Novelette: Envy Is A Terrible Thing
By Charles Peters
Copyright 2019
All Rights Reserved
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This story is fiction.
Any resemblance to any real people or places or things is not intentional.
Chapter One
The Duddley family lived in a modest home on the cul-de-sac portion of Regions Way; a fairly quiet road. The Regions Neighborhood was within walking distance of a long, winding beautiful white public beach on Hearthville Lake. The beach measured nearly half a mile long. Although part of the Hearthville Lake was filled with water from the Hearthville River, part of the lake was fed by clear springs. Except after heavy rains, the lake water was clear enough so that swimmers could see the fish swimming in the lake around their feet.
Elliot Duddley was the patriarch of the family. He worked at the Hearthville College in administration. Some people had been known to suggest he favored John Denver, mainly because of his haircut. Some mornings he drove to work and some mornings he walked down to the lake where he had his boat docked. From there he would get in his boat and set the throttle to a high speed to race across the lake like a bat out of hell. He loved the feel of the air and the bouncing of the boat as he sped to the college campus where he worked. Hearthville College was not across the lake but just farther down the shoreline a few miles from where the Duddley family lived.
Ellen Duddley was the matriarch of the family. She somewhat favored Mary Tyler Moore. She kept house and maintained the accounting records for some local businesses.
Elliot and Ellen’s oldest son was Stewart Duddley. Stewart was accomplished enough at football before his leg injury that he might could have played at a professional level. As it was, he could no longer play college football at the Hearthville College, where he attended, much less hope for a professional career in the sport that he loved.
Stewart was twenty years old and stood six foot and five inches tall. He had brown hair and green eyes. He sometimes wore his hair in a buzz cut and sometimes wore his hair longer. He was muscular.
Elliot and Ellen’s middle child was Victor Duddley. He was nineteen years old. Victor had jet black hair and dark blue eyes. He stood a modest five foot and eight inches tall. He was also more skinny than muscular and some described his manner as gawky. Some people considered Victor’s looks unkempt and odd while some considered him cute. He was brilliant. He had helped design some patents and was rich. Very rich. But regardless of his wealth, he still went to the local Hearthville College and lived at home with his parents and siblings. Though smart, Victor was more athletic than some people might think.
Victor was accomplished but there was tragedy in his past. He had gone through something that not even his father knew about.
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Elliot and Ellen’s youngest child was Judy Duddley. She was eighteen years old. Judy was somewhat reserved. Most people considered Judy smart, though she would make clear to them she had to work her ass off for her grades. She hated that learning and understanding did not come as easily to her as it did for Victor. She was also jealous that her brothers were athletic while often she considered herself something of a klutz.
Having two brothers Judy was tough when she needed to be. Stewart looked like a giant when he stood next to Judy who stood barely five foot and four inches tall. With her small size, and especially when the other girls eyed her beauty, they mistakenly thought Judy could be pushed around. With most rivals, she could better than stand her own.
Judy had long black hair that naturally curled at the ends though sometimes she helped with the natural curl. She had deep blue eyes that at times had a cheerful sparkle while at other times had a rather penetrating look as though she could see right through a person.
There was something about the Duddley family that attracted people to them in the touristy, college town of Hearthville, Georgia. The family, both singularly and together, were well known to the locals.
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