26 - Life After Ruben

Welcome back. I know, it has been quite a while and I'm sorry I've been gone so long but thankfully I have been busy. I have reached a milestone in my life and wanted to share it with you – I have published my first novel. It's available mainly through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, iuniverse and Borders.

Time Is Of the ESSENCE.
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_12?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=aldo+paredes&sprefix=aldo+paredes

Synopsis: The World in 1931 was in turmoil; filled with political suspicion, greed, contempt and a destructive nature. What would happen if one being, an extra-terrestrial, had come to Earth to document human development, only to find out that one other being was responsible for all that was wrong in the world?

Aldric Cronique is not human but he is not superhuman and he has been on Earth for more than 2,000 years. His mission is to chronicle human development and stand as a champion on behalf of humanity, along with his chronicles of history, before the universal tribunal. At stake is the continual existence of the human race. Greed, murder and destructive inclinations will not be tolerated, especially when this influence might extend past the boundaries of our world and threaten the stability and peace of the universe. He hopes to prove that humanity has great qualities and although, often times not choosing the right path, some have the potential from within to be great; for the human race and the universe.

During his millennia of interaction with humans, he has found humans from many cultures, displaying to a greater extent than others, the characteristics of the sentient beings that seeded human life and has asked them for their assistance. These people he recognizes by their inner worth and strength of character, usually during a brief moment of physical contact; good stock he calls them. His closest companion and confidant, over the past 500 years, is Victoria a French 14th century woman, strong and intelligent.

Now they are in 1931 New York City reeling and recovering from the first Great War and the Great Depression. During the difficult process of transition, transferring his identity from one person to another, he is contacted by a deadly enemy. This Evil incarnate is not a mystical, mythical or fabled creature from our imaginations or horror stories; he is real and has been around longer than Aldric and has influenced world history and historical figures for his sole purpose; create anarchy and become ruler. So the race for time finds Aldric equipped only with his intellect, historical journals and his circle of friends trying to figure out clues and find a way to stop, humanities greatest adversary. In so doing, Aldric employs some of the most unlikely people of the time, Paul Castellano the mobster and Nikola Tesla.

Aldric’s adversary decides to unleash a vile earthquake machine, designed by Nikola Tesla, the electronics genius, upon the city of New York to ensure cooperation. As time ticks by, Aldric comes to the realization that his adversary has no conscience and a long reach, through very influential and powerful people. Not knowing who to trust, Aldric and his circle must take as many risks as is needed to stop the plan for initiating another Great War. In addition, advanced technology that is being introduced by the Devil, must be intercepted before it gets into the hands of Adolph Hitler.

Aldric’s search through his journals, with a new found focus, has led him to understand that his adversary has been responsible for the death of Abraham Lincoln, the fall of Constantinople, the death of Christ and many other events that have contributed to radical shifts in human and societal development. Kings rose and fell at his will; all for his vain purpose.

In the final push to save humanity, the circle must scour the subways, the Empire State Building and Niagara Falls to find all of the quake machines. The final face off comes down to the sacrifice of one man. Even with all of the strife and efforts, will it be enough to stop another World War and the march of the Third Reich? Just when the circle thinks they’ve stopped this diabolical menace, the Vatican comes to his rescue as in times past.

Although, Aldric and his band of heroes manage to stop this fiend, they are unable to stop the momentum of another Great War and Hitler’s march. However, Pope Pius the XII comes to the aid of Baphomet, humanities oldest enemy and he will attempt to repeat history.

I hope you take the time to read because I know you will enjoy it. I'm currently working on the sequel which I would describe as much more controversial, regarding politics and religion. Next post I will give you a small excerpt form my new novel – Time Is Of the ESSENCE.

Back to the story:
Before I continue, I thought it would be a good time to introduce you to my family. Following you will find some photos.







From left to right: Tio Enrique, Tio Roberto, Tio Juan, Tio Cirilo, Tio Ismael
And of course, front and center; My Mother at age 12.












This is my Mother at age 9 and my Grandmother.












This is my Mother at age 16. Wouldn't you agree – she's beautiful.











This is my Mother at age 30. All I can say is "Wow!"

Time marched on and my mother along with my sister and my brother would have to live in a variety of places. One of the places she went to live was San Francisco de Paula; a little town in Havana province. Three of my uncles would own three parcels of land there but only two would have the opportunity to enjoy it, we’ll get to that story later on in the narrative. So my mother would live with them on and off during the course of the next few years. My grandmother too, would live with them for a while. My grandmother was an accomplished seamstress and periodically made garments when material was available. At times neighbors would retain her to fashion clothes for them and they would pay her.

Both my brother and sister recall on one occasion while my grandmother was busy on a garment project, my sister, my brother and my two cousins, Ezekiel and Caridad his sister, were fooling around on the bed while teasing my brother and he fell off and landed on his back. Upon hitting the floor he jammed a sewing needle into his back, as my mother describes it, the needle was very close to his spine. It had gone so deep that it could not be easily removed. At the time there was a man who eventually I will introduce you to, as my father Anibal, and he with the aid of a Gillette razor attempted to remove it. It had gone in so deep that they finally went to a clinic.

It is interesting why my sister and two cousins were teasing him. As it turns out the house where they were staying was close to a cemetery and funerals were an everyday event. So my grandmother found great delight in scaring my brother continuously, telling him that some dead person was going to come and take him away. Additionally, she teased him too with typical Chinese music. Everyday at around two in the afternoon a radio program would come on but it would start with an introduction using Chinese music. My grandmother would revel as my brother ran for cover. There was something about that Chinese music that terrified him and she knew it and loved it.

These were things that would make an enormous impact on a young child’s mind and it did. As I ponder over it, I conclude that my brother and grandmother really never did have a great relationship. My grandmother always complained to my mother about how abusive he was towards me – he is about 9 years older than I am.

I, on the other hand, adored my grandmother. I call my mother mima – and so does everyone else but I called my grandmother, mama. She always took good care of me up until her death at age 89 – may god keep her in his thoughts and in our hearts.