The Gifter
PROLOGUE
"Mama, it's Christmass Eve!" little Jerry reminded her.
"Shut up boy! Christmas is for sissies! This family doesn't celebrate Christmas!" his mother screamed at him.
"But, Mama!" little Jerry cried.
"Oh, just shut up and go to your room, now! I can't deal with your whining!" Jerry's mother yelled.
Devastated, Jerry ran to his crying. Christmas was his favorite holiday and every year since Jerry could remember was the same. No presents under the tree. In fact, there was never even a tree. Jerry hated going back to school after Christmas break, hearing his friends talk about all the great Christmas presents. . .new toys. . .new clothes. . . they received for Christmas, gushing what great families they all had. And all Jerry could do was listen to it and get sad. . .really sad; to the point his mother put him in a mental institution years later. When Jerry was about 25, the institution decided that Jerry was well enough to go out on his own into the real world.
CHAPTER 1
Sarah snuggles up to Jerry for a kiss, as they are taking a walk along the pathway of the lake. Jerry leans Sarah up against a tree for a little romance, when Sarah screams.
"What's wrong?" Jerry asks.
"There's a man peeping at us!" Sarah cries.
Jerry looks in the direction Sarah is pointing her finger. He starts to walk over only to have Sarah pull him back, "No, hun. He may be dangerous!"
"Ah, he's not dangerous. He's just cold and hungry."
Jerry continues on over to the cold, lonely man sitting next to the dilapidated building. Jerry is sad by the state of how this man is living. He thinks to himself, "No one should have to live this way," as Jerry extends his hand to the cold, hungry man.
The old man, shivering from the cold, accepts Jerry's hand, and follows Jerry and Sarah to the shelter for food, clothing, and a warm bed to sleep.
As they leave the gentleman in good hands with the shelter, Jerry wonders how he can help folks like this gentlman. He decides that he must find a way to help the homeless and those in domestic violence situations. That's when he comes up with a plan.
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At St. Joseph's shelter, the old man who just came in is woken up by a volunteer.
"Sir, there is a package here for you."
"How do you know it is for me?" the old man asks.
"Well, it says, 'to the gentleman who just arrived.' That's you."
"Thank you." the gentleman tells the volunteer.
After the volunteer leaves the man, he opens the package to find $100, a new suit, toothbrush and toothpaste, comb and brush, and other necessary supplies needed to help the man get back on his feet. The man looks up at the ceiling and silently thanks God. That's when he notices the note in the package: "Use these to help get back on your feet. Lovingly, The Gifter." After reading the note, the man vows to do whatever he can to get back on his feet, and goes to find the volunteer for a newspaper to look for a job.
Chapter 2
The man did as the note suggested and used the money to clean himself up and go looking for a job. It turned out, the gentleman was a financial wizard and landed a job at a top-notch accounting firm. Within two months, the man had had enough money to get his new apartment and buy some furniture. His supervisor, who was pleased with his performance, gave the man a geneorous bonus to help. The man decided to visit the homeless shelter he had stayed in and asked if he could help volunteering once a week. The volunteer, who remembered him, said that he could come in every Satuday and help. The man had wanted to help with those less fortunate like the man who left the note had helped him.
Jerry was pleased he could help the man and saw that his generosity help when he saw him on the street in a three-piece suit carrying a briefcase. He didn't let on that he saw him or let him see him, however. Jerry didn't want others to know who he was. He wanted his services to be anonymous. Jerry would soon be on another quest to find the next person who needed his services. He didn't have far to look.
Jerry saw a pregnant young mother being beating by a man that appeared to be her boyfriend, probably the babydaddy, at a run-down slum of a apartment where the young woman obviously lived. He knew what he had to do.
Jerry called the police and reported a domestic disturbance at the address he saw the man abusing the pregnant woman. Cops were at the apartment within minutes. The two officers had the man in handcuffs and put him in the squad car. Then they put the young mother in the other car and drove her to the hospital to be checked out before taking her to the shelter.
