Ollie Visits the Hotel California: Chicago
“Sorry to bother you in Beijing sir, but just had to ask a little favor.”
“Oh, hey there Ollie, been a while. Where are you now?”
“Chicago”
“Really? Well, I tried to clean up Chicago and reduce the horrible crime like no one else can, but that mayor has the brains of a slithering night-crawler. What can I do for you Ollie?”
“Remember you asked me to Guide our children back to the wonderful light we call the United States?”
“Of course. I figured at your age you didn’t have the energy or courage to tackle a massive assignment like that, so instead you went to the beach with some cold Guinness and enjoyed directing the dancing bikinis.”
“I can do that whenever I want. But yes, I’m giving this a shot, and I may be making some progress. As far as my age, it doesn’t matter because my favorite song is Toby Keith’s Don’t let the old man in. I’ll never let the old man enter my soul sir, and I will continue to serve as long as the good Lord allows.”
“Listen Ollie, I’ve got to eat some Moo goo gai pan with Xi and smile a lot. So, tell me, what do you need to accomplish this task?”
“You see, I have a little problem at the Cook County Jail here in Chicago that I think is important to resolve when you have a moment…”
“I guess what they say about you is correct. Consider it done.”
“Thanks. But my young president, I’ve been to China in different circumstances many years ago, and I overstayed my welcome there, for various reasons, and they will never forget. Sir, please always remember, The Chinese Communist Party can never be trusted, not matter how much they try to smile.”
The next day…
“Welcome to Cook County lockup, what we affectionately call Hotel California, since we are on California street, here in the Windy City. May I help you sir?” Ollie walked up to the security entrance of the Cook County Jail and that’s when he realized that his cane could be a problem and could be considered a lethal weapon.
“I’m here to see an inmate, Jerome Brown, and then I’m going to walk out of here with him.”
“What? Old man, you are a senile old white-haired fool! Hell no you ain’t”, said the security guard.
“Just let me in to see him.”
“What is your name?”
“Ollie.”
“I need your full name, not just your first name, 2 pieces of ID including a state issued photo I.D. But there ain’t no Ollie on the visitors list, so you ain’t going to visit.”
“I don’t have a full name. Ollie is it.”
The guard then called in three other security guards to help with the old man visitor. Listen, we’re going to have to ask you to leave and go back to the nursing home and take your meds.”
“Nope.” Not going to happen. Ollie pulled out the only two pieces of identification he owned: One was his FAA pilot’s license, his only real ID., renewed last year by an instructor pilot in Wichita, originally issued in 1939, and the second was a shiny black credit card, or at least that is what it most closely resembled, with gold edges and a security chip. They told him it was a magic card. It had only one sentence in bold at the top and a phone number to Washington D.C. at the bottom: The White House. Office of the President of the United States.
“This is worthless I.D. sir, as he looked at the FAA license. There is no photo.” Then he looked at the black-gold plated card, puzzled, scratching his chin. What the hell do I do with this?”
“Call the number”
“No. I have a better idea: Go home.”
“May I use your phone please?” The guard gave him a phone, and Ollie called the number on the Presidential card.
Answered immediately, without hesitation: “Hello Colonel. This is 368. Do you need some assistance sir?”
Ollie said, “Some gentlemen want to talk to you. Here’s the phone.”
Ollie looked around for a few minutes as the guard received his education, twirling his cane and stretching, humming the Toby Keith tune, don’t let the old man in, I wanna leave this alone, can’t leave it up to him, he’s knocking at my door.”
The guard stood wide-eyed, and his right hand trembled a bit, almost dropped the receiver and said, “Yes sir, we’ll take care of it as fast as we can.”
They escorted Ollie to Jerome’s cell, and Ollie said Thank you
When Jerome saw the old man at his cell, he said, “Hey old man, what the hell you doing here? Shouldn’t you be in bed?”
“Jerome. What did you do?”
“After you kicked me out of class, I stole some shit and did some shit, and they got me.”
“I know. I’m going to make you a deal. You are coming with me, and you are going to work hard with me now and do as I say, and we’re going back to school. Oh yeah, and I’ve got you a job.”
“I don’t work for nobody. I’m my own man. Leave me alone old man.”
Ollie turned around and limped away down the corridor, supported by his cane. When he reached the guarded exit, he heard Jerome yell, “Come back!”
Ollie walked back deliberately slow and stared coldly at Jerome. “Name’s Colonel Ollie”
“I’ll work with you Colonel Ollie,” said Jerome. “Just tell me what you want me to do.”
“Follow me, listen to me, learn from me, respect yourself, respect others and above all, Love the Lord God with all your heart and all your soul.”
They walked out of the Jail, the guards gave him the papers and said, “You are released to Colonel Ollie and you are pardoned of your crimes. This was your damn lucky day. Don’t screw it up young man.”
Jerome turned red with shock and said, “Colonel. Ollie, how did you —”
“Remember what I told you. If you fail me, I will bring you back to jail and never see you again.”
© 2026 SRCarson Publications
You can tell old good Ollie is a shining example to all the students and will shape Jerome into a fine young man….i can’t wait to see what happens next
Colonel Ollie is an absolute legend! Calling the White House directly to bail out a kid is a total boss move. Love the “Hotel California” reference too, so clever. Jerome got the chance of a lifetime, hope he doesn’t mess it up! This needs to be made into a movie.
Uh oh, Jerome almost blew it. Ollie knew that he would change his mind though. Letting him sit in jail overnight helped too. Jerome is starting to get a glimpse of how lucky he is to be in the presence of greatness. All troubled teens need an Ollie in their life. Loving this saga. And I am curious about the “various reasons Ollie overstayed his welcome in China.” The more that is written, the more mysteries there are to solve. Enjoyed this greatly. Simply magnificent.
Talk about having friends in high places! Ollie calling the White House like it’s his local pizza delivery joint is pure gold. The security guard’s reaction was priceless—bet he didn’t expect his shift to go down like that. Love the vibe of this story, it feels like a mix of a classic action movie and a heartwarming drama. Jerome better behave, because Colonel Ollie is definitely not the one to mess with! Great read!
This hits hard. It’s a beautiful reminder that no one is truly lost if they have someone willing to believe in them and guide them. Colonel Ollie’s tough love is exactly what Jerome needs to turn his life around. A very moving piece about second chances, faith, and responsibility. Thank you for this story!
I adore this author who is not afraid to address societal issues in a most creative way. Ollie will fix this broken education system one kid at a time. Ollie is my hero. Or maybe SR Carson is my hero. Or maybe both are my heroes.
1! Only the British monarch lives without a passport… considering Ollie doesn’t have one either, that already speaks volumes about his “high” status.
2! I’m looking forward to the continuation of Jeremy’s story… for some reason, my heart tells me he’ll be a worthy successor to Ollie… or maybe Ollie was a notorious hooligan at the beginning of his life)))