Parker Owens
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Everything posted by Parker Owens
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Rick’s departure for Chicago was hasty and without forethought. All he wanted was to get back to Gus, as quickly as possible. As to city driving, I imagine any city would have frustrated Rick, regardless of the side of the road driven on. He’s much more comfortable on back roads, navigating his way to fishing spots. Helene apparently harbors an attachment to Gus, one which Magda and Zoltan may have encouraged for their own reasons. Rick’s appearance will surely surprise them all. Thanks again for reading and for your comments! Willy will get no sympathy from the bankruptcy court either.
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I enjoyed this poem. Its dramatic and vivid images along with its firm and structure made me read and then re-read.
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Oh, my! Murphy has a lot to answer for! What a cascade of calamities!
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These words gave me a window on what you see. I’m sorry that you hurt. My hand and heart go out to you.
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I enjoyed this initial chapter. I’m intrigued.
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Cadet First Class • III
Parker Owens commented on Carlos Hazday's story chapter in Cadet First Class • III
I enjoyed this chapter! Ritch may just want to fly, but he soars in the political realm as easily as he’ll ever pilot a jet. It was wonderful to see Chipper again. I would have loved to hear his rendition of the national anthem.- 72 comments
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It was a long drive from Eagle Lake to Chicago; it was probably as eternal for Gus as for Rick; the Takács kids were probably at war in the back seat. Though Rick must have driven much faster than Zoltan, the atmosphere in the Takács car was probably just as tense. Thank you for your thoughts, and for reading!
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Rick made the white knuckle drive, and was very fortunate to find Gus. Zoltan will get a shock! He underestimated the wrath and ingenuity of his daughter. I’m glad you enjoyed this chapter, and thank you for your response to it.
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May I thank you from the bottom of my heart for this comment? You have made the time spent in research and distilling that into essential description all worthwhile. I only wish you could have gone to Symphony Center to hear Gus play. I hope you will enjoy what remains of the story. Many thanks for your comments, and for reading!
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I love the swallows, and delight in their return. Thank you for writing about them.
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I’ll let you judge by next week’s chapter if you’re ready to be done with Gus and Rick. Right now, Rick seems done with standing in the shadows and letting other people decide his fate.
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It’s great to know the suspense and tension that Rick felt on his several hundred mile dash to Chicago came through in this chapter. I’m only sorry that I may have run you out of Cheetos. Rick found Gus in the end. Now, as one reader put it, it’s time that Gus and Zoltan disentangle. But that may have to wait a bit. Thanks very much for your encouraging comments and for reading this chapter.
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I'm glad you liked the chapter's ending line. Rick may have no idea about what is to come, but he isn't afraid of it, either. Helene's character is not one I had time to develop, but in her one-dimensional way, she clearly thought she and Gus had something that never existed. Delusional? Possibly. Or maybe she knows that he's the one who is the real talent when they play together. You're quite right that Zoltan and Magda would very much like the pair to appear to be a "normal" couple, if only for appearance's sake. It placates certain audiences, apparently. Thanks for reading the story, and especially for your comments.
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You are very kind in your comments. You're right about Marta - she must have been thoroughly pissed off by her parents' confiscation of her phone and for the abrupt end to her connection with Jared. Rick has clearly broken with Heinrich, as you noted. He is making independent decisions without the old man, even if the business' days may be numbered. I'm glad you liked the one-sided conversation he had with his father. If the description of the drive to Chicago and the hunt for Gus put you there in Rick's shoes and in the van with him, then my hopes in writing this chapter were fulfilled. Thank you very much for your responses and for reading the story!
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I like the way you put it: now Gus must disentangle himself from Zoltan. Zoltan seems to have forgotten that Gus is an adult, and one who should be accorded respect and independence. Having Rick with him will let them both find their own way together. I'm glad that the frustrations and the discomforts of the long drive to Chicago came through in the writing. We can all the more easily put ourselves in Rick's shoes. Thank you very much for your comments, and for reading the story.
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You are very generous in your comments. You have hit upon a key facet of this chapter - it illustrates Rick racing away from what is secure and safe into something that is unknown, but which is clearly more his own and more what is meant to be than anything he has ever experienced. I hope you have recovered from your ordeal of driving in major cities - I have done so, too, though not entirely willingly. I felt a sense of accomplishment and victory when I found a place to park! I couldn't help but channel that when writing about Rick's frantic search for a parking place. The next week and the penultimate chapter will be here before you know it. Thank you for your patience in reading the story and for your comments.
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I'm glad you got a laugh from the final line. I hope you are uninjured. Things certainly look sunnier for Gus and Rick now that Rick has found his boyfriend again. Thank you for reading and for your thoughts!
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I'm glad you thought that a chapter which spent most of its time confined behind the wheel of a van could hold your interest. It took a very long time to get through writing it. Thank you for the film tip: I will be looking for this film as soon as I can. Many thanks also for continuing to read the story.
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Zoltan will certainly get a shock from seeing Rick in the doorway. It will test the older man's mettle to see how quickly he reacts. We'll see if he really needs a trip to the dry cleaners later. I'm glad the description of Rick's journey into urban traffic let you see, feel and hear what he experienced. That old van probably just made its most heroic emergency trip ever. However, I can attest that there were no stowaways on this particular journey. Many, many thanks for reading, and for your thoughts.
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Rick's journey began long before his dash to Chicago; it began when he he first encountered Gus, and when it began to dawn on him that there might be a chance - a real chance - for something better than living in the shadows of his father and his past. The old van will have to hang in there for a little while longer, at least. Rick has to find a way return to earning his bread. However, the traveling classical music groupie thing may sound attractive in the middle of a Wisconsin winter. Thanks very much for your thoughts and all your help.
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What an enchanting story! I could picture everything perfectly in my mind’s eye. And how lucky Liebe was to witness the baby turtles scurrying to the sea. That sight will stay with her forever.
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I enjoyed this latest installment. #15 was most powerful, and a stinging indictment of the unthinking, superficial judgement we engage in when we think we're all grown up; #18 appealed, particularly as I liked your characterization of adjectives; #19 was a perfect description of our erratic springtime - who ever said our seasons were predictable? #21 strikes an almost elegaic tone; you transported us to that time and place, and we could see and sense your experience in that time so many years ago. Thank you for these.
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Rick is learning that his doubts aren't necessarily a reflection of reality, but a connection to his fears. May he grow in his newfound confidence, born of his connection to Gus. I'm glad you thought the drive to Chicago was well done. It's hard to maintain focus when the drive is so long. Driving in an unfamiliar city with one-way streets which make no sense must have been intense. At least, I've felt that way when I've had to do it. Thanks very much for reading and for your comments.
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Gus and Helene performed very successfully as a pair. Gus has also done very well as a soloist. Neither Gus nor Zoltan alluded to the nature of the disagreement which resulted in Gus' fracture, however, I doubt Zoltan would have encouraged a reconciliation without Helene having undergone some kind of therapy or counseling. You're right that she should never have broken his wrist; it's interesting to note that conductors, opera singers, and band members have suffered injuries at the hands of other performers. Arturo Toscanini, the legendary conductor, was sued for injuring other musicians in rehearsal more than once.
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Your comments are very generous. Indeed, that poor, much-maligned van performed admirably. If ever there were a mechanical hero, that old hunk of metal would qualify. The other thing that makes me smile is how you noted Rick overcoming doubts which would have sent him into full retreat even a month previously. Gus has had an enormous effect on Rick; he's more than a mere infatuation. I sincerely hope you remain in good health to enjoy next week's chapter. Thanks a million for reading, and for your observations.
