All Comments on 'Ice Heart Ch. 02'

I really didn't see where the author could go with this after the first chapter, but he's done a hell of a job. This has turned into a moving, downright touching, story of realistically flawed human beings, hurting and being hurt and trying to make it through the day. The "hero" is still an SOB, but he's got good reason to be. I'm looking forward to seeing where this goes.

I'm not sure how the main character is an SOB, seems like he's just moving on. Is he an SOB because his ex wife and daughter are having a rough time? Hell neither of the selfish bitches wanted him in their lives. I don't see how him following their wishes makes him an SOB. His ex wife may be having it rough, but that's the life she made for herself. He has no responsability for her after the divorce, which was caused by her cheating and cutting him off if you recall. Maybe he has some responsability for his daughter, but she's an adult who made it clear she didn't want anything to do with him, he's just complying with her wishes. I would hope things would get better for all of them, but the ex husband bears no responsability for anyone but himself at this point. I wouldn't mind a 3rd chapter where he reconciles with his daughter if nothing else, seeing him settled in with a good woman (as opposed to his bitch of an ex wife) would be nice as well.

This was a painful story to read. Not because of grammar or spelling or anything, but because of the story itself. Realistically flawed human beings indeed. The hurt keeps piling on, doesn't it?

DQS, I have to agree with Pete here. How is Cris a SOB? Ann Marie, her family AND his daughter Nicole didn't want anything to do with him, remember? They threw HIM out. Cris isn't even trying to get revenge, he just doesn't want anything to do with them anymore. That's called "leaving the past behind", not being an SOB.

And putting hero inbetween quotation marks certainly shows what you think of him.

So Ann Marie and Nicole are goody two shoes for hurting Cris, and then being hoisted by their own petard, and Cris is a SOB for not wanting anything to do with them after the divorce?

You do realize that not every guy is a masochist?

The right way to conclude this chapter is "to be continued".

It has more than a few mistakes and it is not a feel good story, but it is compelling in it's own way. One thing it is......very human. Thanks for the effort and for posting it for us readers

lighten it up!

If the husband doesn't do his best to get his cheating wife back, it just doesn't make sense to him, you see.

Anyway, good work again, Jim. I hope this isn't actually the end. It seems rather abrupt if it is. Though, this may not have been planned as a serial.

this is about the most depressive story I ever read, not only for the main characters but for the rest of the poor bastards like nikky, mikky, fred.......as well.

hey if I wanna be depressive I buy a newspaper.

good writing but this is definitlty not a discussion board of how bad the US-schoolsystem is or the local economy.

and why the fuck the big asshole gets away unhurt ? with all the money he stole ?

Compelling human story that is very touching. Great storytelling!

Don't fuck it up with another chapter. I'm glad you didn't listen, now I'm hooked and I am looking forward to the next installment.

Keep it up. I want to know where these people are going. Does his heart melt? Do the ex-wife grow a spine along with the realization that money doesn't grow on trees? Does the daughter ever apologize to her father for the pitiful way that she treated him?

but the way its written and the shit that happens just makes me hope there is another chapter.

A very busy story with a lot of characters coming and going through out the whole chapter.

That made it a little hard to follow at times, with that said, I still enjoyed the whole chapter very much.

Well written and a fantastic job of editing. Just a pleasure to read the work.

I hope to read some more of this author's work soon.

....by now his heart would have softened a little. Or he would want to know what's up with the human life he brought to this Earth. I am all for the way he shut them out at first, but after the stuck-up bitch gets pushed in the puddle, and you've had your revenge, and you see she learned a lesson you have to be a bastard to still be bitter the next day. And he should treat his daughter as if she were a fully functioning adult, at 18???? I'll bet half you readers have had kids older than that still feeding at the trough. The vernacular here is different, but not quite correct, idiomatically speaking but good job on the characters.

You may be right, Pete. I'm not too sure on the timeline thing, but since the baby's a year old now, at the very least a year has passed.

To carry that anger for so long, especially with so little contact with the people who made him angry in the first place, isn't healthy.

On the other hand, didn't Sandra send stuff to Ann Marie and the others, in his name? If I didn't like a person and didn't want anything to do with him/her, I really would NOT like it if a friend sent something to that person in my name.

Still, he seems unusually angry even after a year. I hope his heart melts a bit when he hears about the baby's deafness. I'm not talking about taking them back or anything, just...more like be a LITTLE bit interested in their wellbeing.

Reading the first chapter was an effort, because it seemed to be starting to wander a bit aimlessly, but it at least stood a chance of ending up somewhere worthwhile. I mean, the author had written a couple other half-decent tales, right? So, when I saw that Chapter 2 had been posted, I took a deep breath and started reading.

