Julie, who had seen Duffy fight for his friend, who now knew her Prince was strong and fearless and would fight for honor even if it meant he was risking his own life … just like in the story books.

Sage was getting stronger. Duffy made him strong using the same exercises he learned from Sage in his first life. Duffy always regretted his father did not know how strong he was in Duffy's first life, but he did not regret his father not knowing how dumb he was in that life. In this life Sage was his own opposite; not strong but very smart, for he taught Engineering at Brinceton University and earned extra money solving problems for his father Andrew's construction company. The Cobblesworths were not rich, but were not poor either. However, with Duffy jumping grades they had to save money quicker for his college tuition. The Cobblesworths watched their money closely now.

Frank Marshall was getting smarter and was now able to do some design work for Andrew. He designed flower beds and rock gardens and the underground structures that held them in place. On weekends he would install them too. For the first time in his life he had money to save … but, no sooner did he let his family know he had extra money, Billy asked if he could go to college in a few years with Duffy … “like maybe in two years”, he added. The Marshalls were no longer poor, but they had to start watching their money also.

Duffy was eight years old now and ordinarily wouldn't even think about money, but he was studying economics to try to answer that old question he asked about how the government can spend more than it earns in taxes. He was sure there was an answer other than Billy's answer that they just borrow the rest, for, if they spent more than they took in, how could they ever hope to repay it? Between his school studies and these extra studies he had little time for anything else. Fortunately no one seemed to bother him at school anymore … that is, not until the last day of the school year when Ronny Brockwood came up to Duffy and Billy and said, “I hope we can be friends. I'm sorry I gave you two a rough time at first, but Duffy put me in my place right away. That changed my life around and I have respect for everyone now.”

Billy asks, “What did you say to him, Duffy?”

Ronny says, “He said I wasn't worth your time to beat up and you sent him to fight me. Then biff … pow … and I was out cold. Well thanks again for that lesson”, and Ronny runs to his old car, happy high school is over for him.

Billy turns to Duffy and says, “He is more than twice your size. What if he hurt you? One punch from him would have killed you.”

Duffy said, “I didn't like the way he talked to you. Besides, I've been dead before.”

“How could you have been dead before? That's nutty.”

Duffy walks over to a bench on the school playground and says, “I guess it's about time I told you all about my first life.” They sit down and Duffy starts his story about how he met Crazy Old Man Kirby who turned out to be his real father Sage.

After the three hours it took to tell the story Billy says, “I remember knocking you down but I don't remember any Old Man Kirby. I thought that house had been vacant for years. Then I didn't see you for a few months. Do you think maybe you just dreamed this story?”

“I dream every night and know when I'm dreaming. I know this wasn't a dream. Besides, dreams don't last over a thousand years. I remember details from every day of that life.”

“But yet you don't remember any of the Knowledge you were given and only remember one of your children's names and only remember your mate's name but none of the thousands of girl's names that you got pregnant? What good was it to have lived before if you can't remember much of it?”

“I remember I knew I had to try harder in this life. That is enough to remember.”

“Well, you are doing better now than most people. We are going to be Juniors next year after Sophomore English in Summer School. We will skip just as you planned. Julie is going to be a sophomore after she takes Freshman English in Summer School. She's doing good too.”

“She's getting prettier, don't you think?”

“Girls either get prettier or uglier as they get older. My Dad says men grow old and women grow ugly.”

“I don't see Julie as much anymore. Do you?”

“You don't notice her even when she is around, but she is studying most of the time just like we are.”

And what neither Duffy nor Billy noticed was Julie standing behind a large Crimson Maple tree next to the bench listening to Duffy's story about all of his children and about his mate of his first life. It was hard for her to believe his story, but she knew Duffy was never known to lie. Could her Prince be crazy? “No. No”, she thought, “He is strong and courageous and fights for honor.” She stayed behind the tree for fifteen minutes after they left to make sure they didn't see her.

Duffy, Billy and Julie all went to Summer School to study the next year of English. The three spend all their time learning and not much time reflecting on what they learn, such as Duffy's story about his first life. They just didn't have time to go back and dissect the knowledge they were acquiring so fast. Duffy and Billy were spending free time studying Junior year class work and Julie was studying Sophomore class work and some Junior class work. Billy never thought about Duffy's story that Summer, and Julie only thought about it once, at night, when she dreamt her Prince was someone all wrinkled who was over one thousand years old who had a billion children before she met him. After that nightmare, she studied until she was so tired she fell asleep as soon as she lay down. Soon she would not think of the story again.

The next school year was nicer. Billy was the biggest kid in high school and didn't have to worry about others trying to see if they could beat him up. He was sixteen years old now, six foot six inches tall and weighed two hundred and forty pounds.

Duffy was nine years old, was five foot two and one half inches tall and weighed one hundred and five pounds. He was happy to see there were five Freshman boys smaller than he was. Also, he lost his chubby cheeks over the Summer, something his mother Sally regretted, since she always said they made his smile smilier .

Julie was also nine years old, was five foot tall and wore a training bra even though nothing had grown yet to train. She was embarrassed in Gym Class without it. She was the only Sophomore without any sign of boobies, and she wanted that to be a secret known only to her.

The best thing that happened at the beginning of the year was Billy turning sixteen, because his father bought an old 4-door Toyota for him to drive to school. Duffy and Julie now had a ride as long as they didn't sign up for any after school events. Duffy had talked about signing up for the track team, but a ride to and from school was better than running for the track team after school and then having to run home. On the nice sunny days when Duffy really wanted to run Billy would drive the back streets and follow Duffy in the car. Since Duffy could run a steady thirteen miles an hour there were only a few people honking for him to get out of the street and these seemed to be just impatient old ladies, probably trying to get home before their husbands found out they were at Bingo all day. Duffy would always stand on the curb as the old ladies would pass, where he would wave and throw them a kiss. That would always get him a smile and a wiggly-fingered wave which would show there were no hard feelings. Julie would smile when he did that, thinking, “My Prince is chivalrous.”

Duffy, being only nine years old, did not think of girls as girls yet, although he did think Julie was beautiful. Julie did not think of boys as boys yet either, although she thought of Duffy as her Prince. However, Billy was now sixteen and he looked at girls as girls. Also, he had a car that made the girls look at him as a grown man. Billy had a lot of girls that talked to him, even Senior girls that had big breasts. He started giving rides to some of them to and from school with Duffy and Julie squished in the back seat with another two of the girls. Billy was happy, but his grades started to drop and Duffy thought a talk was necessary.

“Are we getting near the end of our close friendship, Billy?” he started.

“What do you mean?”

“You're not studying enough to even pass the Junior year, much less jump to graduation. We will be parting company when that happens. We've both already been accepted into Brinceton University , but it looks like you will need another year or two to get there. Your girlfriends are holding you back. Even Julie noticed it and she only sees you during the ride to and from school.”

Billy looks down and says, “You're right. All I'm thinking about are the girls. I'll try not to think about them.”

Duffy shakes his head and says, “They crowd around you like flies on a turd. How are you not going to think about them.”

“They're not flies, and I'm not a turd. If I smelled like a turd they wouldn't be around, and if they weren't around then I probably wouldn't think of them.”

“You're right, Billy. The girls are not flies. Enjoy those beautiful girls this morning because this afternoon you might just turn into a turd.”

Just after lunch as the three are sitting on a picnic bench Duffy pulls out a little paper pine tree from a sealed baggie, … you know, those little cardboard pine trees that hang in cars to make them smell nice. He slaps Billy on the back, saying, “Time to get back to class, buddy.” The tree sticks in the middle of his back due to the double sided tape. Julie makes a funny face like she was going to throw up. “Gawd! Who did that?” she asked, getting up and almost running back to school.

Billy looks at Duffy and says, “That is one healthy fart. What did you have for breakfast, or should I say last year? That smells awful.”

Duffy walks upwind of Billy and says, “Sorry. I had a few hard boiled eggs for breakfast. I guess they gave me a little gas. I didn't think anyone would notice if I squeezed just a little of the air out.”

“My god. You have more?”

“I had more. You shouldn't be walking downwind from me. That stuff will kind of hang on your clothes.”

Billy uses his long legs to get ahead of Duffy and walks back into school alone, not seeing those behind him almost throw up as he passed. The girls who hung around Billy came up to him for a hug but walked away just before getting close enough for the hug. One of the girls said, “Eeewww, You stink.”

Billy hollers, “It's not me. It's Duffy you smell”, but, of course, Duffy was nowhere around and no one could possibly believe he was the cause. Then everyone laughed when one of the girls giggled and pointed to the pine tree car freshener like someone put it there to counter the smell, for who would ever guess the car freshener was the source of that smell. Also, a smell that bad could not come from a small boy either. It had to come from a giant.

