Chapter 1 Pages 19-35 Summary

One hundred and sixty-eight hours before George dies, he remembers sneaking into the church to ring the church bell, learning engineering, teaching math, getting married, having and surviving heart attacks and more. He ends up thinking how he got Parkinson's and diabetes and now he is lying in bed where his dining room table used to be.

George also remembers that his mother lived with them up until she died. His mother used to call his father all sorts of names for all of his foolishness when he was alive. George yearns to see his father again.

The spring before George dies, he decides to start recording his memories on a tape recorder. He starts to record his memoirs down in the basement one day when his wife is gone. When George plays it back, he listens for about...