They called him Ray but his full name was 100% Rayon. It seems when he was born his mother was having trouble finding a name for him so she looked in the back of her housecoat and there it was: 100% Rayon. He had twin sisters call Poly and Ester but we will not mention the problems they might have had in life.

Ray was a good student; he did his homework every night right after school and did not go out to play until every bit of it was done. He never stayed out too late at night and didn't get into trouble. Perhaps it was easy for him to be that way ‘cause he didn't have any friends and took a lot of teasing because of his name.

Ray never had a girlfriend, though there were those that he mooned after. But not once did he say to one, "I would like to take you out," because he was afraid they would laugh in his face.

It was not that girls did not find their way to him – but always just as friends, and always Ray was the one they came to talk to when they had a problem. Ray once asked one of the girls why they came to him for advice and was told, "Because you’re not like the other boys; you’re safe."

By the time Ray left school in his senior year and went into the service he had never been kissed by or kissed a girl.

Ray made a few friends in the service and went out with a few girls but when push came to shove they always said, "Ray, you’re a nice guy, but..."

Came the day Ray was sent to a faraway land to fight in an unpopular war. Those around him had pictures of their sweethearts; all Ray had was the picture that had come with his $5 wallet.

Every day Ray fought the battles that he was faced with, and every night he would came back to his room and lie down to hear others tell of the wonderful things they had gotten in the mail that day.

Ray was afraid and became more afraid that he would die in battle and never know what it was to be loved or to love back.

So, in a little bar in Saigon, he met a girl and she named a price. He went with her and paid the price, but he wound up just talking to her because he discovered that, without love, there was no act to be committed - at least, not for him anyway.

Time passed and Ray returned to the States and kept looking for his one true love, but for a while, he found love at the bottom of a bottle. Ray was good at hiding it and never let it interfere with his work. Then one day Ray woke up and discovered this was not the way to go and got religion. As a part of this religion Ray went on a retreat and met a wonderful girl. He liked to say she dove like a feather and swam like a fish and he dove like a boulder and sunk like a rock.

Things got heavy between them and they both thanked God for bringing them together and one night Ray got off work and went to see his lady love and she decided to take off work early and come to see him.

When Ray saw the accident in the other lane he somehow knew that his life had come to an end, that all of his dreams were crushed like her head had been between the door of the car and the guardrail when the truck had hit her.

Ray cursed the God that had brought him love, then had taken it away from him and went to find a new love. But it was never that same; once he did find a true love but just was not sure enough of himself to love her completely.

Then, one night many years later, Ray was sitting at his computer, a bottle of Jim Bean on one side and a .357 on the other side. I will go on line, he said to himself, and then when I sign off I will end it all; I cannot take the pain anymore.

Once again God interfered; he had something he wanted Ray to do but Ray didn’t know what it was. God sent him a helping hand that turned into love that night. So, when Ray turned off the computer in the early hours of the morning he found someone to take possession of his .357 and keep it safe for him and put away the bottle.

I guess for anyone that needs to find a moral in my stories the moral is this one. Just when it gets the darkest and you do not think it is worthwhile to go on, God gives you a reason to go on. God has a purpose for everyone and Ray is still waiting to figure out why he saved him but knows the day will come when it is shown to him.

GB
TYT