Of course, the second chapter went absolutely nowhere. Suicides, rapes that happened nearly thirty years ago, and misery piled upon misery as the story went absolutely nowhere.

There apparently WAS a plot - of sorts - when JimBob started this tale, but it has apparently gotten lost in the morass of characters and misery that got tossed in for no discernible reason.

JimBob would do well, at this point, to cut his losses and not bother with any "Chapter 3", because there's no possible way for him to pull the rabbit out of the hat and have this story reach any sort of "logical" conclusion!

Oh - one other thing: In "war" situations, field-hospitals are considered "non-targets" by both groups of combatants. Furthermore, MASH units were always in REAR areas, fairly well isolated from the fighting. If the enemy was advancing, the MASH personnel were pulled out well in advance, because they really weren't trained to fight (a doctor whose oath includes "I will do no harm..." is going to pick up a rifle and pull the trigger?) and their skill was to be preserved at all costs.

Definitely a DARK story — and what a misery! Ann Marie and Nicole paid a BIG price for what they did. I think Cris should forgive them and move on — what’s the point in keeping that anger for so long? The deafness of the baby was just another misery — I wonder if Tom Sampo will go through some as well…He should. I’m sure there’s more to come.

~Kelly~

it is a natural thing for a person like the husband to be angry; and he is very angry, even after a year or more. in real life, that's likely not enough time to heal his soul, his wounds, after having dedicating close to 20 years loving a woman, working hard to give his family a good home, with private tennis lessons for the daughter. <p>

what I've found interesting is that when authors are able to make one horrible character --- like the wife/former wife --- able to feel pain and ARTICULATE IT to the reader in a haunting way, and the wife here has done it: at one point, for example, she debated with herself and decided that she'd either commit suicide (and this was before knowing her kid from her lover/husband, the con artist who caused her and her mom and dad to lose practically everything worth having) or start sucking cocks, to bring in enough to pay rent and put food on the table for herself, the baby, and Nicole, the 18 year-old daughter. <p>

she decided that lying down in the bed she's made for herselff and sucking cocks (she knew waiting on tables at a street corner eatery alone's NOT going to be enough to pay the rent & utility bills, buy food, diapers, pay health insurance for herself, the two kids, etc.) --- literally and metaphorically --- was what she'd do, would have to do, in order to raise the baby, which she obviously felt obligated toward, for having created her from her cheating. <p>

anyway, what puzzles me is, why ONE horrible character like the wife is able to move on to redeem herself --- if not for any one else than for herself --- why the other character, NOT AS HORRIBLE (but eternally bitter & angry), is not able to move on, to redeem himself? <p>

and for me, redeeming himself, in THIS SITUATION, is NOT to accept such a horrible woman back; hell, I personally don't think she or the big daughter, his daughter, deserve any help from him, since they made it very clear when they divided the properties 50-50, and kicked him to the curb --- and both started to fuck the con man --- that they wanted nothing to do with him. So I DO UNDERSTAND his bitterness, his anger... <p>

what I don't understand is, it is obvious he has the capacity to form close and loving relationship; after all, he married for 19 years, had a good home, a loving wife and a daughter... for 18 years, that is... I am not sure why he is NOT able to MOVE ON, as a few other commentators have noted, and simply leave the business of/with the horrible former wife behind? <p>

however, it'd make total, dark, horrible sense, IF THE AUTHOR intended him, the husbnd, to march right onto a self-destructive, psychotic road, with him becoming more and more angry and unstable, lashing at everyone, and commiting suicide or homicide and end his life in some tragic way... now THAT would make sense, since it'd demonstrated that he really became UNGLUED from that betrayal and the bitterness and anger were just symptoms of a major unraveling life with death or major psychosis as the result...

but for someone to behave like an angry 13 year-old, for years and years, when he's a forty somethng, very capable, very good at his job, being able to run major projects.... that's just not very healthy or "normal." <p>

but otherwise, as others have noted, it's a dark, tragic, & realistic story... <p>

GenghisKhan

His wife cheated on him, fine, be hurt and move on. Instead, he becomes a petty, vindicative bastard hell bent on hating her and wishing her misery. HIS 18 yr old daughter fell in love with the wrong guy and her father disowned her. Nice.

I have no respect for a "man" who cares so little for his daughter that another man has to step up and protect her. I have zero respect for a "man" who would rather see his ex-wife and child in hell than say a civil word to them.

And what the fuck is with everyone talking "ghetto"? Seriously, they're a buncha white suburbians, not some high school "whigger".

Anon, read the story. Petty and vindictive? When did Cris do something to hurt his ex or his daughter? He moved away, had nothing to do with them anymore. They weren't in his life at all anymore. He never took vengeance on them. He moved on!