It didn't take long for the rotten egg smell of Hydrogen sulfide to dissipate and the smell was gone by the time Billy reached his classroom. The turmoil seemed to be over and Billy studied in that class. After class Duffy, on his way to Biology, passed Billy, on his way to Shop Class, and Duffy broke a small glass vial of another diluted amount of Ammonium sulfide and Hydrogen sulfide so the small amount of contents spilled on the back of Billy's pants. Duffy says, “Ooops. Seems like no end to those eggs. Gotta go.” Billy almost throws up from the smell. Three of the girls passing Billy do throw up, two of which were some of Billy's admirers.

Billy's charm had vanished that day. All he had left to do now was study, as none of the girls were attracted to him anymore. He forgot the girls, forgot how he liked their attention, but would forever remember never to eat hard boiled eggs for breakfast.

Julie never knew which of the boys to presume passed that awful gas, but suspected Billy just because, as she thought to herself, “That was a big boy's fart.” For a moment she wondered if the boys thought it might have come from her, as she was quick to blame one of them , a tactic often used by a guilty person, but she remembered overhearing one of the Seniors telling another that he heard girls can't fart because his mother told him girls don't have assholes until they get married. Julie thought boys were mostly stupid, but was happy they believed that about girls as then she could not be blamed. She forgot the incident the next day.

---------------------------------------- Previous Chapters ------------------------------------------

Chapter 6

That summer a lot of things happened. Duffy and Billy would study almost every day. Frank Marshall met with Duffy at the gym once a week to train him in Marshall Arts to repay him for tutoring Billy who would attend the class also. Frank was amazed at the speed Duffy could move even though there was not a lot of strength behind the moves. Sage would meet with Frank twice a week to teach him Mechanical Engineering for helping Duffy. Frank would monitor Sage and Duffy's eating habits and recommend different types of food for building strength to repay Sage for tutoring him in technical topics, and Chorine would meet with Sally twice a week at noon, after the boys were out of the house, to snack, gossip and giggle. Everyone was becoming great friends.

At the end of the Summer Sage had considerable strength again, meaning he could walk without assistance and could lift things weighing up to about fifty pounds. Billy knew everything he was supposed to in order to pass the Fifth Grade with ‘A's and was ready for the Sixth … as was Duffy. Sage had a bar-b-que for Labor Day and invited the Marshalls , where Frank says, “Duffy is ready to compete if you want him to, Sage. He is very fast and it seems he can almost anticipate his opponent's next move.”

“Ever since he came out of the coma his mind seemed to run faster than most. At least he is not talking fast any more. Let's see what Duffy thinks of that idea, Frank”, and Sage flips the hamburgers while motioning for Duffy to come over. “How would you like to compete in Martial Arts, Duffy?”

“What do you think, Sage? I don't like the idea of getting hurt or hurting anyone.”

“That's what I thought. I like the idea of you being able to defend yourself but I don't want you looking to be in pain or inflicting pain on someone else. Maybe we will hold off on the competing for a while, Frank. But there is someone else ready for to move up. My father said he needs another foreman on a new building site with a feel for mechanical things. I recommended you. It's your job if you want it. It pays fifteen hundred a week with almost no chance of coming home with broken bones.”

“That's about what I average in the ring a week now. I would really like to start something else for when I have to retire. Can I get back to you on that offer? I have to discuss it with the Queen.”

“You know Andrew now. Let him know if you decide and when you can start. He starts a project almost every month, so you can join pretty much whenever you want. Our whole family is grateful for what you are doing for us.”

“I am the one who is grateful, Sage. Do you know Duffy and my son are going to try to jump to the Eighth Grade after this year? Can you imagine that? My son who always had trouble even passing is now shooting to jump a grade.”

“Frank. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but our sons are going to try to graduate after this year. Billy is going to try to jump two grades even after he tries to pass the Sixth Grade.”

“Billy will be crushed if Duffy graduates and he doesn't. All he talks about is his friend Duffy this and Duffy that. I don't think Billy can learn that fast.”

“Don't tell Billy that. Have confidence in him. You learned first year Calculus and Physics in just two months. Maybe Billy is a chip off the old block”, and Sage turns around and hollers, “Burgers and Hots are ready”, while Frank smiles and wonders what else he can do for his good friend.

The first day at school was unnerving for Duffy. His new classmates were all much bigger than he was. He had grown six inches in one year but was still only forty two inches tall. The shortest girl was forty four inches tall and the tallest boy was five foot six. Ordinarily a small student is afraid of being pushed around by the others, but everyone knew Billy and knew he was Duffy's good friend. Few of the kids talked to Duffy for fear they would have to face Billy should they say something wrong. Duffy just concentrated on his studies. His only thought was about how little time he had in this life.

At recess Julie walks up to Duffy before Billy came out and says, “I wish I was in the same grade as you. How did you jump grades? I would like to catch up with you.”

Duffy noticed he was now the same height as Julie. “Billy and I just studied together. It makes it easier to remember stuff you hear from a friend than a teacher.”

“Could I study with you?” asks Julie.

“You would be studying with Billy too.”

Just then Julie hears from right behind her, “I'm sorry I tried to steal your lunch money, Julie.”

Julie turned around and saw Billy standing within arms reach. She was never that close to him other than when he was trying to rob her. She was terrified then and was terrified now. Billy saw she was scared and he took two steps back, saying, “I'm not an ogre anymore.”

Duffy said, “Don't be afraid. Your horse is here to protect you.”

Julie looked at Duffy and gave a nervous smile. Then, remembering her note, she laughed. Duffy never saw her laugh before and thought she looked even more beautiful when she laughed. He turned to Billy and said, “With three we can probably learn three times faster. What do you think? Can Julie join our study group?”

Billy says, “At least one of us will be pretty”, and he sticks out his big hand adding, “Welcome to our grade-skipping club.” Julie shakes his hand, turns and gives Duffy a quick kiss on his chubby cheek and runs back to class as the recess bell rang.

Billy says, “Do you know you are going to marry her?”

Duffy holds the kissed cheek and says, “I might have another billion children.”

Julie could not meet with Duffy and Billy as often as they could meet together, but she studied even more than they did when she was alone. Both Billy and Duffy helped her with the Second through Fourth grade work as they both knew it already. Julie wanted desperately to be in the same grade with Duffy but knew he was far ahead of her in their studies already. Her fear was that her Prince would leave her behind and forget her.

Both morning and afternoon recesses along with lunch time found the three studying at a picnic bench in good weather and at a back table of the lunch room when too cold or raining to go out. Billy would leave a rock with his name on it at these tables. No one else would sit there. They were always available for just the three.

At the end of the school year Julie went from the second grade to the eighth while Billy and Duffy graduated and were going to high school at the start of the next school year. Julie was crying as they stood at the billboard looking at their year-end grades. “You did great, Julie. Why are you crying?” asked Duffy.

“I won't be able to study with you guys anymore?”

“Why not?” asked Billy, and added, “It's not like we are going to school in another city. We still have nights and week-ends to study together.”

Julie turns to Duffy and asks, “Is that okay with you?”

Duffy says, “I talked to Principal Tucker and asked him if we could take high school subjects if we didn't pass all the eighth grade exams. He said we could. That means you can too. He will let you out every afternoon to take whatever classes are being taught to Freshmen then. Here is a list of the afternoon class schedules you can choose from.”

Billy holds out his hand and says, “Welcome to our high school grade-skipping club”

Julie shakes his hand and kisses Duffy on his chubby cheek. Duffy blushes and says, “I'm not sure I want to skip high school grades. We can pick some of the classes we want in high school and I might want to just take extra classes. Since we have to take English classes for four consecutive years and can't jump them, the best we could do is take English in Summer School” and grins making his puffy cheeks stand right out while he adds, “… so it's going to take us at least two years before we can graduate.”

“I won't have enough summers to do that”, says Julie.

“You will graduate the Summer after we do”, says Billy.

“Then I won't graduate with my class.”

Duffy asks, “What friends did you make last year? I don't see you even hanging around with Amber anymore.”

“She's mad at me because I didn't have time to hang around with her last year. Now she hates me for jumping out of her grade.”

Billy says, “We are the only ones in your new grade now, kiddo. Besides, what grade were you just in? Were you in the third? The fourth? The seventh? Who were your classmates? Only Duffy and me are your classmates now, and we will come to your graduation, right Duffy?”

“You should say, ‘Duffy and I '” corrects Julie, and turns to Duffy and asks, Will you come to my graduation?”

Duffy says, “Yup. Hey look”, as he pulls a ten dollar bill from his pocket. “Ansrew gave me this for the three of us to celebrate with ice cream.”

“I thought his name was Andrew.” says Billy.

“It is, but just for this life”, said Duffy as he and Julie walk towards the corner store while a confused Billy follows.

The three children met twice a week that Summer to help Julie with her eighth grade studies. Duffy and Billy met every day, but since they were both facing a new life in high school neither knew what to study, so they started to do what most children do during Summer vacation: daydream, play and go to the gym for work-outs where both were becoming quite good at martial arts.

One afternoon, after two weeks of vacation, while they are sitting on a bench outside the ice cream stand, Duffy says, “I'm bored, Billy. We should be doing something to learn. We only have about ninty years left. I'm afraid there's not enough time to learn everything there is to know.”