Later, that night, Jerry would be leaving a care package for the woman the police had left at the shelter.
Chapter 3
The next morning, the pregnant woman woke to find a box next to her cot with a note lying on top.
“So sorry for your trouble. Here is a box of things you will need to start your new life. Make the most of it and get a clean start on your new life for you and your unborn child. May God give you the life you want. With love, TheGifter.”
The pregnant woman, named Jackie, was close to tears and choked up that some anonymous person would help her. She opened the box to find a check for $500 and another note clipped to saying to use to help find a place for her and her unborn baby. There was also a new outfit to go job hunting so she could look for work.
Jackie got dressed and ate breakfast that the volunteers prepared for everyone here. She felt bad at first at needing to be here, but it soon wore off when she realized that they were here to help.
As soon as she had something to eat, she asked to see a counselor to discuss what she could do next. Jackie was on her way to having a new life, a new job, and hopefully, a new home for her and her unborn baby.
The shelter helped Jackie get a doctor's appointment to keep her and the baby healthy, and gave her information on her best job opportunities and led to an organization that helps people like her find permanent housing.
Jackie wished she knew who left the care package. She wanted to thank the person responsible for starting her out on a new chapter in her life.
But The Gifter wanted anonymity. He didn't want anyone to know who he was or how he managed to help all the people he was helping.
But that was all about to change when Jerry saw his next victim he would be helping. Jerry’s identity was about to be exposed.
Chapter 4
Jerry made the mistake of helping Senator Robert Truman when he lost his senate seat due to scandal Word got out that Sen. Truman was having an affair with the famous Hollywood actress, Shaely Harrison, most notably known for her recent movie, The Supernatural Project, that co-starred, Jimmy Henderson.
Sen. Truman was seen on numerous occasions having dinner with Ms. Harrison. But the last photo op was of the two of them kissing in Cabo San Lucas when Sen. Truman was supposedly in senate meetings. Sen. Truman had managed to skip the senate meetings and make his way to Cabo to spend some time with Ms. Harrison. After the scandalous affair was exposed, Sen. Truman's devoted wife, Daisy, who was devastated by the affair, threw him out of their mansion and filed for divorced. Daisy got a sizable chunk of Sen. Truman's estate, which left him virtually penniless and homeless. With nowhere to turn, Sen. Truman was on the streets, panhandling for food. He couldn't believe one affair could do this to him.
When Jerry came upon Sen. Truman panhandling, he immediately felt compassion for him and walked with him to the shelter. When Jerry and Robert Truman arrived at the shelter, a volunteer worker immediately recognized Jerry.
“Hey, Jerry, how's it hanging! So you're The Gifter that everyone is talking about?”
“What? No way, I have no idea what you are talking about?”Jerry told the volunteer.
“Sure you do. It's all been aired on YouTube. Everyone you've helped. It's all on YouTube.” the volunteer informed him.
“What do you mean, it's all on YouTube?” Jerry asked.
“Here. Here's the link. Go see for yourself.” the volunteer told him, scribbling the link on paper for Jerry.
Jerry took the piece of paper from the volunteer, who took Robert Truman in and helped him to a warm bed and meal. Jerry couldn't believe all his hard work was blown. His identity as The Gifter had been exposed. How could he do good for others now that his identity had been blown? Who could have exposed his secret? Jerry intended to find out just who blew his anonymous identity and posted it up on YouTube.
Chapter 5
When Jerry arrived home, Sarah left a letter for Jerry laying on the dining room table along with a note explaining that she was out shopping. After Jerry read Sarah's note, he picked up the letter and opened it. He was shocked when he saw it was from his ex-fiancee, Cathie Strickly. He thought he would never have to hear from Cathie after she was convicted of second-degree attempted murder for trying to kill him. The judge handed Cathie a life sentence of 25 to life with possibility for parole. He was sure she would never get parole. It was shocking that Cathie was getting parole after just ten years in prison. Her letter had mentioned that she was getting time off for being a model prisoner.
