Where Have All the Days of Our Summers Gone

Description

The story is set in the 1960s, a time unencumbered by lightning quick global changes and cellphones. It was a time where most people lived their entire life in the same home, town or city.Patrick and Harold had been friends since elementary school. Over the years they had spent many hours together and have many things in common. With time their friendship matched the relationship of brothers. In good times and in bad times they stood side by side. After their children had grown into adulthood each of them lost their wife to cancer. It left them alone in their house filled with memories. The love each one had for their spouse and the commitment they had made the woman they loved, had kept them from opening their wounded heart up and taking fully part in their community’s social events. Concentrating their energies on acquiring business opportunities, they tried to find contentment among their friends and grandchildren. But as the years passed, love came knocking at their heart’s door and tiptoed into their days. With it, feelings of guilt crept in their thoughts and threatened to keep them alone and lonely.Unlike the battles the two friends faced, Patrick’s youngest son encountered no fences when he met a young lady who quickly began to dominate his thoughts and dreams. Few were the obstacle in his way to opening his heart to love her without reservations. Their romance blossomed quickly. With each day their love for each other deepened. Confidently they looked forward to the future, and joyfully they made wedding plans.In time both Patrick and Harold found that love is not easily denied at any age. The circumstances are few that have the power to shut love out for long. By providence both Patrick and Harold met ladies who like them spent their evenings alone. They awakened feelings within them long left lying dormant. Harold kept bumping into Sofia by chance encounters. At his son’s engagement party Patrick met Emily, whom he had briefly dated as a young man. But the battles that had kept the two friends on the sidelines did not end with the appearance of these two women. Serena, Sofia’s sister, threatened to undo the love Harold thought he had for Sofia. It was his friend who helped him see the road ahead more clearly. Patrick had never fully dealt with his grief of losing the woman he loved with all his being. His struggles with guilt and the sudden appearance of Emily’s ex-husband kept him from opening his heart fully to Emily until the promise Lizbeth had asked him to make at the end of her life freed him to commit to Emily.

About Werner Manke

If one had to describe W. H. Manke in five words the most appropriate words might be: He’s passionate about many things.Manke’s family, faith and health rank at the top of his list. He enjoyed a career in education as teacher, principal and Director of Instruction, and retired after thirty years to have time to pursue other interests. The years in education taught him much about how humans learn. Day-to-day observations, common sense and a good deal of research gave him an understanding about what it takes for people to be successful. He holds a degree with concentrations in English and Education and a Master’s degree in Educational Administration and Strategic Planning. Ask him what he enjoys doing since retirement he’ll tell you, “Ranking at the top with other activities I love to watch my grandchildren at play, to read and to write. In the last few years I completed five full length novels, published two, and I’ve recently completed writing Storms over Hawking Manor, a sequel to the first novel I published, Secrets of Hawking Manor.” The later book he edited and formatted at the end of 2014 for Smashwords’ distribution to publishers and retailers that sell E-Books. He had also written a number of articles, short stories and many poems during those years.When he is not near his grandchildren he might be found writing, researching or reading. He loves to play, coach and watch a number of sports that include soccer, hockey, skiing, fishing as well as collecting. He delights in the beauty of nature and the arts. Certain types of paintings and poems and the lyrics and melodies of some songs and hymns cause him to marvel at people’s talents. He continues to study history. Ask him why he does, he will say, “We can make this a better world, if we consider the actions of individuals and countries of the past, good and bad, that history shows us and include that knowledge in our guidebook to roads not yet taken.”He believes humans are the crowning work of creation, sees each person as unique, one of a kind, priceless and able to achieve the greatest deeds as well as sink to the most hideous crimes. He believes our most urgent task is to guide all children to become compassionate, confident and informed citizen willing to take on the challenge to create a peaceful world where no child goes hungry.