Title: The Tear Harvester (Zolfo Springs Chronicles)
Description: Leanne Bidloe dies of a Barbiturate overdose after finding her rock star husband, Smokey, passed out in a hotel bed with another woman. At the funeral, he vows that once he raises their young son and records her Goodbye Song, he will follow her. At these words, he looks down to see tears flowing from her eyes as she lies within the open coffin, and his son chastises him for making his mother cry. She had always loved and he had always hated country music. Yet he made a promise two years earlier: Following her death, he would write and record the country song she had always begged for in life. The writing of the lyrics begins at the funeral and ends twenty one years later. The story opens as he secretly records the song at the place where he proposed to her. He drops off the recording at a country music radio station, which is set to debut the song that night at 10:37 PM, the exact time when Leanne died, twenty one years (to the day) earlier. He goes to their tiny first house and sits on the bed where he had found her as she lay dying. He places a bottle of barbiturates on the dresser beside the clock, and resets the stereo to the radio station. He plans his own death by overdose to occur as the song plays, on that twenty first anniversary of her death. Her manifestation has repeatedly appeared to warn him not to follow her, but she couldn't change his mind. During his three hour wait for the song's debut, he relives portions of their tumultuous and often unearthly journey, and the tragic chain of events that brought him to this time and place ... The Goodbye Song: Goodbye my love, goodbye; Wonder where you're at now, do people cry? You cried for me so many years; In anguish wept such bitter tears; But look who's crying now; Goodbye my love, good bye./ Goodbye my love, goodbye; Never stopped to think that you might die; Never thought you'd take your own sweet life; Just to end the pain and end the strife; But look who's dying now; Goodbye my love, goodbye./ Goodbye my love, goodbye; Child of five asks me "Daddy why?" Says "Daddy where'd my momma go?" And I have to say "Son, I don't know; I hope she floats above the sky"; Goodbye my love, goodbye./ Goodbye my love, goodbye; Though the years have passed, sometimes I cry; Our son is grown, he'll soon be gone; To start a family of his own; Guess that's the reason I just told him why; You said, "Goodbye my love, goodbye."/ Goodbye my love, goodbye; Somehow my time to be with you seems nigh; Our first grandchild was born today; Guess I'll wait a while and watch her play; And make sure she never learns to cry; Or says, "Goodbye my love goodbye."/ Goodbye my love, goodbye; One final tear for you these eyes just cried; Empty pill bottle lying by my bed; Cause I'd rather be with you instead; I hope you'll teach me how to fly; Goodbye my love, goodbye. *Song copyright 1994/ Rocky Lastinger/ All rights reserved