Shedrick, can you hear me?” I opened my eyes and saw the outline of a man’s face taking shape. Thin sandy hair, watery brown eyes probing, overly large ears that stuck out from his head like a small Volkswagen with the doors open. The absurd image stirred my attention. “Mr. Shedrick, sir…” The voice was soft, persistent, confident in authority. My eyes focused on the U.S. ambassador. “Good evening, Mr. Shedrick, and thank you.” I blinked, and blinked again. Now what do they want… “May I call you Dan?” I nodded. “You really are a winner, you know, congratulations. My God, you’re a genuine American hero.” “Not now…” “Accept it, you are. The president called me again only an hour ago, and asked me to convey his congratulations as soon as I saw you. There’ll definitely be a White House dinner, and that’s just for starters. The president has already spoken to your family.” At the mention of family, my attention snapped into focus. “You’ll never have to worry about anything again, Dan.