Jerry tossed the letter in the trash. “How could she get out so quick?” Jerry thought to himself.
Cathie Strickly is decorating her new apartment after getting out of prison. She knew that all she had to do was be the model prisoner. She went so far as to work whenever she could, be it, in the kitchen, laundry, she even got to work in the infirmary a few times. She knew it would be worth it if she could get early parole. And sure enough, it paid off. She managed to convince those stupid fools on the parole board that she was a changed person. Damn, she was good! She knew she had it in her to be convincing.
Now she was decorating her secret room in her new apartment: photos and clippings of Jerry, past and present. In fact, one wall was devoted to his work as The Gifter that she managed to get via her trusted henchman, Rusty, who was such a dear to her. Rusty would do anything for Cathie, so it was no problem when she asked him to find Jerry and paid him for his work getting proof that Jerry was The Gifter.
Now, all Cathie had to do was put her next plan in motion. Kill Jerry's wife, Sarah, so she could resume her life as Jerry's rightful wife. And she would stop at nothing to get what she wanted!
Chapter 6
Sarah was cooking a special dinner for Jerry when he came home from work. Even Sarah had no clue that Jerry was The Gifter. Sarah's special dinner was almost done when she heard footsteps coming up the back stairs. She went to look who it was, but was knocked unconscious by the intruder.
The intruder drug Sarah into the bedroom and laid her on the bed, bound and gagged. Then the intruder waited at Sarah's beautifully arranged table for Jerry to arrive home.
Jerry tried to help a young teen boy who was shivering from the cold winter, but the boy recognized him from his photo on the news and assumed that Jerry was working him, so he ran off.
Jerry cursed the person who blew his cover and and vowed to find out who did it. But for now, the only thing Jerry could do was go home to his wife. So he got into his car and went home.
When Jerry pulled into his drive, he sensed something wasn't right, so he walked cautiously in the front door. As he called out Sarah's name, the house was strangely quiet.
“That's weird?” Jerry muttered to himself. “Sarah never leaves home by herself this time of night?”
He continued to walk into the kitchen to find that Cathie was sitting at Sarah's beautifully arranged table. It was obvious that Sarah had meant to surprise him with dinner, but Cathie was here instead.
“What the hell are you doing here?” Jerry asked, shocked to find Cathie in his home.
“Well, thanks for the greeting, Jerry love!” Cathie greeted him. “Is that any way to greet your wife?”
“You are not my wife!” Jerry spit at her. “Where's Sarah?!”
“She's in the bedroom!” Cathie told him. “You can see her later. You and I have some unfinished business!”
“I have nothing to say to you!” Jerry said to her.
Jerry began running towards his and Sarah's bedroom, but Cathie knocked him out cold before he could get to her.
“Sorry, Jerry dear, I had to do that!” Cathie said.
Leaving Jerry in the living room, Cathie headed for the bedroom with a knife. She opened the door to find that Sarah had managed to break free of the ropes and gag and escaped out the window. She was nowhere to be seen.
Fuming, Cathie headed to the bedroom to find Jerry was missing too. She looked out the window to see Jerry and Sarah pulling away in their car.
Chapter 7
“Jerry, who was that woman?” Sarah asked him.
“My ex-wife!” Jerry explains. “I thought she was in prison.”
“How did she get out?”
“I don't know?” Jerry added. “I was supposed to be informed if she got out. No one did.”
They had managed to allude Cathie for the moment, so they pulled into a motel to sleep for the night.
After they checked in under assumed names, Jerry escorted Sarah to their room and locked the door when they were inside.
He called Cathie's probation officer.
“Hello, Jerry? What can I do for you?” Gerald Harrison asked, answering his cell.
“Why didn't I get a call informing me Cathie was out?” Jerry demanded.
“We tried to call you, Jerry. We even left you a voicemail.” Gerald said in defense.
