Wartman Special  Winters family  Keesha Monroe  Highlights

Sound familiar?
It was January, 1995. Still in high school, Nick Newman had decided he was going to get a college degree overnight and had already filled out the "forms" to make it happen. Living with her mother at the time, Newman's sweat pea, Sharon Collins, was surprised when the goof showed up at her door.

"It's incredible!" Collins exclaimed after the call and for the time - it was. Only January and already Newman, Collins and Matt Clark's babe, aimless Amy Wilson, had announced they were all graduating early.

Jack Abbott & Luan Violein
by Brent Kellogg

It was February 1995 when Jack Abbott and Luan Violein decided to get married. The decision came about when Luan, whom Jack thought he would never see again, returned to Genoa City. Jack wanted to take Luan with him to the Caribbean but she passed. Jack didn't know that MariJo Mason, engaged to Jack at the time, had flashed her diamond engagement ring in front of Luan making her think that Jack had no interest in her.

Luan wrote a note to Jack thanking him for inviting her. Back in 1995 most notes were the type that when opened spoke to the reader. Jack called Luan for an explanation but she hung up on him so he sped over to her restaurant, the Saigon Shack. Luan told Jack she was thinking of selling the Shack and returning to Vietnam. A future between them was out of the question.

Sad, Jack returned to the office where Victor Newman was waiting wanting to discuss business. When Jack said it wasn't a good time to talk Victor brow beat him. "Leave your personal problems at home," Newman bellowed.

Jack took off and Victor was joined by Neil Winters. Victor made it clear there were going to be some changes in upper management and Neil was pleased. The implication was that Jack was out but at the last moment Victor remembered that Jack had a contract which couldn't be broken.

Jack decided to go to the Caribbean alone to clear his head. MariJo suspected he was going and booked a flight too. She wanted to make sure that Jack hadn't changed Luan's mind so she called the Shack. Luan's daughter answered the phone and said her mother was upstairs in her room having flashbacks about her early days with Jack.

Snapping out of her dream, Luan picked up the phone and called one of the local newspapers to place an ad. Restaurant For Sale. Hanging up the phone, she began having more flashbacks. "You are spoken for by a woman of your own world," Luan said to herself.

Back in those days, the phrase "we come from two different worlds" was all the rage.

In St. Thomas, MariJo tried her best to seduce Jack but he told her there could never be anything between them. Luan was back and he wanted the only woman he had ever been in love with back. As a token of their friendship, Jack told MariJo to keep the engagement ring he had given her.

When MariJo returned to Genoa City Luan told her that she knew what MariJo had tried to accomplish. Just as Luan was finishing she began having one of her spells. MariJo became very interested and made a point of writing down the name of Luan's doctor. MariJo had initially planned to drive a wedge between the two but nothing ever came of it.

By the end of the month Jack and Luan had announced their wedding. Nikki Newman had a fit when Jack told her. Newman listened intently as Jack told the story of how the woman he had left behind in Vietnam had come back into his life. When Jack was done yammering, Nikki threw him out.

While the actual wedding invitations read February 10, 1995, Jack announced on the seventh that the wedding would be "one week from today" making the actual date, Valentine's Day.

Luan and Jack's son, Keemo, was very impressed with the way Jack had sent out inter-office memos disguised as wedding invitations. "Very ingenious" Keemo quipped prompting Luan to say, "Your father is a clever man." Note: The story of how Keemo was returned from Vietnam thanks to the Bug is a story in and of itself.

Things were moving slowly when Luan had another spell. Her doctor told her that the medication she was taking wasn't working and he didn't have a clue as to what should be done other than to take the medication with milk. Overall, the doctor didn't even know Luan's medical problem which went down in history as a mystery disease. Since the doctor didn't know what Luan had, how he knew what to prescribe was another mystery.

The wedding was held at the Trinity Church. Traci Connelly flew in from New York to be a her brother's side. The Winters family attended including PainMe Johnson, John 'Yawn' Abbott, Ashley and Blade Bladeson, Katherine Sterling, and Luan's kids. Nikki Newman also showed at the last moment as did the creepy Bug, Christine Romalotti. Even Victor and Hope Newman were there.

When November rolled around, Luan was still dealing with her disease. In December, her doctor announced he had found a cure for a disease he didn't know the name of! Luan has overjoyed. "I feel like a new grasshopper. Now my life with Jack can go on," she sputtered.

"I love Jack more than life. I was his lifeline in Vietnam. I was the enemy when the city of Saigon fell and lost track of my GI. I thought I'd never see him again. During my escape from the country I lost my son too. I thank God I moved to Genoa City from St. Louis. Otherwise, I would never have found the two most important men in my life," she rambled.

In March 1996 it all ended.

Upstairs at the Abbott home, Luan was applying makeup when her eyes began to roll up into her skull and spin. "Are you alright?" Jack asked. Luan said she was fine but sensing this might be their last moment together began chattering about how great life had been with her GI.

