Dreams Crashing Down

Po’ boy Jason Roll is trying to escape from a life of poverty. He dreams his dreams and then works to make them real. Then his job and his girl disappear, leaving his dreams crashing down. Maybe if Jason works hard enough, he can build new dreams.

Excerpt from Dreams Crashing Down:

My elementary school had a computer lab. I took a computer class and I was good at programming computers. I would go to school, take my classes and then hang around to try to get time on a computer, after school. If I couldn’t get time on a computer, right away, I would still hang around and practice Kung Fu, while I waited for a computer to maybe free up.

In the fullness of time, I graduated from elementary school and then I went to Roosevelt Middle School. It was around that time that I realized that I was poor and the crap that they wanted me to study would keep me poor. However, Roosevelt Middle School again had a computer lab. I took what computer classes were available to a poor boy and found that I was really good at programming computers.

I then graduated from Roosevelt and went to Washington High School, over by the big industrial park. I was still poor and the crap that they wanted me to study at Washington High School would keep me poor. However, Washington High School again had a computer lab. I took what computer classes were available to a poor boy and found that I was unusually good at programming computers.

I came to the attention of the Lozenge Corporation and I was able to get a work study job that earned me a little money and would lead to a good paying job, when I got out of school.

I also met Nancy, while I was at Washington. Nancy was a good looking girl. Nancy was also a poor girl. I was able to date Nancy, because of my work study earnings.
I began to develop dreams. I would go to college, on a scholarship and work study. I would graduate from college, get a good paying job, with the Lozenge Corporation and then marry Nancy. With my good paying job, we would get a little house, a decent car and we would live the good life.

I worked hard and got good grades. Jason Roll got a scholarship and also a work study arrangement with the Lozenge Corporation. I would work, part time, at the college computer center and build my dreams, with hard work.

We graduated from high school and Nancy promised to wait for me.

My parents then moved far away, as my father got transferred to another factory.

Alone in the world, I went off to college. I worked hard and was making decent grades and I even published a couple of computer programming papers. I also wrote Nancy, once a week.

At first, Nancy wrote back and all seemed well. Then Nancy’s letters became fewer and less friendly.

I didn’t have much free time, but I tried to find out what seemed to be going wrong between Nancy and me.

At first, Nancy tried to just shrug off the deterioration of our relationship. Then there was a time of no communication from Nancy. Then, it seemed that I was not to bother Nancy anymore, as she was going to marry Ronny.

One of my dreams popped, like a soap bubble that someone poked.

However, I would soon have my college degree and also a good paying job with the Lozenge Corporation. I would just find me another lady.

My relationship with the Lozenge Corporation also seemed to be deteriorating. I notified the Lozenge Corporation that I was graduating from college, as agreed upon in my work study contract, and I was ready to report for work.

I got a couple of phone calls from the Lozenge Corporation. They wanted me to send them my signed copy of the work study contract. I saw that another of my dreams was about pop, like a soap bubble that someone poked. I used a top end copy machine, at the college, to make a good looking copy of my work study contract. I sent that to the Lozenge Corporation.

The Lozenge Corporation then called me to say that there would be no job for me, at the Lozenge Corporation.