“No one can learn everything there is to know, Duffy. That's why people specialize in one thing. That way they can learn that one thing while they are in their twenties and earn a living from it for the next forty years, then retire on all the money they earned.”

“How do you know that?”

“My Dad talks to Mom about someday when a young man will beat him and he will have to find another job. He is talking about retiring when he is forty. He said he has to learn something else because he will have to work until he is about seventy. He said the police and firemen have it made. They only have to work around twenty or twenty five years and then retire with the same money they earned before they retired.”

“How can someone have earned enough in twenty years to supply himself with everything he needs and wants to last him ninety years?”

“Dad says the firemen and police are leaching off the workers. He said everyone who works for the city or county or state or the government just shove their umbilical cord into the workers just like the union people do.”

“Where does the government get all the money to pay all these people?”

“They take as much as they can from the workers and print or borrow the rest.”

“We should study how the government works this summer. We should study how money works too. I would like to learn how everybody can live for one hundred years and only work for twenty five to forty. It seems like someone has to be working longer and getting less money.”

And that's how they spent the Summer. Their first day of high school was not as they expected. The boys in the Freshman class divided into two groups: the big guys and the small guys. That is, all the boys except Billy and Duffy who were friends who looked like they should be in separate groups.

Billy was six feet tall and weighed one hundred and eighty pounds, whereas Duffy was five foot tall and weighed eighty pounds.

Duffy was asked if he wanted to join the Chess Club, Debate Team, Science Club, and the Star Trek Fan Club. Billy was asked to join the Football Team, Soccer Team, Basketball Team, and the Wrestling Team. Both Billy and Duffy turned all of the offers down. They were then disliked by both groups.

Chapter 5

Duffy never saw so many people at once than he saw at the martial arts fight. There were about two hundred people there and everyone knew Frank and Chorine Marshall. They introduced Billy to everyone as their son and Duffy as the “someday world champion”. Everyone shook hands with Billy and Duffy and asked to see Duffy's muscles, which, to their amusement, he would show them by holding up his skinny arms and squeezing hard, with a look on his face like someone who might be constipated.

“Why do people fight to hurt each other?” Duffy asks Frank.

“It is a contest to see who is better, Duffy. Life is full of contests, from a spelling bee in school when you are young, to who has more money when they die. Most people realize there can only be one winner, but are willing to go through the pain of the contest to see if they can be that one.”

“Did you always want to be a fighter?”

“No. I married Billy's mother when I was only eighteen. She was seventeen. We had Billy right after we got married, if you know what that means. I didn't …”

Duffy interrupts and says, “You had premarital sex, which isn't wrong. For Brukins, having a baby is the sign you are mated for life, which in this case is Billy's life.”

Frank looks at Duffy and is both amazed at his knowledge and still confused as to what he means by Brukin , but he continues, “I didn't have a job when we got married and we needed money. I seen a sign on a gym wall that said “ Borris the Brute will pay twenty dollars to any man that will last one round in the ring against him . Well, I needed twenty dollars and figured getting beat up for it seemed like something I could do. I stepped in the ring and he kicked me in the head. I got mad because I thought he cheated and I punched him in the face. I knocked him out. The owner of the gym asked me if I wanted to learn martial arts. I told him I could never draw good in school. He said it had nothing to do with drawing or painting and explained what martial arts was. I started fighting. I started earning money and here I am. What I wanted to be was a mechanical engineer.”

“Does that make you sad that you aren't what you always wanted to be?” asked Duffy.

“When you have a family you don't always get everything you want, but I am happy with my wife and son and I am happy I have a way to support them, at least as long as I am young enough to fight.”

“How old are you?”

“I'm thirty now.”

“That means Billy is twelve. Did he miss two years of school?”

“He was kicked out of two different schools for fighting and lost two years of schooling. He should only be ten in the fifth grade. You have been a good influence on him, Duffy. He hasn't been angry at anything since you became his friend. Hey, how did you know Billy was twelve … I thought they didn't teach arithmetic until the second grade.”

Duffy says, “I just seemed to know the answer like when I was given the knowledge.”

“I wish I talked to Billy more when he was young so I could understand more of the things you young men say and know. Oh , did you see that roundhouse kick to the head? This fight is over .”

“I do exercises that look like that, Mr. Marshall. Here, I'll show you”, and Duffy stands in the aisle in front of their front row seats and raises his leg as though he were doing a standing split. “I can pretend I was fighting someone”, and he kicks sideways at an imaginary opponent and then over his head as though at a tall opponent and then ninety degrees past a vertical split as though kicking someone behind him with his head being at a forty five degree angle to the floor. Then he jumps up and kicks a split in the air at an almost six foot height, everything his exercises allowed him to do thus far. The crowd clapped and cheered, while Frank got on his knees in front of Duffy and pretended to plead for mercy with his hands together on his forehead like praying, all while the crowd laughed. It was just like Duffy remembered when Apollo knelt before him, acknowledging Duffy as the new leader, but this time he knew what to do. Duffy clasped his hands over his head and shook them as he did in his first life to acknowledge he accepted leadership, only to hear the crowd clap and cheer louder while looking at this amusing sight of an exceptionally skinny little boy with stick-like legs and big boots trying to emulate victory over the great fighters present in the room. “These must all be Brukins with their longevity glands reversed that recognize me in this life”, Duffy thought, and he stood straight as he smiled at them with pride like he had done in the past.

The next day on their way to school Billy says to Duffy, “I told my father that I thought he likes you better than me. He said he likes you a lot, but he loves me. He said me and him have the closest type of “like” possible because we will be friends forever no matter what. That made me happy. My mom gives me a goodnight kiss now. Everything is better now that you are my friend.”

“How are your school grades?”

“Not good. I'm probably going to fail the fifth grade. I'm trying to learn now but I don't understand it. How are your grades?”

“I'm getting all “A”s. Maybe you have to learn some of the earlier stuff you never learned. Want me to help you? We could study together and you could help me with stuff I don't know.”

“If you are getting all “A”s you know everything you have to already.”

“I don't have much time in this life. I talked to Miss Thelcher and she said if I learned Second Grade stuff in the first grade I could go to the third grade next year. I want to skip every other grade.”

“You would catch up to me then. That would be great. Wait . You would pass me then.”

“Not if we studied together. We would jump grades together.”

Billy thinks for a minute and asks, “How can you learn second grade stuff if you're not in the second grade?”

“My father Sage has been to college. He will teach us.”

“Would he teach me too?”

“He is my best friend. He would do it if I ask him.”

“Do you know you are taller since we became friends, Duffy?”

“Mom says I'm coming into my first growing phase. She says I have to eat a lot if I want to grow.”

“My dad knows all about what to eat. He learned it when he was first training. He would teach you what to eat to grow.”

“Do you think he would do that for me?”

“He said he likes you a lot and he loves me. I will ask him. All he can say is no. At least I know he won't hit me for asking.”

Duffy walks into his classroom while Billy walks down the hall to his. He sits at his desk and notices a little piece of paper sitting there. He opens it up and sees a picture of a man with a sword on a white horse. Under the picture was written the word “Duffy”. He looked around and when he looked over at Julie Sublowski he saw her smiling. He knew she thought of herself as a toad, so he leaned over and whispered, “Do you mean I look like a horse or that I smell like a horse?”

Julie looked like she was going to cry. Duffy got nervous and hollered, “I'm sorry Julie”, not knowing what he was apologizing for. Just then Miss Thelcher came in, heard Duffy and saw him holding the note. “Bring that note to me, Mr. Cobblesworth”, she said sternly, adding, “You can have it back after school.”

At three thirty that afternoon Duffy is standing in front of Miss Thelcher's desk waiting for her to come back from having a cigarette in the teacher's lounge. “Sorry, Duffy. I forgot I was to see you after class. Do you know what this note means?”

“No ma'am. I asked Julie if it meant I looked like a horse.”

“I think she was saying you were her Knight or her Prince. You don't know girls very well, do you Duffy?”

Duffy thinks about Cora, his mate in his first life and thinks of all the mean things she would do to get his attention and says, “No ma;am. I don't think I could figure them out even if I lived another thousand years.”

“Well, she is telling you she likes you, Duffy. Now you know, so don't holler in my class anymore, and when you apologize to Julie for hollering at her tell her I said never to pass notes in class time. You are both nice children and shouldn't be doing things that will get you in trouble. I see your friend Billy is waiting for you. You have changed him into a gentleman, Duffy. That was very nice of you. We didn't think that was possible. Here's your note. Now run along.”

When they get outside Billy asks Duffy, “Are you in trouble?”

Duffy hands the note to Billy who says, “Who gave this to you?”

“Julie”

“Julie thinks you are her Prince.”

“How did you know that?”

“From the stories we had to read in the third and fourth grade. Girls are always looking for their Prince who will beat up some bad guy and then kiss her. That's all I know about girls.”

“Are there still Princes around with swords and riding horses?”