The two spewed how they were each other's angels and how they changed the other's life; how incredible it was they found each other after all those years; how they thank God everyday; how until the found each other they didn't believe in miracles and how love goes on forever.

Where Jack went is unclear. The next moment, alone in the room, Luan began to stumble. Her hands shook as she pried open a vial containing her medication. Swallowing a few pills, Luan's eyes continued to roll. Jittery, she made her way to the bed, reached out for the Bible and knocked over a flower vase.

Clutching the Good Book to her bosom, Luan lay back on the bed as her eyes continued to whirl. Amazingly, downstairs, old man Yawn Abbott heard the glass break. Rushing upstairs, Yawn repeatedly called out Luan's name. Hearing no response, he walked into the bedroom and was shocked to see Luan motionless. He dialed 911 but for some unknown reason decided to watch Luan's eyes! By the time Yawn got around to calling the ambulance was too late. Luan was dead.

Yawn mentioned to the paramedics that Luan was an organ donor. "But we already have an organ," a paramedic whispered. (Just kidding)

Downstairs, Keemo and his sister were arriving. Yawn told them their mother was dead and nobody stopped to think that if Luan were an organ donor she should have been placed on life support. But alas, this wasn't done.

When Jack got the news he had to force the tears. "No warning. One minute she's alive and the next ... no warning," Keemo told him. Jack told Keemo his mother had been sick for months and didn't want him to know. In fact, Luan had known for months and hadn't told Jack until just recently. Keemo had a fit. "Don't you ever come near me again!" Keemo spat at Jack.

Father and son kissed and made up later whereupon Keemo announced plans to leave town and leave his poor sister all alone to run the restaurant.

Even more amazement took place at the Center 4 Disease where Luan's eyes were being held on ice. They were supposed to go to Hope Adams but everyone knew that Hope needed retinas - not corneas. Besides that, Hope had returned to Kansas.

And so it came to pass that Luan died just slightly more than a year after her arrival in Genoa City. Throughout their short marriage, Jack said over and over that he would never love another woman. How soon they forget.

A side note: Prior to her death, Luan collapsed while she and MariJo were dining at the Lodge. MariJo called the paramedics but when they arrived everyone just stood around. "I don't know what the fuss is all about," Luan said when she came around a few moments later and acting as if nothing had happened, got up off the floor, resumed her meal and even ordered a double-chocolate mousse for desert.

Year Highlights

April 1995. Jack Abbott had just hired Don Overman to teach his son Keemo, how to be a chemist. The event raised eyebrows because Keemo had only recently returned from the Vietnam jungle and had no education to speak of.

April 1995 - Sharon Collins had just been told by Nick Newman that he and Sharon had been nominated King and Queen for the upcoming Polynesian Paradise Spring Dance at Genoa City High. As luck would have it, Nick and Sharon won and were given the title "Kane and Moe Wahine." The even raised eyebrows at the time because the word Moe does not appear in the Hawaiian dictionary. Moe is however, a city in western Gippsland, Victoria, Australia.

April, 1995. Detective Paul 'Clueless' Williams had recently given rock star Danny Romalotti a mandate. Watch over the Bug. Danny was more than happy to be of service as he had been trying for months to win back the Bug's love.

When the Bug ran into Danny at the RoadKill Cafe the critter seemed surprised to see Danny. "What are you doing here?" the Bug asked. Danny reminded the Bug his sister owns the joint and then pressed for an answer to his question about Clueless. Is something wrong? The Bug began fidgeting and got downright nasty when Danny pressed on.

Concluding the Bug wasn't going to tell, Danny wiped the venom off his face and ran off to confront Clueless who moments earlier concluded he would no longer allow being "half a man" to bother him. For weeks Clueless had been suffering from impotence.

As Danny pumped for information Clueless interrupted long enough to bellow "this is a detective agency." Danny was stunned because he knew Clueless hadn't been on a case since he and the Bug found Keemo Violien in Vietnam. Getting nowhere, Danny returned home where he told wife Phyllis the cops were getting close to finding out who tried to run down Clueless and the Bug in a rented Ford Taurus.

Meantime, the Bug had popped into Clueless' office. Loyal puppy dog secretary Lynn "Yes-Boss" Bassett told the Bug that Clueless was out but that Romalotti had been there earlier "on your behalf".

"What do you mean?" the Bug asked. Hoping to have Clueless to herself, Yes-Boss ran her mouth about Danny and how he still loved the Bug. But the critter wasn't interested in Danny's love. Turning slowly, the Bug slithered off to a video store, picked up a steak, a bottle of wine and went to Clueless' apartment.

When the Bug knocked on the door a woman's voice cried out from inside. "Who is it?", Mary Williams asked as she opened the door. Seeing the Bug, Mary said her son was sleeping. Please go away. The Bug pushed pass Mary, got Clueless out of bed and invited everyone to eat.

