Horizons of Heroes Read online

  The bad cop presented Cameron with a ticket for failure to turn right at the corner and told Cameron to sign the ticket.

  Cameron signed the ticket, but added the words, signed under protest.

  The bad cop said loudly, that is not his signature, let’s take him down to jail.

  The backup cop said, “That’s his signature, let’s go.”

  Both officers departed in their vehicles.

  With his ticket in hand, Cameron drove to the site where the officer claimed he should have made a right hand turn.

  He noticed a sign that read: Due to construction activity, all vehicles may turn left, right or they may drive straight ahead.

  Cameron drove straight ahead and noticed the dishonest cop again, no doubt writing his notes on the ticket that he had given Cameron. With the passenger side window rolled down, he approached the policeman whose window was also rolled down and said, “You are a very dishonest cop, and I think I caught you.”

  Michelle heard what Cameron had said to the cop and said she was surprised that the cop hadn’t shot him.

  Later, Cameron called the city highway and construction department to find out if the construction turn sign on the corner was valid. The sign was valid and had been placed in its space four days before Cameron received his ticket. The department engineer said he would send a letter with the pertinent information. Cameron also called the city’s police department internal affairs office to report the police officer misconduct. Cameron, called and left messages with the police chief, mayor, and governor. He went back to where he was pulled over and put signs asking if anyone had heard the cop yelling at Cameron. No one called him. He did receive a call from the police department’s internal affairs later, who said they found nothing and considered the case closed.

  “Interesting” said Cameron, to the Internal Affairs’ officer, “You are closing the case and I have a bombshell of a letter indicating that your cop was lying.”

  “Oh, please Mr. Price, send us a copy of that letter,” asked the internal affairs officer.

  Sensing corruption by internal affairs to protect all of the officers of the police department, Cameron said, “No, Let’s let the judge look at it and make the decision,

  Several weeks passed and Cameron stood before the judge as his case was about to be heard. “Your honor,” said the bailiff, “Neither the charging officer nor anyone from the police department are here. We just have a note indicating the police department does not wish to pursue the infraction.”

  The judge said, “You won Mr. Price.”

  “Excuse me, your honor, this is not a win. I want to have a full hearing where I can bring to light the misdeeds and activities of our police department,” said Cameron.

  “You don’t understand, Mr. Price, you won and there is nothing more for you to do.”

  Cameron was upset about these chains of events until he received a letter from the mayor’s office indicating the mayor had reviewed the case. He indicated that he had looked at the construction activity report. He also found two neighbors who heard the cop screaming at Cameron, and he saw where the cop had lied on the ticket.

  “Mr. Price, we do not want this type of individual serving in our community and as such, I have fired the police officer effective three days ago!!

  So, the moral of this relevant story is to live to talk another day. You may be wrongly accused of a crime, but don’t let the feeling of being a caged rabbit kill you. It doesn’t matter what color you are.

  Keep searching for the truth, which will set you free.

  Lastly, the ‘Ten Golden Keys’ to success:

  1.Study Karate.

  2.Work hard: You can achieve anything you desire, if you are willing to work exceedingly hard and smart for it.

  3.Go to college.

  4.Dress for success at interviews, looking exactly like the person doing the interviewing.

  5.One’s aspiration is predicated by using your mental and physical abilities.

  6.Never get divorced.

  7.Pick your friends by the action of their minds and their hearts.

  8.Be a great leader by being smart, honest, having a strong charismatic character, loyal to the team, and developing the team to win.

  9.Know true love: For a man, it is when time stands still, an irresistible magnetic force moves you to that special someone, and both your heart and mind start dancing in your body, anything short of this is a play date. A woman should take careful time to analyze her wants and desires in a man. True love has to not only fill each and every one of her desires, but her desires must be filled each and every day and night. A woman needs a man who can adapt to her changes.

  10.Be Spiritual.

  The Black Skeleton Key No. 1:

  Never do drugs!