“They probably drive cars now and carry pistols?”

“I thought you needed a license to drive a car and carry a pistol.”

“Maybe all the Princes are in jail for beating people up. My dad carries a pistol because sometimes three or four men try to gang up to try to beat him up. He would go to jail if he hurt them fighting, so he just shows them his pistol to scare them away.”

“Then your dad is like a Prince.”

“I guess so. I never thought about that . Mom says he is the King of the house and she is the queen. I asked her what I was and she said I was the Stable Boy.”

“So Kings drive cars and carry pistols too?”

“I guess so. I never thought about that either.”

“It would have been so much simpler if Julie just said I smelled like a horse. That would have been easier to fix.”

“I don't think anything with girls is simple or easy, Duffy. You should just forget her.”

As the weeks passed Billy and Duffy studied together every day. Duffy studied all of Billy's old books and would go over all the material he learned as he went from the first grade material to the second and now on the third grade. Billy would often says, “Now I know what Mr. Farnsworth said about that. I never understood that.”

Near the end of the first grade school year Miss Thelcher calls Duffy into the Principals office and says, “I would like to have Duffy tested for finals in the second and third grades.” The Principal smiled and agreed. Duffy was to be tested the following Monday after school was let out for the Summer. Suddenly Duffy remembered being tested in his first life where he was given all of school knowledge from Cora. “Oh, if only Cora was here now to help me” he thought, but then said to himself, “I must do this on my own.”

The following Tuesday all grades were posted on the school bulletin board for the students who didn't want to wait for the mail notice. Billy was pushed into the Sixth Grade with all “D”s. Julie passed into the second grade with all “A”s, and Duffy saw his grades for the First and Second Grades as all “A”s and his grades for the third grade as “B+”s. Duffy was going into the Fourth Grade.

“I didn't fail a single subject, Duffy! That never happened before. My Dad will be so proud of me.”

“You know everything I know, Billy. You would have gotten the same grades in the second and third grades as I did. Now we have to study so you can skip a grade. Let's try to both be in the eighth grade next year.”

“If I skipped a grade my Dad would think I stole it. I'm happy to just go up one at a time.”

“You can't, Billy. You will be thirteen going into the sixth grade. You would be sixteen going to high school and would be twenty when you graduated. You would be an old man. You have to skip grades or you will never finish high school and that means we wouldn't go to college together.”

“I never planned to go to college, but I can see what you mean about being an old man graduating from high school. I'll tell you a secret. I have to shave already. I'm the only kid in school that has to shave. I'll look old even when I graduate from grammar school. I think I better start skipping grades too.”

Julie and her girlfriend Amber walk up to Duffy. Julie smiles to show him her braces were off. “You haven't talked to me most of the year. I'll miss you in class next year, Duffy. I didn't see your name listed for Second Grade. Did you fail?”

Billy says, “Duffy is now in the Fourth Grade. He jumped a few grades to catch up to me.”

Julie started crying and said, “Or maybe just so he wouldn't have to sit next to me”, and ran down the hall. Amber hollered, “You are mean Duffy Cobblesworth” and runs to catch up with Julie.

Duffy watches her run away and says, “I get in trouble even when I don't say anything.”

“You still like her, don't you Duffy?”

“She is the prettiest girl in the world.”

“I think Amber is … um, I mean, yes. Julie is pretty.”

Chapter 4

Sage opens the front door and sees Billy standing there with his enormous parents. “I'm Billy's Father Frank Marshall and this is my wife Chorine, and of course you know Billy here.

“Please come in. It's so nice to meet you”, says Sage.

“We don't want to bother you folks. We just wanted to meet you and tell you your son is having an influence on our son and we wanted to talk to you about that.”

Sage puts his hands on his hips, looks at Duffy and kiddingly says, “Have you been beating up the big kids again?”

Billy quickly says, “Duffy is nice to everyone. He wouldn't hurt a fly.”

With a straight face Frank Marshall says, “That isn't true. He beat me up”, and Chorine giggles.

Sage's mouth drops. “I would like to hear that story, sir. Please come into the living room”, and Sage turns to Duffy and says, “You stay in the kitchen with Billy while we discuss your behavior.”

Sage and Sally sit with Frank and Chorine in the living room with the doors closed and Frank starts describing his relationship with his son Billy. “Chorine took care of him when he was born because I was afraid I would hurt him if I held him.”

Chorine interrupts, “Frank is the undefeated heavyweight champion of Martial Arts fighting.”

Frank continues, “As Billy grew, I always knew we would be friends someday, just he had to get bigger so I wouldn't hurt him. When he got to be five and started school I should have talked to him more, but we were not close because I never talked to him. I was waiting for him to grow up and then when he was almost grown up we weren't close. He would do things that would make me angry, probably to get my attention, and, of course, I would give him a little punch in the arm or back to let him know he should stop what he was doing. That was our relationship up until three days ago; no talking, just hollering and punching. Then your son came to have a talk with us about Billy”, and Frank tells Sage and Sally the details of Duffy's confrontation.

Chorine could not stop giggling at that story. She says, “Do you know how many big men I have knocked out because they said I didn't act like a lady? Duffy was right. I didn't act like a lady and didn't realize it until I heard it from a brave little boy. How much does Duffy weigh?”

Sage says, “He's thirty six inches tall on his tip toes, weighs thirty four pounds, and his biceps measure one inch around when he makes what he calls his biggest muscle”, and with that information Frank laughs for the first time, saying, “He has more courage than anyone I have ever fought. He got that last punch in just before he thought I was going to kill him. He is just amazing.”

Chorine says, “I think his cheeks are adorable. He is just so thin and has such chubby cheeks that just get huge when he smiles, and with those round glasses he wears he looks like something you would have to pay a lot for if you saw him standing on a shelf in a store.”

Sally tells his guests all the troubles Duffy has gone through in his life, but she leaves out the part where Billy knocked him down and the first life Duffy claims to have had.

Sage sat with his arm around Sally, who was smiling with tears coming down her cheeks.

One hour later they come in the kitchen and Frank says to Billy, “Let's go, son.”

Duffy says, “We didn't open presents yet. Billy has one he has to open.”

“I brought you a present too, Duffy”, and he reaches into his pants pocket for a small box.

Duffy opens the box and finds a small Superman doll. He smiles and says, “This will always remind me of my best friend.”

Sage smiles with pride. Billy smiles with pride. Sally hands Billy's gift to Duffy who hands it to Billy who opens it and finds a knit pull-over cap just like Duffy wears. “These are the warmest hats ever for cold days, Billy”, says Duffy.

Billy pulls it over his head and says, “It just fits.”

“Duffy laughs and says, “They stretch. It would even fit your Dad.”

Frank and Chorine smile with pride in knowing their son has a good friend.

Sage reaches for one of the two fruit cakes on the shelf and hands it to Chorine. “Please take this as a little friendship gift.”

Chorine says, “Frank loves this stuff. It will be gone tonight”

Sally laughs and says, “They last forever. You can have this other one next year. Better yet, why not stay for dinner and he can eat this one for us now.”

“Can we Dad? Can we?” asks Billy.

After dinner Duffy wanted to hear all about Frank's fighting job. “Do they pay you for fighting?”

“People make bets on who is going to win. I get a percentage of the bets. It's complicated because if I take too much it won't be worth betting for the winner.”

“Do you have a wrestling name like Killer Frank?”

“My ring name is Apollo.”

Duffy just looks at Frank and quietly says, “Apollo. That's why you didn't beat me to a pulp. You are Apollo, my Brukin friend, who died before me”, and turns to his grandfather Andrew and says, “You knew we would meet and be friends right away, didn't you Ansrew? Why didn't you tell me Apollo had his longevity gland turned back too?”

Andrew says, “This is not the same Apollo, Duffy. This is another man who has come into your life that reminds you of that great old friend.”

Duffy then says, “I'm sorry Apollo. I had a friend like you one time. I miss him and my children”, and Duffy hangs his head, falling asleep at the table.

Frank and Chorine thank Sage and Sally for a wonderful day and walk down the sidewalk back home. “What do you think a Brukin friend is?” asks Frank.

“Maybe he meant to say a ‘friggin' friend but isn't good at swearing yet”, answers Chorine.

“Duffy would never swear, Mom.”

“Hey, little guy. Get up here with us so we can all talk at eye level”, as she picks Billy up and rides him on her shoulders.

Billy looks at his father and says, “Hi Dad.”

Frank puts his hand on Billy's shoulder and says, “Hey son. Nice friend you have there.”

Billy thought it was the best day of his life. He takes off his new hat and stretches it over his father's head. “You can wear it when you're working out, Pop.”

“Thanks Billy. I'll leave it home on the cold days for you to wear.”

The next day was Monday, another school day, and in this life Duffy had a friend at school. He was happy so far with his new life. He made friends with someone he would have inavertedly allowed to die. So far he had tried harder in this life and succeeded. Billy walked with Duffy until they came to the first corner in the school hall where Billy took a left to his classroom and Duffy took a right to his. No sooner did Duffy make the turn he saw Julie standing there with her back to him.

