Contritement

R18. The consequences of sex ripple through a lifetime for four college-aged friends, Ruby, Coral, Josh and Luke. Steamy, juicy, racy, yet sensually romantic. Let’s start with wistful Luke, your reflective narrator—the shy watcher. Next, the lovey-dove Coral, the group's collective adhesive. A modern girl with a regency heart, whom Ruby has the hots for. God, she is gorgeous. Coral’s action boyfriend, over-eager Josh, is a hunk who only has sex on his mind and is hopeful Coral will be his first! And risqué Ruby. The little minx is sassy, sharp, conniving, and considering getting inked as the story commences. There is plenty of wayward troupe fun and raucous laughs through high school and college in 1970s Melbourne. Whoops, an overdose of selfishness by everyone at eighteen, and relationships mess because pleasure ignited by pleasure’s ignition is always a pleasure for two or more until someone muddies it with words or actions. So, adult theme warning, erotic impulses are indulged. However, they generate contemplative introspection on friendship, passion, self-centeredness, cheating, brooding, contrition, resilience and love over the next forty years. The story unfolds like recall, intentional or spontaneous, rolling in and out of our minds, non-chronologically. Our yearnings are tattooed under our skin. From there, they will swell back. Ready, set, go, read the ripples! Author Note: The novel is complete, and all 133 chapters will be uploaded and remain unlocked. Dedication For anyone who gifts a second chance Epigraph “all those kids” It is attributed to H.S.Truman, by Henry A. Wallace, diary entry of 10 August 1945. Acknowledgement To the women who shaped my contemplative life and the women, I owe contrition. To my wife, who frames the frame of my life and my daughters, who asked me the perennially unanswerable questions about love and relationships, which triggered me to write the story. To my editors; Nikki, who sparked the novel’s ripples through time and Jennifer, who drew out of me a more engaging and cohesive narrative. To Sonder, coined in 2012 by John Koenig, The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows. To dandelion pappus; blown free of yearnings. I include the following here because its prudent as a writer: This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental. Except where real place names and actual tragic events are used with sensitivity.

Everyone is conclusively wearing a mask to hide their pensive woes in the journey of life. Some people lead themselves to complications; some strive to flee away from the hitches that peer their lives. Still, there is no one to say that they are really glad with whatever they have, wherever they are, or whoever they've become. Loren Becker was a woman who was contrite to herself for ignoring all those people who tried to help her, but she was also too apprehensive to share her difficulties with others as she had no idea to distinguish one's core perceptions. On the other hand, Paul Wood was very nearly a mirror image of her. They had to work together to accomplish the little mission to justice as he and her old friend, Karl, looked alike. Karl was a person of her past who tried heart-and-soul to ease Lora and glitter the euphoria of her life back the way it was. But her life got worse after his death and his existence in her life went in vain. His death was one big mystery that Lora had to solve to repay for what he did for her while he was alive. Not only Karl but also Marlin, her college friend, endeavored to help her as well as Tina and Raven; where they were also suffering from their own calamities. In such circumstances, Stephen Darcy and the other vindictive people expanded their dejection. Stephen Darcy, a billionaire, was an egoistic ignoble person, addicted to sex. He only intended to lure Lora in interest to his lust, and even use her to get Charles's properties. In the denouement, Lora and her team put an end to all their injustice habituality and Paul went back to his own life after helping them solve their mystery. However, It is too hard to tell how we should ride a life-cycle to stay persistently at peace.

Getting late for a meeting, need to run’, he said, as he slung his coat over the shoulder, and bounded out of the house. As he drove away, she came running down the stairs two at a time. ‘Wait, wait’, she said, but he had already left. Her mouth crumpled like used wrapping paper. ‘He forgot to give me a goodbye kiss’, she whispered in a voice that trembled under the weight of her hurt. She called him, ‘you left without giving me a kiss’, she said accusingly. ‘I am sorry sweetheart’, he said, his voice contrite. ‘It is okay’, she said, trying to be all grown up as she cut the call. She gulped down her breakfast morosely, wore her shoes, picked up her school bag and started to walk out of the door, her shoulders slumped. As she climbed down the steps, the car glided to a stop outside the house. He got out of the car. She ran to him, her whole face lit up like a Christmas tree. ‘I am sorry I forgot’, he said, as he picked her up and hugged her. She said nothing. Her jaw ached from smiling. Fifteen years later, no one would remember he was late for a meeting, but a little girl would never ever forget that her father drove all the way back home just to kiss her goodbye!