Five Aces
by
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“I feel like G. B. Debasco,” Malcolm said. His wife looked at him with a puzzled expression. “He saved the school and he was an alumnus of the school, too. It’s all printed in the brochure. Read it while we wait for the food.” “Yes, sir,” she quickly responded. She put her left hand over her mouth and giggled politely. With a straight face, she started reading, “Nestled in the heart of Michigan, Kroeson Military Academy is located conveniently in Millbrook, 50 miles northeast of Grand Rapids. The entrance is a short drive from Highway 66. The school was established by Capt. Daniel Francis Kroeson, on his 50 acre farm after several years of poor corn and wheat crops. “He bought the property when he went into semi-retirement from an outstanding career as a professional soldier. Family tradition dictated the domestic lifestyle and he didn’t want to lose the investment of the property, which was made in part by family finances. He erected three dormitories named after George Washington. The bell-like sound of a spoon that struck a glass caught her attention for a moment. She continued reading. “. . .Debasco incorporated the Academy in 1897 when the school had over 500 students. Mr. Bales died in a stable accident three years later, and Cynthia Marie Bales died in 1905 after dedicating over 41 years of her life to the institution.” “The tradition of excellence and honor continues everyday at Kroeson Military Academy as young boys receive quality education designed to form their physical, mental, and emotional attitudes that will benefit them the rest of their lives. Successful alumni often send their sons to the academy, and constant contact with graduates is maintained by the alumni association. A firm foundation for life is readily available at Kroeson Military Academy. Tour our facilities and stay overnight at our historic visitor’s center,” the brochure ended. “Excuse me,” said the waitress. “Georgia, honey,” Malcolm said. “Soup’s on,” as she looked up. “Thank you,” Georgia said as the food was placed on the table. ”Malcolm, for a school entrenched with a male-dominated attitude, the women sure played a great role in the survival of the academy.”
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About the Book
An attempt to rescue an all male military academy from financial despair by one of the alumni turns deadly as a murder mystery centers on the reunion of five cadets at the academy. The childhood antics and pranks once buried in the past surface to undermine the celebration of the present.
About the Author
Elias Tobias is the pen name of Michael D. Hall that he started to use in the early 1990's after writing and publishing poems and short stories for nearly 20 years. His first works were published in junior high school. This interest in writing lead to a career in photojournalism and education, teaching Secondary English. Throughout college and the different jobs that supported him, writing was and continues to be a constant factor in his life. The pen name was created by combining two different names from a movie screen credits in a western. The early American West is one of his major interests with movies, music CDs, belt buckles, and wooden nickels among his collections. In 1998, he started the web blog, "The World of Words by Elias Tobias," (http://eliastobias.net) which has been an alternate venue for his poetry and photography and other related articles and videos. Hall has created over 30 videos that integrate his photography and poetry, and one video of the only recorded musical version of his poem “Next Flight” by ex-college roommate Michael Albright. Articles include how to write poetry and a popular instructional titled, “How to have a free poetry blog in three easy steps or claiming your homestead on the wild frontier of the Internet.” Recently more people have sent their poetry to be published on the highly ranked Internet site.