“Did you read the book?” she asked.

“Oh! Um, hi Julie. Yes it was a nice little story. Um, … what was it supposed to mean?”

“Can you see beauty in a Frog or a toad, Duffy?”

“I never thought about it, but I don't look for beauty in those things. I would probably think the Princess was beautiful.”

Julie starts crying and Duffy gets even more nervous, for he has never talked to a girl in this life before and has no idea what to say to a girl crying. “Why are you crying?” was all he could think of.

“Because I am the toad.”

“You mean you had a different life and you were a toad in your last life? How can you remember being a toad? Toads don't have much memory, I don't think. Do you remember who kissed you to turn you into a beautiful Princess?”

Julie turns around and she has her hand over her mouth. She had stopped crying, but the tears were still there. “I am the toad and I want to see if you can see beauty in me”, as she removes her hand, smiled an odd smile and Duffy see braces on her teeth. He had never seen braces and was frightened. “You have metal teeth ! What happened to your real teeth?”

Julie runs to the classroom crying harder than before, with Duffy following, wondering what else is made of metal in the girl he thought was beautiful. He wondered if the Prince's kiss had anything to do with it. “Was the Prince a tin robot?” he asked himself.

When he got to the classroom door Miss Thelcher was standing there with her hands on her large hips, “Did you make Julie cry, young man?” she asked with a frightening frown on her big face.

“I think I did, but I didn't mean to. She said she was an ugly toad, but she's not. She is pretty.” The class laughed at Duffy … that is, the whole class but Julie who stopped crying.

At recess Duffy and Billy stood by the school wall. Billy seemed to always have something to say to his friend now. “My Dad is taking me to see a fight this week end. He said I could bring you if you want to go. Do you?”

“Will he be fighting?”

“No. He wouldn't be able to watch us if he was fighting, and they wouldn't even let us in if he wasn't with us. He will be sitting with us and explaining how they fight.”

“I'll ask Sage if I can go. Did you notice that Julie looks over this way now and then?”

“Do you know you are staring at her? Maybe she is wondering why you are staring at her and looks over here to see if you still are.”

“I like her but I made her cry.”

“Go tell her you are sorry.”

“No.”

“I'll walk over there with you.”

“She will run if she sees you coming with me.”

“I'll walk away from you if she sees me coming”, and Billy pushes Duffy towards the bench where Julie was sitting. When Duffy was almost to the bench the recess bell rang and everyone started back into school. Julie stood up and Duffy saw he would not be able to reach he to say he was sorry, so he just hollered it out: “I'm sorry I made you cry, Julie. I think you are beautiful”, whereupon not just the class laughed … all of the school children laughed, and Julie went back in school with her head hung in embarrassment.

On the way home Billy would now just talk all about his father. “He wants to each me martial arts, Duffy. He said the first thing I have to learn is never to use it in anger and never hurt an innocent person. He said he would teach you too if you want to learn, but he said you couldn't use it to beat him up again”, and both boys laughed.”

“I will ask Sage if I can learn it. You saw my grandpa and my dad. We are all skinny men and would never be good in fights.”

“Dad said you don't have to be big if you know martial arts. He said the toughest fight he ever had was against a Japanese guy who was as tall as he is but weighed just half what he did.”

“I think Julie hates me.”

“No she doesn't. You just embarrass her by hollering out that she's beautiful, and everyone hears you. Just talk to her like we talk.”

“Race you to my house.”

“No fair. I have to push my bike.”

“Then ride it”, and Duffy takes off running down the street.”

It was two blocks later that Duffy stops in front of his house with Billy riding past a few seconds later and sliding his bike sideways to stop. “You are getting fast, Duffy. It takes me a while to get up speed.”

“I used to be the fastest runner of all the Brukins. It seems like I might never get that speed back” and Duffy walks into his house leaving Billy confused.

Chapter 3

The next morning Duffy walked in the opposite direction from school. He walked two blocks away from his home and climbed the front steps of a house he'd never been to before. He stood at the front door for a minute and then knocked on the door. There was no answer. He then realized no one would hear his feeble knock and rang the doorbell. A man answered the door. He was a giant. Duffy's knees got weak, but he asks, “Are you Mr. Marshall?”

“What do you want?”

“I would like to have a talk with you and your wife if I may.”

“She's in the kitchen. Make it fast. We have to go to work.”

Duffy follows the giant into the kitchen and notices he doesn't even come up to his belt level. He sees Mrs. Marshall and notices she is also a giant … almost as tall as Mr. Marshall, and, being fat, probably weighed even more.

“What do you want to say, little boy?”

Duffy goes to the third chair at the table and, with difficulty, climbs up to stand on the chair. Then he climbs up onto the table and walks on the top of the table over to Mr. Marshall, puts his hands on his hips and hollers, “I don't want you to hit your son Billy anymore. You too, Mrs. Marshall. He is my friend and I want you to listen to me. He is a good boy. He is your son and you should act like a Mom even if you don't act like a lady.”

Mr. Marshall looks at Duffy and says, “Do you know I could squash you in one hand?”

Duffy looks him in the eye and says, “Do you know I'm at the height where I could punch you in the nose? That hurts everyone, even a strong fighting giant like you”, and Duffy holds his tiny fist in front of Mr. Marshall's nose like he was about to release a blow that would shake the earth.

Mr. Marshall gets angry and hollers, “Get off my table.”

Duffy gets frightened and swings his hardest punch. It lands squarely on the big nose. Mr. Marshall was stunned, but his head hardly moved. The punch didn't ever hurt him. He looked at Duffy and asked, “Is that the best you can do?”

Duffy says, “I got one more before you kill me”, and swings another punch into the nose. That one didn't bother him either.

Mrs. Marshall was giggling. Mr. Marshall looked at Duffy and tears started coming down his cheeks. He quietly said, “Sit down young man. No more fighting. Let's talk. I didn't know Billy had any friends, and I didn't know there were men like you in that school.”

For the next two minutes Duffy sat and told the parents everything good he knew about Billy. When they asked if there was anything bad about Billy, Duffy remembered that Brukins never lied and he had to tell them all the bad things Billy did, like stealing lunch money, beating up some kids and scaring everyone in the school. “But he's changed now. I am proud to have him as a friend”, he said at the end. After pausing he added, “I'm sorry I punched you, sir.”

“We have to go to work now, Duffy. We will have a talk with Billy when he gets home.”

“Oh, I forgot to ask. Can Billy come to my house Sunday to celebrate Christmas?”

“Christmas was three months ago.”

“My parents are weird, sir.”

Mr. Marshall holds his huge hand out for Duffy to shake goodbye and says, “I would like to meet your weird parents. Billy can go if he wants to.”

As Duffy goes down the front stairs one step at a time, always using his right foot for the drop to the next step, Mrs. Marshall watches him and smiles. Mr. Marshall smiles also and shakes his head.

Duffy gets to school just at lunch time. Miss Thelcher, the teacher, asked if he was okay.

“I'm fine. I just had to talk to some people this morning. I'm sorry I'm late.” She said, “You are not absent, only late, so I won't need a note from your parents.”

Duffy goes outside and sees Billy waiting by the school wall. They walk to the picnic bench where Julie and her girlfriend were sitting at one end. Duffy and Billy sit at the other end. Duffy smiles at Julie, who didn't look at him, and says to Billy, “It looks like some of the kids aren't afraid of you anymore. Does that make you mad?”

“Nope.”

“Today we have two egg salad sandwiches and two tangerines. Which egg salad sandwich do you want, the top or bottom?”, and the two boys laugh like it was the funniest thing they ever heard.

On the way home Duffy asks Billy, “Who was that girl with Julie at lunch?”

“She is in your class. Don't you know her name? It's Amber. Do you like her?”

“I think Julie is pretty.”

“Most boys would think Amber is the prettier. Both of them are taller than you.”

“I will get taller eventually. My father is six feet tall, but my mother is only five foot tall. I will probably be in the middle.”

“My parents are both almost seven feet tall. I will probably be a giant.”

“Most of the kids at school already think you are a giant.”

“Wait until they see me get gianter.”

“That's not a word, Billy.”

“Oh so now you're the word expert?”

Duffy smiles and says, “Yup”

“What's the wordiest word you know.”

“ Wordiest ain't a word neither.”

“Well, I'm still in a higher grade than you and that means I'm still smarter … doesn't it?”

Duffy smiles and says, “Yup. Here's my house. See you tomorrow morning.”

Billy gets on his bike and Duffy hollers, “Be careful going into your house tonight. I hope I didn't get you in trouble.”

Billy just waves from two houses away.

The next morning Billy was waiting for Duffy at his front steps. He watches Duffy slowly walk down the steps and when he gets to the sidewalk he says, “My father said you were the bravest man he ever met”, and Billy starts crying.

Duffy says, “I'm sorry I got you in trouble” and starts crying also.

