A big 'Thank You' to Mr. Wolf for his editing and making this a much better read.
Each year, Earth Day marks the anniversary of what many consider the birth of the modern environmental movement. Earth Day 1970 capitalized on the emerging consciousness, channeling the energy of the anti-war protest movement and putting environmental concerns front and center.
The first Earth Day led to the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species Acts. It was a gamble, but it worked.
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Chapter 1
Earth day two thousand twelve changed my life forever. This is what happened.
Lexi was special; her name was Alexis but everyone called her Lexi. I was a senior in college when I met her. It was love at first sight, she didn't have to say anything. I have dated a lot of girls and women in the last few years but I knew Lexi was the one. There was this look about her that I can hardly describe, beautiful, sexy, elegant, sophisticated, even pleasant. That was without even talking to her.
I'm Tom Davis and according to my friends I guess I wasn't so bad looking either. I stood around six foot, a hundred and eighty pounds. In high school I played football, baseball and even a little basketball. I loved to work out and was in great physical shape. I was the homecoming king as well as the valedictorian of our class. I had it all going for me.
I came from a wealthy family and had a brother and sister who also did well for themselves. I finished college and went on to become a CPA, a certified public accountant. Life was good.
Lexi and I have been together for a year now and she was a senior in college. We saw each other at least twice a week but talked to each other almost every day. Our dates almost always ended up with us making love or at least having sex. It was different with her than it was with most other women. I honestly think it was me. I tried every way I could to please her. I always put her first in our lovemaking. By putting her first I got so much more out of it.
I kind of laughed when she told me her parents approved of her dating me. I later found out she was adopted. Her parents were unable to have kids and adopted her when she was two years old. They kept her on a pretty tight leash until she started college. Even then they wanted to know her every move.
They were a well known and wealthy family in the area. Her father was in local politics and her mother's family owned a large corporation; her mother was on the board of directors. I had found that they had done a background check on me when Lexi and I started dating.
I asked Lexi about getting married but she said she wanted to wait till after she finished college. I let her know I would wait as long as it takes. She also told me there was one other thing she wanted to do before she would get married.
"Tom, I told you I was adopted. What I didn't tell you is that I have a twin sister. Our parents were killed in an auto accident when I was two years old. I want to find her if I can. My adopted parents told me they have no idea where she would be, but I have to try.
"There have been times throughout my life that I might feel sorrow or pain for no reason. I've heard that sometimes a twin can have the feeling of the other. I just feel I need to find her."
I promised Lexi that we would find her twin sister together, but that didn't happen. You see, Lexi was fatally injured in an auto accident on the way home from college. I'll never forget the date because it happened on 'Earth Day' two thousand and twelve. I rushed to the hospital and was talking to her; we were both crying. I had looked at the doctor and he shook his head. I knew she wasn't going to make it.
She asked me to promise her I'd look for her sister and give her some of her personal things and to let her know she had thought about her throughout her short life. She closed her eyes and it was all over, my Lexi was gone.
I was sad for days and after the funeral I talked with her mom and dad. They were both terribly distraught. We talked for hours about Lexi and the joy she brought to all our lives. I asked them about her sister. They were at the hospital when Lexi asked me to find her sister. I told them I promised her I would look for her.
"Tom, you don't need to keep that promise. You're a young man and need to go on with your life," said Mr. Johnson.
"No, I promised Lexi and I'm going to do my best to find her sister. Anything you can tell me at all about her sister or where she might be would help. I'm going to do my best to honor my promise to Lexi." The Johnson's knew I was serious.
Mrs. Johnson explained to me how they came about adopting Lexi. They had tried for years to have a child but were unsuccessful. When they heard about the accident and two people dieing they asked about the young girls who were in the accident. Lexi was shaken up but otherwise uninjured. Her sister, however, was in critical condition with internal injuries. Because of their status in the community children services let them be foster parents to Lexi and they eventually adopted her.
They lived in Michigan at the time. Her sister whose name was Alexandra was transferred to Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. She needed surgery; they didn't tell Lexi that she had a sister, let alone a twin until she was eight years old.
Lexi wanted her parents to see if they could contact her sister somehow or at least find out if she survived the accident. They had told Lexi that she did survive and was adopted by a family but had no idea who they were or where they lived.
Mr. Johnson told me that they did know who Alexandra lived with. It was her aunt and uncle who lived somewhere in Kentucky. They never told Lexi because they were afraid of losing her; that maybe she would want to be with them. They thought it best to let it lie, which they did. They were never in contact with the family. All they knew was they lived in a farming community somewhere in Kentucky.
They wished me luck in finding Alexandra. They said they didn't even know if she was adopted or just lived with her relatives. Lexi and Alexandra's given name was Moore but they thought her aunt's married name might have been Smith, which would make them much harder to locate.
I let my employer know that I was taking time off. I told them I had a promise to keep. I was told that if I left for more than two weeks that I need not come back by my employer. I believe my boss was jealous of my family having money and a lot of their friends asked for me to do their taxes.
I knew I was good at doing taxes; I graduated the top of my class and would have no trouble finding another position or even starting my own business. I told them they could fill my position if they chose too. My boss said they were giving me the two weeks personal time without pay.
My parents said I was making a big mistake but I told them I was following my heart and it never failed me yet. I explained to my parents what I was doing and even though they didn't agree with my decision they wished me luck. They were always supportive of me.
Mr. and Mrs. Johnson gave me Lexi's diary. It wasn't really a diary but more of a book that she wrote things that happened to her in life. I glanced quickly through the book and it was full of little things like when she felt sick for no reason or even happy when it was just a normal day. She also wrote about meeting me and how we were good together. I couldn't believe how much she talked about the sister she never knew. It really brought tears to my eyes.
They also gave me a lot of nice clothing and other personal things to give to Alexandra if I found her. They told me they had no reason to keep them. They just kept some of the things Lexi made for them and all her school mementoes. They even gave me a few of her pictures while growing up. Damn! I missed her so much.