“Voicemail? I never received any voicemail?” Jerry asked, confused.
“Well, when we called, it went to your voicemail?” Gerald explained. “Are you sure you didn't delete it?”
“Why would I delete it?”
“Well, thank you, Jerry for the call. The authorities are looking for her now.”
As Jerry hung up, he received another anonymous call.
“Hello?” Jerry answered.
“Jerry, my love.” Cathie said.
“Cathie, what do you want?” Jerry asked.
“I know where you are, so don't think you will try to escape me!” Cathie warned. “And I know you just spoke to my probation officer!”
“How do you know that?” Jerry asked.
Then it dawned on Jerry how he never received voicemail. Cathie intercepted the voicemail so he would never receive it. He totally forgot Cathie was a wiz at technology. Nothing escaped Cathie.
Memories came flooding back as Jerry suddenly remembered just how dangerous and calculating Cathie was.
Chapter 8
After an intense love making session with Sarah, Jerry held her in his arms.
“Sarah, I have a confession to make.” Jerry said to Sarah.
“About your ex-wife?” Sarah asked him.
“Among other things.” Jerry began. “For the past few months, I've been helping those in need anonymously.”
“What do you mean, helping others anonymously?”
“I've been leaving small gifts for those who've lost everything: the homeless, the jobless, etc.”
“You mean, you're The Gifter?” Sarah asked.
“So you've been keeping up with the news?”
“Yes, Jerry. I had no idea you were him?” Sarah asked, relieved. “Why did you keep it a secret from me?”
“Because of Cathie. She must have found out when she escaped prison.”
“What does your ex-wife have to do with this?”
“She wants my inheritance that I've been using to help these people. She's pissed off that I've been squandering the funds on 'meaningless people.' “
“Why is it any of her business?”
“Because I hid the inheritance from her when we married.” Jerry admitted. “When she found out about my inheritance, she nearly tried to murder me.”
“She tried to kill you?”
“Yes, when we first married, I thought that she was a genuine woman. But a month after we were married, she turned into a completely different person.”
“Did you have the inheritance when you married her?”
“No, I received it about two week after we married when my grandfather Ray passed away two days after I had married Cathie.”
“So why is she so mad?” Sarah asked.
“Because there was a stipulation in my grandfather's will that I was not to give anything to Cathie. My family were suspicious of Cathie when I married her. They all warned me that she was up to something, but I refused to listen.”
“So, what made you come to your senses?”
“When she found out about the inheritance and tried to kill me.”
“And now she's out because . . .”
“She wants what she believes is rightfully hers. . .part of my inheritance.” Jerry admitted. “And she's angry that I wasted most of it on helping the homeless.”
“I'm sorry, Jerry, you're going through this.” Sarah told him, snuggling closer to him.
“That's okay, my dear.”
Chapter 9
As much as Sarah hated kissing Cathie, she didn't resist due to threat that Cathie told her prior to watching her tie up Jerry. She hated to pretend that she was “using” Jerry. She loved him so much, but what could she do now? Cathie knew her secret, a secret Sarah had never even told Jerry. If Sarah didn't go through with Cathie's demand that she and Cathie had been lovers, she would expose her secret to Jerry. And Sarah had worked to hard to ever let her secret come out.
“Well, well, well. Look who just woke up!” Cathie said, as she realized that Jerry was watching them.
“Sarah, how can you do this to us?” a shocked Jerry asks.
“I'm so sorry, Jerry.” Sarah said, trying to hide the tears that were forming in her eyes.
“Your wife and I have been intimate for a couple months now, dear Jerry.” Cathie lied.
“Why Sarah? I don't understand?”
“I fell out of love with you when you neglected me with your 'work.'” Sarah said, noticing Cathie glaring at her.
“Well, Jerry, I hope you like the current arrangement. But Sarah and I need to have a private chat.” Cathie told Jerry as she grabbed Sarah by a handful of hair and led her out of the room.