“My Mom and Dad talked to me for two hours last night. They never talked to me before. My Mom said you threatened my Dad, and when he hollered at you, you punched him in the nose … twice, and made him cry. My dad said he wasn't crying, but Mom was laughing and said tears were coming down his cheeks and that meant he was crying. I didn't think anyone could make my Dad cry. I've seen him come home with bad cuts and big bruises from a martial arts fight and he never cried. He always won every fight. Mom said he quit the fight with you as soon as you punched him the second time. Mom thought it was funny and then Dad smiled too and said ‘It's not the size of the dog in the fight but the size of the fight in the dog. I could see Duffy was going to win, so why keep taking a beating.' You beat the toughest man in the world, Duffy. You are a champion and my hero.”

“I didn't want to hurt him, Billy. I told him I was sorry.”

As they walk to school Billy tells Duffy that his Mom wants to pack a lunch for both of them every other day. She said that way your Mom doesn't have to do all the work. “My Dad said he will never hit me again unless I hurt other people and he said he would beat me to a pulp if I hurt you. My Mom laughed and said ‘Because your Dad is afraid Duffy will come back to give your father another beating.' It was the nicest night I ever had. My parents like me now, thanks to you. Oh, they said I could come to your Christmas party this Sunday. They want to walk down to your house with me to meet your parents. They said I have a good friend in you, Duffy”, and Billy looks at Duffy and asks, “We are friends, aren't we?”

Duffy says, “My Dad is my best friend, but we could be like second-best friends.”

Billy holds out his hand for Duffy to shake and says, “Second-best friends.”

Duffy hollers, “ Ouch , you squished my hand. That's my mighty punching hand. I may never be able to beat up anyone again in my whole life”, and laughs.

Duffy awoke that Sunday morning hearing bells ringing and hearing his father holler, “Goodbye Santa. Thank you for making a special off-season visit. Sorry Duffy wasn't awake to meet you.”

Duffy ran downstairs, … well, came downstairs one step at a time but just a little faster than usual. He went into the living room where the plastic Christmas tree was lit up and saw a lot of presents under it. “You know the rules, Duffy”, said Sage, “We don't open presents until after dinner when Grampa and Grandma are here. Sometimes Santa thinks you live there and leaves some of your presents there too. If he did Grampa Andrew will bring them here.”

“How come we never celebrated Christmas with the Brukins, Sage? Doesn't that seem odd?”

Sage held his chin and said, “No one at all celebrated Christmas over a thousand years ago, son, when you started ruling the Brukins. When you became the leader of the Brukins it would have been up to you to start it and you never did. How come you never started celebrating Christmas, Duffy?”

“I never thought about it. All of my children missed out having Christmas. That was stupid of me.”

“They were happy, weren't they? That's all that mattered. Here on this country they are happy for a few days before Christmas and for a few minutes on Christmas day, then they go back to being as grumpy as they always are. I think you did a good job leading the Brukins. You made them healthy and happy all year long.”

“You're right Sage. I don't have to try harder in that area. Oh, I forgot to tell you, Billy's parents are dropping off Billy and introducing themselves. Billy is now my second best friend.”

“Who is your best friend … Julie?”

“You are my best friend, Sage. Hey, how do you know Julie?”

She dropped off a present for you. She said you stood up to the school bully who was trying to steal her lunch money. She wanted to give you something to thank you.”

“Did you think she was pretty, Sage?”

“Which one? There were two girls who came to the door.”

The other one must be her friend Amber. Who do you think was prettier?”

“I can only say which one I thought was prettiest. Why would you care who I thought was prettier. I think your Mom is the prettiest girl in the world and these two girls were pretty but not as pretty as your Mom.”

“I think Julie is pretty.”

“Here is the present she brought. I asked her if it was a Christmas present and she laughed saying, “ No , it would be a little late”, so if it's not a Christmas present I guess you can open it now.”

Duffy opens it slowly and says, “It's a book called The Prince and the Frog. Why would she think I would like this story book?”

“It's a first grade book and doesn't look like a hard or long book to read, so read it out loud to me. Breakfast will be in one half hour.

Duffy sits on the floor with his knees bent so his calves are sticking out sideways like wings, opens the book and reads:

Once upon a time there was a young Prince who was very handsome. All of the maidens in the Kingdom loved him because even though he was courageous and strong he never hurt anyone.

One day when the Prince was in the forest he stopped to water his horse in the brook. He knelt on a rock to drink at the shore and heard:

“Oh please don't look at me, dear Prince, for I am too ugly for you to gaze upon.”

The Prince looked down and saw a toad. “You are not ugly, Miss Toad. That is how you are supposed to look.” But the toad answered:

“If I were a frog with smooth skin would you find me more attractive?”

The Prince thought for a minute and said “How can a nice looking toad and a nice looking frog be compared? I would find the frog as equally attractive.”

The toad said:

“If I told you I thought the frog was prettier and told you I could become one if you only kissed me, would you kiss me?”

The Prince thought and said “No. You are beautiful just the way you are. I will kiss you to show you that you are attractive, but I will not kiss you to change you into something you are not, for who then would kiss you to change you back when you found you had made a mistake?”

The toad suddenly turned into a beautiful Princess and said, “You have passed the test to become the King, for you are able see beauty where others cannot.”

“That's the end, Sage. Why would she send me this story?”

“I never knew why girls did things, Duffy. The story probably means something to her that men will never understand” and Sage leans over and whispers, “Maybe she wants you to kiss her so she can turn into a frog.”

“Da-ad.”

“Let's analyze it. There is only one boy in the story, so that must be you. There are three girls in the story: the frog, the toad and the Princess. The toad thinks the frog is prettier than she is. Both the Prince and the Princess think everything is beautiful. So what's left? … we forgot Julie. Julie has to be the toad who wants to be a frog. But you say she is already pretty. But you, the Prince, think everything is pretty. That means she was either kissed by a Prince already or she has decided to stay a toad. I think she is telling you she already had a Prince kiss her and you should get on your horse and go because it didn't work and she is still stuck being a toad.”

“I don't think that's the meaning, Sage”, says Duffy chuckling with his hands on his hips.

“Hey Duffy, is that a wart growing on your lip? Have you been kissing toads again?” and Sage pretends to duck as Duffy pretends to throw the book at him.

“Merry Christmas everyone”, hollers Grampa Andrew as he comes in the back door carrying presents just as the front doorbell rings.

Sage looks through the top small window in the front door, which is eye height for a six foot man, and only sees a necktie.

Chapter 2

Duffy found it was harder to do the exercises in this lifetime than it seemed the first time he learned to do them. After two months he could do sideway splits with his feet on chairs and his body lowered to the floor, but it was a long way to go to have his feet touch each other as they must in order to be able to stand on one leg and have his other leg lift itself up and over his head to come back down to rest next to the one he's standing on.

Sally peeks into his room and says, “Ouch! Doesn't that hurt, Duffy?”

“It will only hurt until I'm able to do it, Mom. I have to be limber to be strong.”

“Won't being limber just make you limber?”

“Ma-om. Did you lose your brain again?”

“Duff … eee. You are living this lifetime it as a human … not as a Brukin. You can only gain human strength. You will never be as strong as a Brukin in this lifetime. I happen to think being limber is more important than having a lot of strength. Men only have to be strong enough to help their wives carry the groceries from the car.”

Duffy stands up and says, “Men have to be ready to fight for their people. Men must be strong”, and he raises his arms to show biceps that weren't there, making his mother smile at how skinny he looked standing there in his underpants.

“Your father is ready to start exercising now. You promised to help make him strong again. Why not put your pants on and I'll carry you downstairs to help him.”

“I think I'm strong enough to go down myself. Just go before me in case I fall”, and Duffy goes down the stairs one step at a time, always using his right foot for the drop to the next step, just as he remembered he did in his last lifetime before he got his strength from Sage.

Duffy goes into the living room and sees his father in his big chair in his pajama bottoms and a sweat shirt on. “I'm all dressed for a good workout Duffy … or should I call you Coach?”

“Now I know why I called you Sage in my last life, Dad. Because we were more like friends than father and son. We were best friends. You were a lot younger than me.”

Sage chuckles and says, “I can't wait to hear how that happened, but you can call me Sage in this lifetime too, friend. What do we start with?” as he tries to get out of the chair with his legs shaking from the weight of his thin body.

“We first exercise sitting”, and Duffy spends the two hours having Sage move his legs up and down while sitting, and moving his arms as far in each direction as possible.

The next week they concentrated on squats and push-ups. Sage did one of each while Duffy did ten of each, saying, “I'm lighter so it is easier for me.”

The next month they also exercised with a child's set of weights Andrew brought them. It went to a total of twenty five pounds if all the plastic weights were on the plastic bar. They were both able to lift ten pounds over their head, but just once. Sage was now able to walk with a cane for support and Duffy was ready to go to school.

Duffy had been looking out the window every morning watching the other children going to school. The only two people he recognized were Julie Sublowski, his classmate, riding to school with her father, and Billy Marshall riding his bike on the sidewalk hollering for everyone to get out of his way. He thought Julie got prettier and Billy got bigger.

