Mancunian

Thank you @bummagnet for the wonderful comment and your interest in the series. I have posted a suggested reading order in the forum discussion group. It is on page two near the bottom of the page. If you follow the link below it will take you to the forum discussion. Manny makes his first appearance in The Boot Three Years On. Ian and Kevin make their first appearance in The Boot. I hope you enjoy the stories, I look forward to any comments you wish to post.

Although it wasn't as Manny planned it I think Manny would be happy that Joseph has finally met Ian and Kevin. Is it possible that Manny knew Joseph needed Ian and Kevin in his life? And that Ian and Kevin would be richer for having Joseph in their lives?

I had to do a clear-out on my computer as the files were mounting up and it was starting to become confusing. lol

I'm happy that you felt the emotion of their initial meeting, this is a crucial time in Joseph's life. They have a common bond which is the love they had for Manny and the love that Manny had for them. Hopefully, this first meeting and the common bond will help to bring them together. Joseph feels a kinship with those who knew and loved his Avi Emmanuel.

Joseph's story is unique in many respects, because of the tensions in the region and the potentially volatile nature of those tensions, time may not be on Ian and Kevin's side. Hopefully, Joseph's situation can be resolved in a timely fashion. Given what is currently happening in the region at this time it does make the story more poignant. For good reason, I will not comment or give any personal opinions on my thoughts on current events. Suffice it to say, that in the past, there have been, and there still are, instances of people from all faiths and beliefs living in the region in peace and harmony. Everyone would be far better off and happier if the focus was placed on that and it was promoted.

Chapter 5 of Goldstein Johnson & Cole (2024 re-write) is now live. Story recommendations, reactions and comments would be appreciated.

The flight from Manchester to Munich departed and landed on time. The two-hour stopover in Munich had been extended to three hours due to delays in loading luggage. Then, the flight was queued over Tel Aviv for thirty minutes before landing. Both flights were comfortable, with attentive cabin crews giving good service and serving better quality food than they had experienced before. Security at Ben Gurion was strict but efficient. Kevin and Ian went swiftly through security and collected their l

Hiya B, hows you today

There is no need to apologise for a lengthy comment, all comments are welcome. The Grenadiers Arms has featured in two other Boot World stories, Marty is the landlord and runs it with his son Martin. It is a fitting name for an inn run by an ex-serviceman and appealed as an appropriate place for friends to meet. It is just a normal friendly British country inn, honest. Your comments regarding Israeli law and Shari'a law that the Palestinians recognise. This is where the problems will come from, especially if you take in the correct context the comments of the solicitor in Manchester. Joseph's 'paperwork' may be insufficient. The comments are below for ease of reference. “I will try to answer all of your questions. Things would not be good for him because he is not an Israeli national. He is a Palestinian, a refugee of the conflict, but he has no paperwork to prove it. Without the paperwork, he would just be considered a transient refugee. From speaking to the Israeli solicitor, I think, although I can not be sure, Manny wanted to bring him to the UK. Manny finally did obtain 'legitimate’ paperwork. I do use the word legitimate advisedly. The boy was named Joseph Emmanuel Goldstein and is now twelve years old. Please try to be calm and rational and take time to think about things.” Mark looked at them with a tear and hope in his eyes. Joseph’s future depended on what these two men did next. The underlined comments could be of particular concern so I hope the lawyers can find something to work on. 🤞

I'm not sure what you mean about The Major's friends although in The Boot he did tell Christian (when he was in the guise as John) that he was in Military intelligence. But what possible contacts could he have now?

The Major does have friends, but are they that well-placed? What would they do?

I'm good thanks. I had a brief meeting with a client earlier to finalise the contract. He's happy, his staff are trained and he has a good pawnbroking manager in place, a friend of mine who knows his stuff and the best part is my bank balance looks a lot better.

Hey Gary, how are feeling today Bud?

I'm praying that your faith in Ian and Kevin is well-placed, I know they will do their best and I'm hoping it's enough. 🤞 🙏

Ian and Kevin have learned and gained a lot from their relationships with two good men, The Major and Manny. They could only do one thing and that is the right thing. As for the embezzlers, well let's pray for Karma.

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I have my fingers crossed that it all works out, somehow. 🤞

Ian and Kevin are making the journey to meet Joseph and hopefully get the ball rolling. But given Joseph's status and the political climate in Israel, can they do this?

Thank you for your encouraging comments @drsawzall, they are appreciated. The stories in The Boot World are about aspects of life that I feel passionate about and I try to raise awareness by writing them. @raven1 is a great editor who encourages me and helps to bring out the best in the stories. This is a story that puts humanity above everything else, as long as someone is a decent person nothing else should matter.

That's not too bad, similar temperatures to here, and is bearable but you have the snow so it may not feel as mild as it does here.

I love working with @raven1, his hard work and dedication are an immense help which I appreciate. I hope you enjoy this collaboration.

Aloha my friend, I'm hoping it starts to warm up in your part of the world.

The adoption process is long, tedious and time-consuming, an overseas adoption is even more so. But if someone wants it enough, they will go with it and see it through. Ian and Kevin are naturally nervous and apprehensive, which is understandable especially when it involves an older child who can think for themselves. They have been given good advice from Pop and they have a lot of support. They are not rich, but they are financially comfortable, hopefully, they will succeed as they have a lot in their favour, but there are no guarantees and Joseph's future depends on many things. Keep your fingers crossed, I am. 🤞

I am sure that Manny would be the first to admit that he was not perfect, he was probably as flawed as we all are and yet we know little of Manny's past. What we do know is that he had a big heart, we first saw this when he mentored Ian and built a strong relationship with Ian and Kevin. Now we see it in his intention to take care of Joseph, unfortunately, his plans did not work out. But Manny has left a legacy that lives on in the relationships he built in the past, Ian and Kevin are part of that legacy and have a strong desire to honour Manny by fulfilling his wishes. Nothing would be better than Ian and Kevin succeeding, but what obstacles will they have? And will they be able to overcome them? They have good friends, many of whom are as good as family, but will their support be enough?

Thank you @Anton_Cloche for the encouraging comments. I hope you will continue to enjoy the rewrite. Some chapters needed more work than others, which is something I'm sure you will see as you read on.