Morning came early in the small town in Forrestville, Alabama. It wasn't a particularly big city and most maps of the state didn't even have it. It was just north of Weiss Lake on the state's eastern border. And there, Dieter Wilhelm awoke with the dawn and smiled confidently. He would soon have his Jenny and he would have what he'd sought for years. True, Jennifer Harper was not as well built as other women, but she was blond and rather bright, and that was really what drew him to her. Her blond hair fit the ideal human being and her brains would be quite helpful in keeping Dieter Wilhelm on top, and besides she had to like him. After all, after taking a knee to the nuts, her father had told him that Jenny was only being coy, which only served to attract Dieter even more.
"After all... what woman wouldn't me?" Dieter chuckled to himself as he stood up and moved to where he had a pressed suit, "I'm dashing... I'm rich... rich enough to drive from this little village to Centre, the capital of Cherokee County, and run an electric power company... and rich enough to avoid real trouble with the law. Which is the best plus."
Of course as he looked about the room, he knew most wouldn't think he was as rich as he in fact was. His grandfather had centered in Forrestville in 1946, which was a community that sat well with the Wehrmacht veteran. Dieter didn't really know much about his grandfather's past, only that he had served in the German army and didn't realize just how much Hitler had duped the German people until 1945 when Hitler had committed suicide. His father had told him that the Allies in their own vengeful way decided to try and hunt him for things that he had no responsibility in, but in their own corruption and ineptitude, he was able to immigrate to the US and he found Forrestville as a quiet place to settle down, and the Wilhelm family generally remained quiet and played a low profile as much as possible. Even with the family winning a huge pay day in the Alabama state lottery, the Wilhelm family lived as though they were living on a minor power company manager's salary and kept much of the rest in a series of investments that earned money, though, the investments ultimately also shifted with the stock market.
And as he looked around his bedroom, things did reflect that. He had a king sized bed for himself, but blankets were fairly plain and had been bought cheaply at a Walmart. The shades were supposed to be white, but they had aged greatly since they had been bought and had now yellowed quite a bit after being used to try and hold out the heat and humidity of many an Alabama summer. The bedroom desk was also small and wasn't fit for much more than a computer stand for his own personal business. There was nothing about the room that indicated to anyone that Dieter Wilhelm was anything more than another middle class man with a German name. The room was clean, as while Dieter wasn't living in a mansion, neither was he letting what he had get dirty.
He quickly dressed himself to prepare for the events of the day. As, while it was the day he would claim Jenny as his, it wouldn't so simple. Jenny had gone out to a small private college in Washington State or a city run community college. It was something that would mean travel. He would need to pick up the Harper family and then drive to Birmingham in order to fly to Seattle, Washington. From there they'd need to drive to this other small town, Moon Lake. Even with gaining some hours by flying west, Dieter knew that there wouldn't be that much time to fly in, claim the prize and then fly out again. In fact while it was fairly early right now, the flight to Seattle wasn't that terribly far away and the drive to Birmingham would take the time needed.
+++++++++++++++++++++++
The morning at the Harper home was not quite so easy and had its mixed sets of emotions all its own. Though, the emotions that really dominated the morning as most of those gathered around the breakfast by the frustration and perhaps even anger from the adult man who sat down with a coffee mug with the faded lettering reading "Make America Great Again: Vote Ronald Wilson Reagan '80." James Harper had bought the mug at a rally in 1980 and had kept the mug religiously. By now after years of use, the red, white, and blue ink had begun to fade. He was carrying a small plate or store bought danish and he gave a low growl as he sat down.
"I never should have let her go all the way to Washington," James Harper Sr. grumbled angrily as he sat down, "If it had to be a big college, it could have at least been one in this state."
"And what exactly is wrong with a different college, dad?" James Harper Jr. asked, "America is a big country and she could learn lots of things about the country..."
"And fall victim to the shenanigans of the atheists that are making war on God and every thing else that was good in this country?!" James Harper Sr. growled, "She's probably run under some cutthroat Yankee that doesn't understand God, good, or honor, or even realize that she's already spoken for!"
James Harper Junior only sighed. A part of him really questioned as to how much this supposed arrangement between his sister and Dieter Wilhelm had really been made. The two had never gotten along well, and that went back all the way into Dieter's time in High School. Despite the fact that Dieter was at least four years older than Jenny, he'd seemed to obsess over her and since he was the owner and manager of the power company that James Harper Sr. worked for, his father seemed to equate obsession with true love and a open door to getting out of the gutter.