  Character List in

  Alphabetical Order

  •Abrianna

  Beautiful high-fashion New York model who Cameron met in Italy

  •Amy

  Beautiful Canadian lady who Cameron met in Italy

  •Anthony

  Cameron’s son

  •Arthur

  Cameron’s service friend made famous in Mexico

  •Aunt Olive

  Cameron’s aunt on his mother’s side

  •Aunt Vine

  Cameron’s aunt on his mother’s side

  •Baroni

  Big El’s State Patrol friend

  •Bauden

  Football player in the Philippines

  •Benjamin

  Cameron’s step-brother

  •Betty

  Susan’s mother

  •Big El (Elston Royal)

  Cameron’s best friend

  •Bill

  Cameron’s corporate friend

  •Blaze

  Cameron’s corporate friend

  •Brad

  Cameron’s cousin

  •Brent

  Cameron’s cousin

  •Camel

  Big El’s and Cameron’s victory high five sign

  •Cameron

  Main Character. Book based on his life.

  •Carol

  Cameron’s father’s sister (aunt)

  •Chaplin

  Fellow student and Cameron’s drinking friend

  •Christian Sharpen

  Big El’s groomsman

  •Dan

  Cameron’s father

  •Darlene Thomas

  Calculus tutor

  •David

  Cameron’s youngest uncle on his father’s side

  •Debra

  Cameron’s Great-grandmother

  •Doug

  Service friend, who he met in basic training in San Antonio Texas. He wanted to play the saxophone in the Air Force band

  •Dr Avner

  Gave Big El his first job after the Air Force

  •Drew

  Cameron’s corporate friend

  •Flint

  Cameron’s step-father

  •Gerald

  Washington State Bar Exam Study Partner

  •Granny

  Susan’s grandmother

  •GW

  Service buddy who loved golf and women

  •Happy

  Black waiter who served Big El his favorite food

  •Irene

  Nelson’s wife

  •Judge Boudin

  Tacoma Superior Court Judge

  •Katie Capriana

  Cameron’s friend from high school

  •Kora

  Cameron’s past girlfriend

  •Kurt

  Friend in stock marketing class and Law school

  •Larry Junior

  Susan’s brother

  •Larry Senior

  Susan’s father

  •Laura

  Nelson’s girlfriend

  •Louisa

  Daughter of a friend of great aunt Mary

  •Marina

  Cameron’s Italian landlord Michael’s wife

  •Markr />
  Cameron’s son

  •Mary

  Cameron’s great aunt on mother’s side

  •Mary Dane

  Big El’s younger sister

  •Maxwell

  Service friend accidentally stabbed by Cameron

  •Michael

  Cameron’s landlord in Italy

  •Michelle

  Cameron’s wife

  •Minister Robinson

  Michelle’s family minister

  •Mississippi

  Service friend (basic training through the Philippines)

  •Monica

  Cameron’s step-cousin

  •Morgan

  Sharon and Cameron’s son

  •Nelson

  Cameron’s childhood friend

  •Paul

  Cameron’s corporate friend

  •Peter

  Big El’s neighbor

  •Polly

  Stair climbing friend at North University

  •Priscilla

  Cameron’s grandmother

  •Quincy Noble

  Cameron’a step-cousin

  •Ray

  Law school friend

  •Robin

  Friend from Italy

  •Sage

  Cameron’s daughter

  •Sally

  Cameron’s corporate friend

  •Sensei Marshall

  Cameron’s karate instructor

  •Sebastion Rock

  Cameron’s step-cousin

  •Sharon

  Cameron’s girlfriend before joining the Air Force

  •Susan

  Big El’s girlfriend then wife

  •Susie

  Arthur’s wife

  •Ted

  Big El’s cousin-in-law

  •Terrence

  Cameron’s great uncle on mother’s side

  •Trista

  Big El’s Canadian friend who he met in Italy

  •Uncle General

  Cameron’s uncle on his mother’s side

  •Uncle Lionist

  Cameron’s uncle on his mother’s side

  •Uncle Lloyd

  Preacher who married Michelle and Cameron

  •Uncle Paige Jr

  Cameron’s uncle on his mother’s side.

  •Uncle Thas

  Cameron’s uncle on his mother’s side

  •Uncle Wyman

  Cameron’s uncle on his mother’s side

  •Walter

  Aunt Carol’s husband

  •Warren

  Cameron’s uncle on his father’s side