Publisher's Synopsis
This story is written in the spirit of fun. I wrote it to make me laugh. It would be fantastic if the reader also finds a chuckle or two. As you read this hilarious account of the misadventures of Rufus P. Long you will quickly discover a person that you would enjoy slapping. Rufus is gangly, obnoxious, and a want-to-be recluse that is forced to mingle with society. He stands six foot seven, weighs in at around one hundred and fifty pounds, and sports a prominent nose, protruding ears, and size twenty feet. Rufus's uproarious trials begin with his unwanted graduation. After nine years of college, he catches a bus and heads for his home in Big Lizard; a small town south of New Orleans. The encounters aboard the bus are just the beginning of his amusing exploits. Rufus is forced into a relationship with a person-of-color, James Washington, a fellow passenger . This meeting ultimately results in him being unjustly arrested and sentenced to perform community service. While trying desperately to hang on to his recluse tendencies, he's ordered to work in a thrift store run by a female drill-sergeant. This leads him to a nursing home that is full of wise-cracking old 'birds' and finally to coaching a baseball team of eleven year old delinquents of various nationalities. His unwanted friendship with Washington, a confused relationship with his girl friend Magnolia, his association with the old folks, and his involvement with the kids, all force Rufus into making a decision. Do all these interactions, not to mention the dealings with his combative mother and his love for his Old Dog, result in Rufus remaining as he is or does it force him to change to meet society's norms? The surprising answer is revealed in the end.
