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 Sisters
"Hi, Dan, we're so sorry to meet you at a time like this. Sister Jones asked us to come over. I think there more are coming, too."
"Hi, Sister Cohen. Hi, Sister Chase. This is Peter Fawkes, my friend. We're here to get some clean laundry."
Soon there were five more sisters, including Sister Jones. The noise level in the living room rose like a jet plane taking off. Sister Jones took charge. The dreadful state of the house did not faze her in the least.
"Now, Dan," she said, "the bishop tells me you're staying with Peter. Would it be easier for you to go on back there? We can take care of things here."
Dan drew himself up. "Sister Jones, I'm sixteen, not six. Peter and I are going to do my laundry."
She looked at him doubtfully. "And I'm sixty, young man. I've seen a lot in my time. But, if that's what you want, go ahead."
Peter suddenly excused himself to go to the basement. Dan knew what he was doing and let him do it. Dan was adrift in the living room like a ship with a broken mast; the Relief Society sisters buzzed about him like gulls. Peter came back; Dan felt braver with Peter there.
"Oh, Sister Jones. Would you do me a favor?" asked Dan.
"Of course, anything."
"The bishop wants her temple clothes. I don't go into my mother's room. Never have. You’ll get her temple clothes, right?"
"So it's ok with you?"
"Yes."
"Does your father object?"
"My father has nothing to do with it. They divorced four years ago."
"Very well, then, that's that. Anything else?"
"Aunt Betsy’s a member of the church, by the way. She’s all the family that's left. I’ll let her go through mum's things."
"Ok."
"Just one more thing. The bishop asked me what he should emphasize during the funeral."
Sister Jones looked at him.
"I want a full-blown Mormon funeral. Plan of Salvation and everything. After all, I've been active, even if she hasn't."
"I hope you're not coming to church tomorrow."
"No. The bishop said it would be too hard. I think he's right."
She studied Dan’s face closely. Dan felt like she was examining him the way a judge looks at a prisoner. Finally she was satisfied.
"Do you want us to clean your room, too?" she asked.
"Why not?" He grinned. "It'll be the first time in years. Just don't throw out anything important, ok?"
"What's important?"
"Everything!"
She laughed. "Now, off with you two. Do what you need to do and then go back to the Fawkes, Dan."