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Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Michael Frazier-Book Excerpt


12       Michael Frazier


 

                Michael Frazier was not an attractive man—not by any stretch of the imagination. At six feet, his frame bordered on scrawniness and he had a slightly humped back, probably from years of leaning over to play the organ. His hair resembled steel wool and was usually in dire need of a good trim. His eyes were beady black holes punctuating his pinched, pale scruffy face. Unable to wear contact lenses, Frazier’s myopia was corrected by large, horn-rimmed glasses that only accentuated a small, taut face with thin, lifeless lips and a receding hairline.

            Although plagued by social awkwardness, there were two arenas where Michael had friends—Trinity United Methodist, where he was thought to be a musical genius, and at The Oak Ridger Newspaper, where is talent as a writer was appreciated. Unknown to most, Michael possessed a certain disdain for many people, usually thinking he was the smartest person in a room. He was quick with sarcastic comments veiled as jokes, when someone’s “stupidity” annoyed him. Like one in three Americans, Michael suffered from bouts of depression, compounded by a certain bitterness stemming from his disappointment in the life he had lived.

But Michael Frazier had a secret—one he kept from the world. He was in love with a beautiful creature he had met seven years earlier. His joy, and paradoxically sadness, spun around his brain when he allowed himself to fantasize about how his life would be with her by his side. Facing the truth, he knew there was no way such a woman would ever be interested in him. In his heart he knew, Lisa Whedbee was unattainable...

Lisa and Michael became friends when she joined the choir in 1991, about a year after the birth of her daughter with severe disabilities. He admired the strength she seemed to show for the cards she had been dealt. He could not know it was a well-practiced facade she presented to the world. The tender care she showed for her daughter moved him, and he always wished there was some way he could help this precious angel. It was this desire that motivated Michael to suggest the story about Lisa and her struggles to raise a special needs child.

Lisa loved the idea of the story. Of course, Lisa loved anything that made her the center of attention, and she was happy to meet with Michael numerous times as they worked on the article. Michael was in heaven getting to spend time with Lisa almost every day during the two weeks it took to gather everything he needed to write the piece. Maybe he stretched it out a little bit, but being in her presence made him feel like the man he had always wanted to be. Despite everything he was feeling, he thought he was in tight control of his behavior, lest his true feelings slip out and give him away. When the article was published on that Mother’s Day, Michael was elated to see how proud and happy Lisa was with his work.

Michael would have almost fainted if he knew, for all his outward control, Lisa became increasingly aware of his feelings for her. She thought his adoration of her was sweet, and a thought began to germinate in her mind—Perhaps Michael Frazier might be able to serve a real purpose in her life.

3 comments:

  1. I knew Michael personally for many years. He was a great guy whose relationship I valued tremendously and still do even with his passing.

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    1. That is a beautiful thing to say about that man. Seems he was manipulated. GOD REST HIS SOUL!

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  2. He knew murder is wrong. Thats why he attempted to hide it.

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