Dave Casler
PO Box 98
Ridgway, Colorado 81432
Young Adult Novels by Dave Casler...
I've been told by publisher after publisher that there's no market for Young Adult novels. I think they're wrong! So I'm putting my novels on-line for you. Forget the publisher! Read to your heart's content--it's free! And, I'd like to hear from you, too! Contact Page.
You're reading About Dan. Be sure to check out About Phillip here.
Dan is a normal kid who loves his soccer. Except everything goes wrong. Everything.
About Series Home
About the About Series
Index to All Chapters
Here are all the chapters, disguised as asterisks. Hover your mouse over an asterisk to see the title of the chapter. Click on the asterisk to go straight to that chapter.
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(About Dan Home) (Last) (Next)
The First Meeting with the Bishop
Dan headed for the bishop's office after Sacrament meeting. He didn't want to talk with anyone; it was too hard to pretend to be happy. He'd had enough trouble sneaking quietly into the chapel. Lisa seemed to have recovered from her previous reticence and draped herself over him. On the one hand, he wanted to be left alone, but Fall Festival was coming soon; he tried to be polite and even upbeat. And, it was nice to have Lisa paying attention again.
Dan thought of the e-mail from his dad assuring him that AIDS was hard to get, that the doctor mentioned removing some "contaminated" bone, and that anyway the medical establishment knew what it was doing. But he also suggested getting the test; he and Dan could go together at a time of Dan's choosing. Dan asked for Wednesday afternoon. His father agreed to pick him up behind the school, away from other kids.
He sat heavily on one of the folding chairs outside the bishop’s office to wait his turn. He was deep in thought when Phillip interrupted him.
"Dan!" he enthused. "I talked with Coach Johnson. He says I can join the team! The season starts in March, but he gave me a training program and says I should come to team meetings starting in February." He seemed genuinely excited.
Phillip, this is wonderful but I don’t want to talk with you today. "So what's your training program?" asked Dan warily.
"The season doesn't start for three more months, so he wants me to run every day in the meantime. He says I can use the good treadmill at the school if the weather's bad." Phillip beamed. The good treadmill was off limits to most students. "What are you here for?" he asked.
"Uh, me? Oh, I just need to see the bishop."
"Yeah, I think I figured that out. Does he want to talk about your leg?" pressed Phillip.
"Something like that, I guess," said Dan. Not now! "Hey, thanks for those instructions about the modem. They worked just fine. You're good at that sort of stuff."
Phillip turned pink, but continued anyway. "I've been working out for a week now. At first, all the kids told me to get off the good treadmill or suffer the consequences. But when I told them I was on the track team it changed their whole attitude. Like, you know, it's kinda cool."
"Good." replied Dan. Go away!
"Yeah. Hey, thanks so much for making me do it. I'm really enjoying it! Gotta run. I see Brother Davies is trying to round us up. I need to run in the opposite direction." He laughed and was off.
"Brilliant," muttered Dan.
Bishop Parker's office, like all bishops’ offices around the world, was starkly utilitarian. The carpet was the same commercial grade used throughout the building. The walls were cinder block, painted beige. A strip of sturdy oak ran around the walls where the backs of the chairs hit; there were enough chairs for fifteen or sixteen people. One of the chairs was pulled up so it was facing the bishop's desk, and it was into this chair that Bishop Parker ushered Dan. He twisted the chair slightly so Dan could put his bum leg onto another chair; Dan settled in heavily.
He looked around at the familiar surroundings. A fake fichus in one corner. A short, steel bookshelf in the opposite corner. A small table with a telephone. A picture of the First Presidency. A picture of the Denver temple. And right behind the bishop's desk, a picture of Christ in white robes, descending to the earth with trumpeting angels behind him. The fourth wall held the window, through which streamed the late morning light.
He took a deep breath and let it out with a big sigh. Before he could say anything, the bishop spoke.
"Dan, can we start with prayer?"
He nodded.
"Dan, could you offer the prayer?"
"Uh, sure." He bowed his head and closed his eyes. Reflexively, as he'd been taught since he was a Primary child, he folded his arms. The bishop also bowed his head, but leaned on his desk with his hands clasped.
"Father in heaven, thank you for the blessings of the gospel. Please bless us to have a good talk. Please bless us with thy Spirit. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen." He uncrossed his arms and looked up at the bishop.
"Dan, you have a lot on your mind."
"I don't know where to begin." A tear crept down his cheek.
Bishop Parker looked intently into his eyes. He smiled reassuringly. "Dan, let the Spirit guide you."
Dan swallowed. "Well, I accidentally overheard a conversation my mother had with a friend."
Bishop Parker waited patiently for him to continue.
"She was upset with me, which I guess I can understand. I'm a teenager after all."
Bishop Parker smiled, but stayed silent. Dan thought he was peering right into his heart.
"She said she isn't sure Ed Cook is really my father."
Bishop Parker flinched and his smile faded.
"Dan," he said gently, "that's a hard thing to hear."
"There's more," said Dan. "I know my mother's really sick. She says she's going to have some tests, but she won't talk about it." He looked at the bishop with pleading eyes.
"Yes, I’ve heard. Brother Sam mentioned it."
"There's more," said Dan. "Do you remember that my bone went into this guy's stomach?"