The Aardvark's Grunt, the Author's Murmur

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In 1986, about 20 years ago, Brent Forrester, retired high school English teacher, and a widower, bought a second-hand jacket in a thrift store in Philadelphia. It had the logo of an aardvark on one pocket. Over the years he came to see it as a kind of good-look charm for his post-retirement volunteer duties, tutoring several young men for the GED or high school equivalency diploma for Abington Library, different kinds of chores inside Abington Hospital, and delivery of Meals on Wheels for the hospital. In his spare time, Brent has written novels since his retirement, but the good-luck charm was of no help here. Despite his lack of success, he has continued to write novels. Brent does earn a little money writing reviews of theater productions for several weekly suburban newspapers. After undergoing hospital procedures for prostate cancer and later cataracts, Brent is told that he must undergo heart surgery for a worsening murmur. After a week in the hospital, he spends a week at a rehab center, and then at home with the services of a visiting nurse. After he learns that a granddaughter in California has given birth to a son, Brent travels to California and Texas to visit his two sons and some family and his new great-grandson. Brent's two daughters live in Philadelphia. After he returns home, he continues his volunteer duties, getting involved with two women volunteers. They are deeply interested in the outcome of the November 2006 mid-term elections for the U.S. House and Senate.