Before the meal was cooked, the Bug began squealing about how they were nearly killed by some maniac in a Ford and how the police weren't doing anything about it. "I want answers and I want them now", the Bug yelped and just took off for the police station.

Meantime, Phyllis Romalotti needed a plan which would bring her, Danny and Danny Jr., together as a family. When her baby-sitter suggested the baby be baptized a light went off over Phyllis' head. Yes! The perfect plan! To make the plan foolproof, Phyllis asked the Bug and Clueless to be Godparents. After some thought, the Bug and Clueless accepted because who else would be the perfect couple for the job?

Keesha Monroe
1995. Nathan Hastings was restless, involved with a woman named Keesha Monroe and his wife, Olivia, was getting suspicious. Coming home one night with lipstick on his collar and rejecting his wife's bedroom advances wasn't smart.

Neil Winters caught Hastings and the little home wrecker together one day. He told Nathan to get his act together. Hastings whined that Olivia was a workaholic but did try to dump Keesha. She wouldn't let him go threatening to expose him. Keesha even posed as a patient to get a up close and personal look at Olivia.

When Dr. Winter's sister, Dru, found out what Nathan was doing she too told Nathan to put an end to the affair. As fate would have it, Malcolm Winters met Keesha and it was instant love. When Nathan found out, the jealousy raged. When Dr. Winters asked Nathan for another baby he was eager to satisfy.

Meantime, it had been learned that Keesha had a skeleton in the closet named Stan Jackson. Malcolm learned the truth and dumped her. Jackson pestered Keesha with phone calls she ignored. Finally, Keesha decided to find out what Jackson wanted. When she called, Keesha was told Jackson had died of AIDS.

Freaked, Keesha suspected she may have been infected. If so, that meant Nathan and Olivia could be infected too. When 1996 rolled around, Keesha told Nathan she was HIV positive and urged him to get a test. Nathan couldn't bear the thought and began avoiding Olivia.

After some investigating, Dru found out the truth and told her sister. Nathan confessed and Olivia flipped. Nathan betrayed her! Didn't marriage vows mean anything? She threw Nathan out and ordered him to stay away from little Nate. She took a pregnancy and AIDS tests. Both came back negative. Nathan tested negative too but he and Nate had had a minor accident while playing. They both had been cut.

Olivia had Nate tested but the kid kept asking for his daddy. Nathan tried to see the kid but Olivia did her best to keep them apart. Nate's test came back negative.

Frustrated, Nathan began screaming he had certain legal rights. Out of money, detective Clueless agreed to give Nathan his old job back.

Feeling sorry for Keesha, Malcolm agreed to be her pal. She wasn't looking good and had developed pneumonia. Malcolm sensed that she was lonely and having a soul mate around might be good for her. To that end, Malcolm asked Keesha to marry him. She accepted, the two were married and Keesha died a few days later. Amazingly, by the end of the next year, Malcolm would ask Olivia to marry him.

Meanwhile, an angry Nathan had kidnapped little Nate but all the moving around and the kid pestering him to see his mommy was more trouble than it was worth. On his way home with the kid, Nathan stopped to purchase some flowers. While his back was turned, Nate ran across the street. Realizing Nate was gone, Nathan ran into the street and was hit by a car.

Olivia found Nate sleeping outside her door. She took him to see his father in the hospital and thanked Nathan for returning the kid. After they had said their good-byes, Nathan died.

Sookie, sookie, wow?
Dru Winters had just informed Neil Winters she witnessed Aunt Mamie Johnson and John Abbott exchanging body fluids. "Great! Let's get the family over here so we can celebrate", Neil said. Back in May, 1995, the Winters would use any excuse to get the family together.

Neil's half-brother, Malcolm, showed up wearing a baseball cap backwards and when Dru gave him the news Malcolm quipped, "Sookie, sookie, wow!"

However, a telephone call became the rain on their parade. Johnson was calling from the police station to stay she had just been thrown out of the Abbott home by Jill Abbott! Later, Johnson was spotted at the bus depot purchasing a ticket to "wherever the bus is going."

Later, Jack Abbott placed an ad in the newspaper along with Johnson's photo with the caption; "Maime - Phone Home!"

Dru and sister Olivia Winters managed to get air time on the local TV station and together made a plea for Maime's return. At a flophouse outside town, Johnson was holding her head in a pillow, bawling her eyes out.

At long last, Johnson returned to the Abbott home only to learn her job as the maid had been filled by another woman. When Jack Abbott found out Johnson was back he fired the new maid. What Johnson didn't know at first was that John Abbott was in the hospital after suffering a heart attack. She sped to the Center 4 Disease and was saddened to see Jill Abbott and baby Billy Abbott at old man Abbott's bedside.

Finally getting a chance to be alone with the man she had fallen in love with overnight, Johnson was shocked to learn that Abbott couldn't recall who she was. Johnson stumbled into the hall where she bumped into Jill. "You're the maid. That's all you'll ever be," Abbott growled.

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