On the first day back in school he arrived at nine o'clock to see the school nurse for her approval to resume classes. She was amazed at how thin Duffy was. “Are you eating enough?” she asked. “I eat until I'm full. I gained one pound in three months”, he replied.

The nurse takes Duffy to his classroom and the teacher, Miss Thelcher, who was very overweight, says to the class, “This is Duffy Cobblesworth who was with us for two weeks at the beginning of the year but who got sick. He does not have anything catching, so don't be afraid of him. Take your seat, Duffy.”

Duffy's new seat was in the middle of the classroom right next to Julie Sublowski who he smiled at as he sat down. Julie pretended not to notice him.

The first day of class consisted of lessons in arithmetic and reading. Duffy knew he could read in his last life, but for some reason he could not read now. He knew he could solve enormously complicated mathematical equations in his head in his last life, but now had to first learn numbers and then addition and subtraction. All he could remember and think about was that the Brukins believed going to school was a waste of time, since they would receive all information known when they reached eighteen in a one hour sitting with an elder. Duffy also remembered that when he was the leader he had the Brukin children go to school at age five-and-ought to learn how to learn. He had to trust his knowledge when he was the Brukin leader, so he was determined to learn as much and as fast as he possibly could in this old fashion method of transferring knowledge. After all, in this life his longevity gland is turned off so he may at most have only one hundred years of life available and not the one thousand he would have as a Brukin with his gland working.

At recess time Duffy stands by the school wall as he remembered he did in the past. He didn't need his breathalyzer anymore. For some reason his asthma was cured, but he didn't have much strength and didn't want to get knocked down by the other kids. Duffy looks around the playground and sees Billy Mitchell pushing Julie Sublowski up against the wall. “He's taking her lunch money”, he thought.

Billy looked much larger now than Duffy remembered. He walks over to Billy and with as much courage as he could muster, said, “I'm sorry I was in your way a few months ago, Billy. I hope I didn't hurt your bike when you had to knock me down.”

Billy let go of Julie and just looked at Duffy. His face looked angrier than Duffy ever saw anyone's face look and Duffy tried to keep his legs from buckling from fear. Billy just said, “ Don't ”, and ran away. Julie ran away as soon as Billy did. Duffy just stood there shaking while the fright left his body, thankful he went to the bathroom on the way to the playground.

At lunchtime Duffy was sitting alone outside eating a baloney sandwich. He saw Billy sitting alone with nothing to eat because he had no money to buy lunch from the cafeteria. Billy was in the fifth grade and was bigger than even the eigth graders. Everyone in the school was afraid of Billy because he could and would, if he wanted to, beat anyone up he chose. Duffy walks up behind Billy and says, “Can you help me eat this sandwich. I can only eat half.”

Billy looks at Duffy and again says, “Don't”, and turns away.

Duffy says, “I'm sorry. I know you probably don't want to talk to me.”

“I don't want you to be nice to me.”

“Why not?”

“Because no one is nice to me, and that is the way I like it.”

“Your parents must be nice to you, aren't they?”

“My parents call me stupid and hit me all the time. If I had friends they would find out I was stupid and call me names and then I would have to hit them just like my parents hit me.”

“You are in the Fifth Grade. I'm only starting in the First. I am stupid compared to you. You can call me stupid if you like and I wouldn't beat you up.”

Billy looks at Duffy with a quizzical look and then smiles. Then he bursts out laughing. “Is that sandwich still available?” he asks.

“Here”, as Duffy hands him the other half.

That afternoon Duffy walks home and Billy walks beside him pushing his bike. Neither said anything until Duffy was at his front door. “What do you like best, Billy: Tuna or egg salad or peanut butter jelly or baloney, or minced ham sandwiches?”

“I like them all.”

“Good. See you tomorrow”, and Duffy starts to slowly climb the front steps with his right foot always pushing on the next step up and his hand pushing down on the knee. Billy puts his hands under Duffy's arms and lifts him to the porch. Duffy turns around and says, “Thanks.” Billy gets on his bike and smiles as he rides down the sidewalk.

That night as they sit at the dinner table Duffy asks, “Can I have an extra sandwich in my lunch from now on?”

Sally looks at Duffy surprised and asks, “Are you sure you can eat two sandwiches?”

“One is for a friend. Billy Marshall. He was stealing lunch money from the other kids to buy his lunch at school. I stopped him from taking money from a girl and gave him half of my sandwich. If I bring him a sandwich every day he won't have to steal from the other kids.”

Sage looks up for a second, which is all the strength he was able to do near the end of the day, and asks, “Your old enemy is now your friend?”

Duffy smiles and says, “His parents hit him and call him stupid. He didn't want friends at school because he said they would find out he was stupid and he would have to beat them up if they called him stupid. I told him he was in the fifth grade and was smarter than me, so he could call me stupid and I wouldn't beat him up. He laughed and now we are friends. Can you believe that? I had to scare him to death in the last life.”

After looking at Sage and laughing Sally says, “I guess we can put in another sandwich for your friend. What do you think, Father?'

“If it will keep Duffy from beating him up I say put in a few sandwiches for his big friend. Why not invite your friend to Christmas dinner if you like. Your friends are always welcome here” and Sage lifts his head again to smile at Duffy.

“Christmas was three months ago, Sage. We are the only ones celebrating it this Sunday way after Christmas.”

“Because you and I didn't have the strength to celebrate it when it was the right time. Just tell your friend we are weird.”

The next day Julie walks past Duffy and without looking at him says, “Thanks.”

At recess Duffy stands by the school wall again. He sees Billy sitting on the swings. No one else would get near the swings when Billy sat on one. He sees Billy glance up at him. Duffy waves Billy over to the wall. Billy waves Duffy over to the swings. Duffy slowly walks into the running crowd of students towards the swings with his arms up like he was trying to protect himself. Billy runs towards Duffy and all the other kids scatter. Billy walks with Duffy back to the swings giving Duffy a clear path of no other students.

Duffy sits on the swing next to Billy and says, “Thanks for protecting me. The other kids don't know how easy they could knock me down.”

Billy just says, “That okay.” Then he says, “I'm sorry I knocked you down a while ago.”

Duffy says, “That's okay.”

They sit on the swings without saying anything else for the rest of recess. When the bell rings Billy walks with Duffy back to the school. Duffy says, “I have an extra sandwich if you want it. I'll give it to you at the picnic bench.” Billy says nothing but walks with Duffy to his classroom door then runs to his classroom.

Billy met Duffy at the door at lunch time and both walked to the picnic bench together. Duffy had no worries about being knocked down as no one would get near Billy.

When seated Duffy says, “I have a baloney sandwich and a Tuna sandwich. Which one do you want?”

“I like them both. Which one do you want?” asks Billy.

“I like them both too. Which one do you want?” asks Duffy.

“Why not eat half of each one?” suggests Billy.

“Good idea”, says Duffy. “Which one do you want first?”

“They would both be good first. Which one do you want first?” asks Billy.

Duffy looks in the bag and says, “There's an apple too. That's last I guess.”

“Let's eat from the bottom up”, suggests Billy.

“Good idea”, says Duffy digging into the bag and pulling the bottom sandwich out. “Tuna first. Take the bigger half, Billy or I won't be able to eat the half of the baloney sandwich.”

Billy smiles as he takes the bigger half saying, “I'll help you out.”

After a few minutes all that was left was the apple wrapped in wax paper. It was already cut in half with a rubberband holding it together “so it won't rust”, his mother would say. Duffy said, “Mom always cuts the apples in half in case I can only eat half. She always says, ‘Bring the other half home for the squirrels to eat.'”

Billy says, “I'll save you the trouble of carrying it all the way back home” and takes the half of the apple Duffy is holding out to him.

The boys sit at the picnic table in silence after eating. Billy then asks, “Do you like your parents?”

“I love my Mom, and my father is my best friend” answered Duffy.

“Do they hit you?”

“No. They just hug me hard.”

“I don't like my parents. Both of them hit me”, and Billy shows Duffy black & blue marks on his arms.

“Oh gosh, Billy. That must hurt. But even if your parents don't like you that doesn't mean you should not like them. Tell them to stop.”

“They would hit me if I talked back to them.”

“You need someone else to tell them.”

“My parents are bigger than most people. No one would have the courage to tell them. My father is a fighter. He can beat up everyone.”

“Well someone should tell them to stop, Billy. Oh, I forgot to ask you if you would like to come to our house this Sunday. We are having Christmas then.”

Billy laughs and says, “Christmas was like months ago. You're a little late.”

“My father and me were too weak to have Christmas when it happened, so we are having it now when we can enjoy it. Please come. I want to show my parents my new friend.”

“I'll see if my parents will let me come. They usually just answer me with a punch.”

“I will be late for school tomorrow, Billy, so if you don't see me in the morning don't worry. But if you don't see me in the afternoon then worry.”