They hurt him, humiliate him, and then kick him out. He moves on, and when they call asking for help, he says no. That's REALLY vindictive and petty isn't it? Utterly over the top revenge! So cruel of him, saying no! That utterly destroyed them, right?

Show me ONE scene where he DELIBERATELY sought out his ex and his daughter, JUST to hurt them.

I have no respect for some anon who doesn't read the story.

JimBob has really written a good tale. He has lots of places to go in the story and the characters several redeming qualties to be explored.

I do not think JimBob has the husband as an SOB to the ex wife and daughter. JimBob has wrtten Cris as a burned guy moving on with his life. A year is not that long to overcome being screwed over by someone you had a 18+ year relationship with.

look forward to your next chapter

I find it interesting that some people think he is an SOB because he refuses to have anything to do with his ex or his daughter. I wonder if anyone who thinks so has gone through the pain of a betrayal like his wife orchestrated. The pain doesn't disappear in a year. It leaves scars you feel the rest of your life. His in-laws and daughter contributed and encouraged the cheating. They all were proud of what they had done until Tom ran off with their money. Even now I don't think one of them has issued a sincere apology for their behavior. They have tried to get his support during their troubles but he has simply refused him. If a stranger on the street approached you about medical or pregnancy issues would you feel a need to respond to them? Probably not to any significant degree. How much less would you respond to someone that has clearly declared themselves as an enemy. After THEY cut him out of their lives, he is leaving them to fend for themselves. They have made no effort to repair the damage they did. They only come to him with problems, somehow expecting his help. Maybe if the daughter made a sincere apology and worked on some fence mending a relationship could be rebuilt and he would be more receptive to her. But she hasn't done that! As readers were have seen a bit of remorse from Ann-Marie but none of that has really been shown to him. All he has seen is the actions that lead to him leaving. It's funny how there are so many readers who think forgiveness should come before admission of wrong doing, repentance, and some proof of new attitude and behavior.

thanks for the offering.

Really dark, and too much shit being shovelled on the characters, some might argue that's realistic, I just find it unenjoyable.

If I wanted realism, I would read biographies.

In fiction I want something more satisfying.

2nd read, and still find it nitty, gritty, and real. Not everyones lives are easy nor unblemished. Thanks for the realism. Five stars!

After 20 years of mostly light and happy times, it all gets taken away. Yep, that leaves just darkness. It's going to take a while to find the light again and it ain't likely to be found in the first place you look. I get it, that's life.

The characters are staying true throughout, good job JB.

detroitdave

Rambling around a bit, but lots of interesting characters coming and going. I'm finding it difficult to find any sympathy for Anne Marie and Nicole, but Chris is having a hard time for a good man.

For writing engrossing stories. Sometimes I love them, and sometimes I hate them, but I can never put them down! You can make me laugh, and a few paragraphs later, you can make me cry. That, my friend, is what they call talent.

And Sweet William is de man!!

Great chapter in one of JB's epics. These stories are one of LW's true joys.

Was it a BMW or an Indian? Me thinks you don't know shit from applebutter! And that is what his pile of words is, shit.

Re anonymous a week ago

April, the motorcycle maintenance instructor, rides a BMW. Cris, the MC, rebuilt and rides an Indian.

When the restaurant patron said 'Honey Bunny', I was expecting the next line to be, "Everybody be cool, this is a robbery!"

Man, I definitely LOVE Sweet William, those conversations with Zack always make me laugh!

You certainly have a fan community, here JimBob. However, for my simple mind there are way too many storylines crammed into one story which makes it quite hard to follow. As usual, the dialogues are written in the local colloquial style which you either like or dislike. I tend to the latter, but that's just my personal opinion. Thank you nevertheless.

Not many nice ppl in this story , maybe Sandra?

So is everyone in lousiana an asshole or just the characters in your stories?

Men can’t keep their dicks in their pants, women are all whores. I thought Mississippi was pretty bad when I was stationed in Biloxi. Glad I never ventured into lousiana.

MC hates the ho he married but if he’s so GD smart, why did he marry the ho? Answer might be staring back at him in the mirror every morning. Falls in love with a mentally challenged girl and decides it would be a swell idea to pull a 3 way with her and her friend. Sad. Just sad.

@ secretsal, I would bet that your comment about a robbery went clear over the head of probably half (or more) of the people reading this story and these comments. But I enjoyed it.

JimmyBob, I’m not sure how much longer I can hang with this one, it’s a lot of words that just seem to be going nowhere. I’m gonna give the next chapter a go but if the pace doesn’t pick up I’m just gonna move on. Don’t know why I’m telling you that, I know you don’t give a royal shit. But thanks for all the effort, anyway.

4🌟🌟🌟🌟