While man can conquer, shape, control and even master his space...his place cannot be dictated...but must be defined...before his space can exist. Legally Ned was a slave. He was born and died a slave. For all of his life he was owned by the Graham family and lived on their plantation. Yet, Ned threatened to whip the master's daughter, exposed himself to the master's son and carried on a long term affair with a white woman. Ned took no orders and done only the work he chose. His was the life of a country gentleman; he understood his place and mastered his space. While more than two hundred years later retired Army Master Sergeant Timothy Morgan would declare "I was a military man you know. I fought in two wars and I am entitled to the spoils I secured for myself. As long as I am alive, they are mine to claim!" And claim them he did! Conquering the place, but losing his space. Across town Wilbert Robinson, Attorney at law, had clearly defined his place but dictating his space was a problem, a real problem. He occasionally got a good paying case but never the really big one that would define his career. Now eight years after passing the state bar examination he was feeling somewhat frustrated but unwilling to be a talking head and work for a big law firm. So he would muddle along...content to be his own man, but restless... College student, Jerry Chandler had no clue about his place or space. Jerry wore designer clothes, had a platinum credit card, lived in a large luxury apartment near campus and drove a very expensive sports car. He was comfortable, secure and lazy because his parents paid all of his bills, and would continue to do so as long as he was in pursuit of a degree...or so he thought. Four novellas Different Spaces n Different Places Eugene Rookwood