Chapter 1

It was a cold Sunday morning as was to be expected for a mid December day. It was one week before Christmas but no one was thinking about Christmas or presents, for today Sage Cobblesworth was coming home from the infirmary. He had been recovering from an illness for a little over two years.

A bed was set up in the living room so Sage would not have to climb the stairs to his bedroom. His strength was only slowly coming back. He did not need the “iron lung” anymore so he was allowed to come home, but he was still very weak. Duffy Cobblesworth, Sages son, was very weak also from the two month coma he was in, but he was so light his mother Sally could easily carry him upstairs.

“Why did it take Sage two years to start to recover when it only took me two months, Mom?”

“So when did you start calling your father by his first name, young man? And why are you talking so fast?”

“I didn't know I was talking fast. I just thought you were talking slow. In my first life I called him Sage. What should I call him?”

“You always used to call him Dad . You should call him Dad. And I'm talking just like I always did. It is you who are talking fast.”

“Sor …ry … Ma … om.”

“The doctor said the disease hits older people harder than younger kids. That's why it took your father longer to recover. He will be in bed most of the time for the next two months. Then he will be able to go outside for a couple hours every day. You can sit on the porch with him then.”

“Will Sage ever be as strong as he was before?”

“I think so. It may take a couple years, but he will have to exercise a lot to get back in shape. You will be exercising right along with him. You never had much strength, so pretty soon you will be stronger than you ever were. Your father was never a real strong man even when he was healthy. Our family is all thin men … tall, thin, smart and good looking, but not real strong.”

“In my first life I was the strongest man in the country and Sage was the second strongest man.”

“It is not important how strong you are, Duffy. It is only important that you are a good man and become as smart as you possibly can so you can help people. You have to know what troubles people are going through and be sensitive to their feelings to be smart. You can know everything in the world but if you say something to hurt someone's feelings you might as well be the dumbest person in the world, because that is the dumbest thing you can do.”

“Most of the kids in school don't like me.”

“I think you are in a classical spiral down situation, Duffy. Here is what a spiral looks like”, as Sally makes circles in the air with her finger while lowering her finger. “If you think the others don't like you then you won't talk to them, but if you don't talk to them they will not know you and won't be able to like you. See how not talking to them makes them not know you and then not knowing what to say to you makes you think they don't like you. Just talk to them and start the spiral up .”

“I know Billy Marshall doesn't like me. He's the one who knocked me down.”

“Does Billy have a lot of friends in school?”

“None. The other kids are afraid of him too.”

“Maybe it's best to just stay out of his way, Duffy. Some kids are just bullies. They say it is because of how they are brought up. His parents probably hit him or hit each other. I hope you never bully anyone.”

“I couldn't even beat up any of the girls in school. Hey! Look! Look! Grampa Andrew is here with Sage! ”

“Stay here, Duffy, while I help Grampa with you father.”

Duffy looks out the window as his father is helped out of the car. His heart dropped when he saw his father so weak and so thin. He walks to the back door to greet his father as soon as he comes in. It seemed to take a long time before he was at the door. When he was at the door Duffy could see that his grandfather and mother were almost carrying him. Duffy felt so bad.

When the door opened Sage looked up the three steps and saw Duffy waiting there. With his head tipped from lack of strength to raise it he smiles and says in a weak whisper, needing another breath after every couple words, “Hi Big Guy. I haven't … seen you … for so long … I forgot … how big … you would be now.”

When Sage reaches the floor level Duffy hugs his leg with tears in his eyes and says, “We will be strong again, Sage. Ansrew will help us both get strong again.”

Sage rolls his eyes up to look at Sally and says, “Sage? Why is he talking so fast?”

“He's been talking fast since he came out of the coma. I will ask the doctor if it is something we should be worried about.”

Andrew says, “Let go of his leg and get out of the way, Duffy, so we can sit him down in his big chair.”

Duffy looks up and says, “This isn't what I expected when you sent me back to being five, Ansrew.” When Duffy steps aside he sees his father was being carried. His legs were dragging behind him. When he was seated in the big chair he said, “Let Duffy sit on the foot stool so we can talk for a while. I just want to look at my mighty son.”

Andrew says, “I'm going home to grandma now, Duffy. I'll see you tomorrow.”

Sally says, “I'll be in the kitchen putting the groceries away. Then we will have lunch.”

Duffy sits on the stool and says, “We were the strongest men in the country and now we are the weakest, Sage.”

“So how come you don't call me Dad anymore, Duffy?”

“I've called you Sage for over a thousand years. Ansrew and I came back because he had our longevity glands reversed. But I thought I would become five in my own time. I am five now like I was starting all over again.”

“To be given the gift of being able to start all over again is a wonderful thing, Duffy. Most people only get to live their life over through their children.”

“I have over a billion children, Sage.

“Maybe you should tell me about your former life, Duffy” and Duffy starts where he first met his Father next door.

Two hours later Duffy is describing how he died of old age and sees his father had fallen asleep. Duffy just looked at his father. He looked much older than he remembered. Much thinner too. “Something just isn't right”, he thought.

Sage slept through lunch. Duffy had half of a peanut butter and grape jelly sandwich with four one-eighth glasses of milk in a paper cup, poured that way so he could lift them with less chance of spilling them. He said nothing at the table until his mother mussed up his hair and said, “A penny for your thoughts.”

“I have to think how I will live my second life, Mom. I thought I would live in Bruka with all my children and all my knowledge and with you and Sage who were only a little over nine hundred years old. Ansrew didn't explain everything like he should have. Sage and I were the strongest people in the country. Now we are the weakest.”

“Who is Ansrew?”

“Grampa Andrew. He was the greatest leader of the Bruka people until I became a greater leader. He led the Brukins five thousand years ago. He built everything on Bruka. Now he is back here just taking care of the two weakest people on Earth.”

“Are you saying Grampa Andrew lived for five thousand years?”

“Yes. He was allowed to have his longevity gland turned back because he was a great leader just like me. I was allowed to have my longevity gland turned back to being five again, but I thought I would be five with my people the Brukins. I might never see my children again.”

“How many children do you have, Duffy?” asked Sally, hiding a smile

“One billion three hundred and forty two. I used to know all their names but now I can only remember a few. I used to know all the knowledge the Brukins acquired, but now I cannot remember any of it. Something is wrong, Mom. Ansrew didn't tell me it would be like this. I remember when I was dying of old age I wished I had tried harder to be a good person, but if I can't remember what I did then how can I know if I am doing better?”

Sally put her hand on Duffy's and said, “If you are the nicest person you can be and try the hardest you can at everything, then you have done your best. Knowing you have done your best will make you happy the next time you die of old age. I will talk to Ansrew and Sage to see if they have any answers for you.”

“Thanks, Mom. I'm going to take a nap on the couch next to Sage. Call me when he wakes up.”

The next day Andrew, Sage and Sally are sitting in the living room before Duffy gets up. They let each other know what Duffy told them. Sally says, “The doctor said Duffy's mind had been running so fast when he was in the coma that it is probably still running fast. He thinks that is why he is talking so fast … because his mind is still running fast.”

“It was a wonderful story he told me”, says Sage. “I hate to take that away from him.”

“Do you want your son to live a fantasy?” asks Andrew.

“I want him to be happy and have good goals in life. I think we should play along with his dream for a while.”

Andrew holds his chin and says, “He is your son to raise how you want. I will talk to Duffy as Ansrew to explain what I can. I hope I understand my part right.”

“Sally and I will just tell him his second life must be that he is to relive his first life in a different way.

When Duffy awakes he finds the whole family is joining him at breakfast. Everyone was having corn flakes.

“I didn't know you would like corn flakes, Ansrew”, said Duffy.

“We didn't have corn flakes five thousand years ago, but I had them here when I was a kid like you, Duffy. I came here when I was five just like you. Of course I'm older than five now because I had your father as a son who then had you. We age faster in this life and our recovery gland and longevity gland have been turned off, so we will get sick sometimes. We don't have the ability to let a young man learn the knowledge by looking into an elder's mind, so we have to learn as the natives here do. We can't dally about learning how to be good smart people here. Your second life will be harder, but you didn't think it would be easier, did you? I think you can be a better leader than I am here too if you try harder. You said when you were dying you wished you had tried harder. This second life is your chance.”

Sally smiles and whispers, “You should have said you wished you were rich, Duffy.”

“That explains a lot, Ansrew. I thought you were going to be five also, but you just came here as five a long time ago. When I died of old age I wished I tried harder. That was the only thing I regretted. This is my chance to do that. I am going to show Sage how to exercise just like he taught me when I was a kid the first time.” says Duffy who then looks at his father and adds, “You gave me strength the first time, Sage, and now I'm going to give you strength the same way.”

Duffy looks down at his bowl and after three tries gets just the amount of corn flakes on his spoon. He did not see Sage looking at him smiling, or Andrew's eyes glance at the ceiling or Sally looking at Andrew giving him a thumbs up . Duffy only saw his corn flakes. And he saw a wonderful second life ahead of him that he knew he didn't have as much time to live.

top