Jerry struggled to free himself while Cathie was gone with Sarah.
“What the hell do you think you are doing, showing those tears to Jerry?!” Cathie yelled, striking Sarah across the face.
“I'm sorry! I'm not a good liar.”
“Well, you had better make your precious Jerry believe we are lovers, if you don't want your secret out!” Cathie demanded.
“How did you find out about it?” Sarah asked. “Nobody knew about my past.”
“Let's just say, I did extensive research on both you and Jerry while I was in prison.” was all Cathie told her. “That's all you need to know.”
“I can't afford to have that part of my life come out.” Sarah pleaded.
“Well, do as I say and Jerry will never know.” Cathie told her.
“I will do whatever you say.” Sarah said meekly. “Even if I lose Jerry. I'd rather lose Jerry for being 'gay' than to lose him over my secret.”
Sarah do whatever it took to keep Jerry from knowing about her past. She would rather Jerry think she was gay than for him to find out about her past. Jerry would never forgive her for what happened back then. It was easier for him to believe she was gay. It was just easier!
Chapter 10
“Daddy, please don't!” a 7-year-old Sarah pleaded with her father. “That hurts!”
Sarah woke up to realize that she was dreaming what her father made her do with her 16-year-old, half-brother, Kelvin. The memories it brought back haunted her to this day, thanks to Jerry's ex-wife, Cathie. Just when she thought she had gotten past it all, it all came flooding back.
Being molested by her brother, and her own father, Sarah couldn't let Jerry know the real truth: pregnant at just 12 years of age and never knowing if Kelvin or her father was the father, as Sarah's father would take his turn after he goaded Kelvin into having sex with her.
Sarah was so traumatized by what happened, she gave the baby up for adoption when Sarah ran away from home just weeks after discovering she was pregnant. To this day, she has no recollection where or who adopted the baby. She doesn't even know whether it was a boy or girl.
Then Sarah turned to a life of drugs and prostitution, not knowing where to go after having had a baby. No one would understand a 12-year-old girl pregnant at the hands of her father or brother.
It was a complete accident that Sarah had met Jerry while she was eating alone in a diner after being ridiculed by her pimp for not going to a trick he had assigned her to. After three years of doing drugs and doing tricks to support herself, Sarah was tired of it. She wanted out. Jerry was her salvation when she met him in that diner.
And after successfully keeping her past from Jerry for ten years, no psychotic ex-wife of Jerry's was going to take it all away from her. So if Sarah had to lie to Jerry and lead him to believe she was cheating on him and making him believe she was in a gay lifestyle, that was what Sarah would do, even if she lost Jerry in the process. The real truth was just to unbearable and Sarah would die before revealing any of it to Jerry.
Chapter 11
“Hello, Cathie.” Cathie's mother, Roberta said when she saw Cathie's number show up on her cell.
“Hello, mother. How is Stephen doing?”
“He's doing okay. He's coloring in his book.”
“That's good. I've been detained longer than I expected and won't be home for another week.” Cathie told her mother.
“So does Jerry know about his wife's son?”
“No, he doesn't. His perfect Sarah never even told him, the lying bitch!”
“So Jerry doesn't even have a clue about his wife's past?!”
“No, he doesn't. For now, I've got her pretending to be my lover to keep her secret, but little does Sarah know, that I have her son.”
“When do you plan on revealing the secret?”
“When Sarah least expects it. Sarah won't know what hit her.” Cathie tells her mother. “Then, Jerry will be all mine again. Jerry will be begging to take me back when he discovers just who his precious Sarah really is and what she's done.”
“Well, I hope you're right, Cathie? I don't want this blowing up in your face.”
“Don't worry mother, all is going according to my plan.” Cathie says, reassuringly, as she hangs up.
Cathie gets a sly smile on her face. Sarah really is a stupid woman. Does she really think she will keep her promise and not reveal her secret? Pretending to be Sarah's lover was just biding Cathie time until she reveals Sarah's 14-year-old son, Stephen, to her and Jerry.
