Fox Files with Mike Harper
It's that time again, folks! I know, contain your excitement for my strange, time-traveling interviews with people who seem to be real even though the interview itself may or may not be a dream. I'm not asking you to make sense of it all, but I have so much fun talking to these people, I sure hope you're enjoying reading about them!
This week I spoke with Mike Harper (Harper! I know, I thought of Alexia the whole time!). I didn't go back too far. Before 2020, for sure. 2016ish, I believe. I managed to go to Long Island in the winter which was a real treat since it's currently one million degrees in Colorado. I was 100% not dressed for the cold. Luckily, I ran into Mike inside. He seemed like a nice enough man, just looking to hold onto his job to keep his livelihood and support his bed-ridden pregnant wife. Toss some murder into the mix if all that doesn't seem stressful enough.
I told you. Interesting, right? Let's get into it!
Cali: Hi! My name is Cali Fox and I work for the paper. I'm working on my own section called Fox Files and I was hoping I could talk to you for it.
Mike: Me?
Cali: It's nothing serious. I just talk to the locals and get a short, breezy, slice-of-life kind of interview.
Mike: Oh. Sure.
Cali: Thanks! What's your name?
Mike: Mike Harper. Nice to meet you.
Cali: What's your favorite color?
Mike: Brown. I know that’s not a color most people would pick but I always felt like you could never go wrong with brown. It’s simple. Goes with anything.
Cali: Huh. I'd never thought of that. Makes sense. Where are you from, Mike?
Mike: Long Island. Born and raised, in fact.
Cali: Oh very cool. I moved around a lot when I was a kid. I was always jealous of the 'born and raised type'. What do you like to do for fun?
Mike: I like to garden, which is a weird thing to say. I used to be a meat-and-potatoes guy, never trusted vegetables, but now...they’ve really grown on me. No pun intended.
Cali: I love me a good pun though, even an unintentional one. Tell me about the people in your life.
Mike: My wife Claire is my best friend. She’s the reason I got into gardening in the first place. She makes the best salads. I can’t wait to introduce our son to it after he’s born, whatever his name turns out to be (we’re still debating).
Cali: Oh wow! Congrats on the upcoming bundle! That's so exciting!
*His smile when he talked about his baby was infectious and it was the only time the little shadow behind his eyes seemed to vanish.*
Mike: Thank you!
Cali: So, you've got a baby coming, which has to consume most of your free time, but what else is going on in your world?
Mike: What’s going on is...well, nothing really. I mean, my job can be tough sometimes. Most times, I guess. My boss Tom can be a real beast and there’s a rumor that we’re gonna be downsizing, but...You know what? I don’t wanna get into it.
*The darkness was back behind his eyes and it really felt like he was trying to hide something*
Mike: We’re good. My family and I. That’s all there is to it. I mean, we’ve got bills, and we lose sleep over them, and sometimes I wake up in a cold sweat, like anybody, but...we’re good. We’re solid. Nothing we...nothing I can’t handle. Promise.
*There was something in the way he answered me that really unsettled me, but I couldn't quite put my finger on what it was or why I was bothered.*
Cali: You seem very determined. That's a good thing. Do you have any goals for the future?
Mike: To see my son be born. To get out of this job, which I can totally handle. I’m fine, really. To just...get to a place where I’m happier. And safer. Where we’re safer and I’m not scratching out a living every day of the week. A place where the three of us can pull dinner right out of the garden.
Cali: That sounds beautiful. And there is really something to be said about being self-sufficient, especially with how crazy this world can get.
*He nodded and something in him got darker for a second. He wasn't menacing or threating, but there was something going on in his mind and something about what I said seemed to strike a nerve. I was really starting to wish I could pick through his mind like Sookie Stackhouse and figure out what he was thinking. Alas, I'm not a mind reader. I'm not even really a reporter. Just a girl who likes to talk to people.*
Cali: Are you looking at land and new jobs then? Your goal seems lovely and possible. What are you doing to get there?
Mike: I’m doing everything I can. Everything I can think of at least. Claire tells me I should talk with her more, maybe go over ideas but...this is my family we’re talking about. It’s my job to protect them and if I can’t do that then what good am...Hhhhh. Sorry. I got a little away from myself there. I’m better now. What am I doing to reach my goals? I’m applying for a personal loan and I’m calling friends to see if they know of any job openings and I’m...putting up with my job and my boss for as long as I can because my family needs me. What choice do I have?
Cali: Fair enough. I guess I'm lucky and I've always liked my job and my boss. I've heard the horror stories though and I don't envy you. That can be very hard. Is there anything standing in the way of your future?
Mike: Nothing. Everything. Maybe just me. Honestly? Some days, I’m not even sure anymore.
Cali: I understand those feelings.
*Mike glanced at the clock loudly ticking next to us.*
Mike: I'm sorry, I've got to run. I can't be late. Stay safe out there. I hope you brought a coat. There is a storm coming.
Cali: Thanks! Don't worry, I'm covered!
*How do you tell someone you don't need a coat because any minute now you'll wake up warm in bed in the future where it's blistering hot summer? You don't. So I waved and as he walked away, I felt myself being pulled back to my home.*
As per usual, as soon as I woke up, I went and looked up Mike Harper and I did not expect what I found.
Driven by bad choices and worse options, a desperate father-to-be must battle his abusive boss for the last slot at a dead-end job, but the fight may lead one of them to murder.
Mike Harper would like nothing more than to burn his dead-end job to the ground. But with a wife on bed rest and a son on the way, discovering that the company is downsizing couldn’t come at a worse time. Now, struggling to stay afloat, Mike is forced to fight for the last remaining spot to secure his family’s future. It’s too bad that Tom, his obnoxious boss, is in the same boat.
Tom Downes is a man with few friends and even fewer prospects, but the aging veteran has never gone down without a fight. Now, with his health failing and his marriage falling apart, Tom is willing to do whatever it takes to keep his job.
With a blinding snowstorm closing in, these two desperate men will battle each other on a long and twisted road fraught with heartbreaking losses – and murder.
For when it comes to staying afloat, the American Dream can break anyone…
Ooph! It explained a lot, I must admit. The shadows in his eyes, the determination. I knew there was a reason I wanted to talk to him. I found a book about Mike too and I think it's worth checking out. It's by Henry Corrigan and you can get a copy HERE!
To find out more about Corrigan, check out his WEBSITE.
Or any of these places:
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