And in looking around just the kitchen, James Harper Jr. could see part of the reasoning for wanting to get out of the gutter. The linoleum floor was old and cracked. In fact in a few areas, it had cracked away revealing the concrete foundation underneath. The oven door had spots of rust on it and many of the other kitchen amenities looked just as old and worn as everything else. And much of the rest of the Harper home was much the same, old and worn, and with John and Janice largely living on hand-me-downs from James Harper Jr. and Jenny. It helped make ends meet, but it wasn't necessarily an easy lifestyle. It was something that James Harper wanted to get out of, and that was understandable.
Though, still, James Harper Jr. had his own doubts that Dieter Wilhelm would really help the Harper family out. Yes, Dieter had the hots for Jenny, but at no point did Dieter Wilhelm EVER offer any financial aid or anything related to show that he would provide that sort of thing. And while he only went to a community college, James Harper Jr. had run into a girl who originally was enrolled at Auburn and fell in love with a classmate there. They got married, and soon had the hopes for a rags to riches tale when the husband revealed that his family was one of the richest in the state. Then came a bad car accident. The young husband was killed outright and the young bride was badly hurt. The rich family, while they sent polite condolence letters to her, they never paid for her hospital bills and had to drop out of Auburn as a result. The community college was the only other option. In fact from what James Harper Jr. remembered from talking to her, her husband's family really didn't have the time of day for her even while their son was alive and they barely acknowledged her. Something about Dieter Wilhelm just struck James Harper Jr. the same way, but his father had been determined on the issue, and the argument was such that many times, James Jr. and Jenny had quit the argument.
"But what if this other guy is nice?" Janice spoke up, "and if this Harry is to be a fireman... he'd have to be..."
"And how do you know that, young lady?" Elizabeth Harper spoke up, noticing her husband's clenching fist and deciding to take her own stand to prevent an explosion of anger first thing in the morning.
"You and daddy were arguing about it the other night," Janice said weakly.
"Be that as it may, you shouldn't have been listening in," Elizabeth scolded.
James Harper Jr. only frowned as he watched this exchange. He'd heard about the wedding in a borderline profane phone call, indicating that James Harper Sr. wasn't really in the mood to be happy for Jenny finding someone that wasn't Dieter Wilhelm, however, James Harper Junior couldn't get permission from his college to leave until the past Friday. His present employers at a computer repair company where he worked part time to pay for his own college were a bit more accommodating, but he still didn't have that much in the way of time. He would have until the next Tuesday to be ready and back. He didn't really know on what exactly had gone on in the Harper household while he'd been out.
"If you were arguing," James Harper Jr. commented, "I might have been too loud for her NOT to overhear."
Both parents turned their glares to him and left Janice be for the moment.
"And that excuses a busybody from butting in?" James Harper Sr. very nearly growled like a lion defending a scrap of meat.
"I'm just saying that it wasn't like Janice couldn't NOT hear what was said," James Harper Jr. said slowly, "If you didn't wish her to hear, then perhaps you could avoid yelling at each other or take it outside so you're not disturbing her sleep."
There was no immediate answer to that.
"And Janice could be right," James Harper Jr. commented, "What if this Harry turns out to be a good guy?"
"And you think some guy you haven't met is a good match!?" James Harper Sr. growled and pointing his danish at his oldest son, "for all we know he's some hippie who thinks its cool to have sex all day and not honor any responsibilities!"
"Could be..." James Harper Jr. admitted, "and I might say that this whole thing might be a bit rushed... BUT since we don't know this Harry, we cannot assume that he's bad. Give this guy a chance to prove himself before you throw him under the bus."
James Harper Jr. watched as his father clinched one fist for a moment. He readied himself for the possible attack, but for the moment figured that was unlikely. His father was hardly the man he once was and James Harper Jr. watched as his father raised a fist a few inches off the table and then set it down.
"And what do we tell Wilhelm, then? Hm?" James Harper Sr. asked, " We know HE can help us and he's loved Jenny since high school and we know him..."
"You know him as your employer," James Harper Jr. countered, "not much more than that."
James Harper Jr. didn't say any more. There were plenty of things he wanted to say about Dieter Wilhelm, whom he barely trusted, if at all, but figured that would only further lead to a fight. The blasting of a car horn outside the house also soon interrupted them and prevented James Harper Sr. from saying any more, either.
"That'd be Mr. Wilhelm, I bet," John said slowly as he stood up.
"Everyone get your things and get to the car," James Harper Sr. stood up quickly, ignoring the earlier argument. He glanced at the small digital clock on the oven/stove, and noted that its green lettering read 7:35 AM. They weren't late, yet, but they still had a decent drive to get to Birmingham and then the hassle of airport security. "We don't want to be late."