Cathie pretended to be a long-lost girlfriend of Sarah's in order to adopt Sarah's son. It was all part of Cathie's plan to get Jerry back. And what better way than to expose the one secret that Sarah was keeping from Jerry. Cathie was so sure that Jerry would never forgive Sarah once her secret was out.
Chapter 12
Jerry couldn't believe that Sarah was gay. Something didn't add up. Jerry remembered the rude woman who called Sarah a lesbian and Sarah nearly let the woman have it. So Jerry knew that Sarah was hiding something big from him and that Cathie was holding something over her to let him believe she was gay. But what could be so bad that Sarah would want Jerry to think she was gay?
Jerry went online to do a search for Sarah's past. After ten years of marriage, Jerry suddenly realized, he didn't know much of Sarah's past and she was always vague whenever he brought it up and clammed up almost instantly. When he typed in Sarah's maiden name, he hit pay dirt. He saw an article where Sarah was arrested for prostitution and drugs at just age 13. This made Jerry dig even more for Sarah's past, as he wondered what would lead his wife into the world of prostitution and drugs.
And then he found it. The article about her father's trial describing in detail how he forced Sarah's brother into having sex with Sarah when she was just 7-years-old, and having sex with her himself. Then he saw in the article that Sarah ended up pregnant at 12 years of age and didn't know if her father or brother was the father. The article also said that Sarah's father went to prison for 20 years, but was paroled after just 5 years for good behavior. Then it revealed that Sarah's brother never went to trial as he killed himself in jail before he could go to trial, suffering from depression and severe mental cruelty at the hands of his and Sarah's father.
Then, the article went on to describe how Sarah had given the baby up for adoption before even knowing the sex of the baby or knowing who the father was.
So now that Jerry knew the truth about his wife's past, he had to figure out a way to turn the table's on Cathie and bring Sarah home. Cathie would be sorry for everything she was doing to his wife. Jerry would make sure Cathie went back to prison where she belonged.
Chapter 13
Cathie didn’t know that Jerry was on to her schemes when she drove into his driveway to leave a surprise for him. She was hoping he would forget all about Sarah and come back to her, she got a shock when she used the key to get into Jerry and Sarah’s home.
Jerry was sitting in a chair in the living room when Cathie let herself in with the key under Jerry’s door step.
“Hello, Cathie!” Jerry greeted his ex-wife.
“Jerry?” Cathie said, startled that he’d even be home. She had calculated Jerry’s lifestyle and was sure he’d be gone so she could enter without being seen.
“Surprised to see me?” Jerry said.
“No.” she lied.
“What did you want, Cathie?”
“Nothing.” Cathie said, trying to get out fast before Jerry could find out what she was up to.
“You break into mine and my wife’s home…for nothing?” Jerry said, not buying her bull.
“Sarah isn’t good enough for you, Jerry.”
“Let me be the judge of that!” Jerry said ired.
“You know what we had? Don’t you?”
“Lies? Manipulations? You call that love?”
“Jerry, you know I loved you. I had your son.”
“A son that found out wasn’t mine because you slept with my brother!”
“It wasn’t supposed to be like that?” Cathie pleaded.
“Stop with the lies!” Jerry told her. “I’m on to you!”
“What lies?”
“The lie that Sarah was gay! You forced her to confess it!”
“I did not!” Cathie defended herself.
“I read the story online! You didn’t think Sarah would blog about this?”
“She did?” Cathie said, sounding shocked.
And just as Jerry had the goods on his ex-wife, Sarah came in from the kitchen after getting home from grocery shopping and got caught in the scuffle.
“Sarah, watch out!” Jerry yelled at his wife as he tried to shield her from Cathie.
Cathie grabbed Sarah and held her hostage as leverage to get what she wanted.
“Come any nearer and she dies!” Cathie said pointing a gun at Sarah’s forehead.
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