Tales

‘ ‘ ‘  One was tempted to a little laugh when one saw him.’  Short, in his mid- sixties, he had a somewhat sad look about him. His clothes invariably appearing as if they had been selected from a pile of seconds at a jumble sale.’ ‘  His stained peak cap of dark leather had a crumpled look.’  None could guess that when no alternative was at hand he would use it as a bag in which to carry his smaller hand tools. ‘ ‘ ‘  He had lived as an odd- job man for as long as the people of the small town could remember, his curious figure seen frequently in pursuit of this or that.’  One could easily single him out from a …

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘  There never is a good time to find that your car has a flat and the one I discovered that morning could not have come at a worse time. I had set my alarm a quarter earlier to make sure to be in time for an important appointment with a client ‘“ now I was sure to be late. Add to that that my wife was at odds with me and the strange disappearance of the angel, it was all piling up. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘  I recalled Shakespeare _ ‘œWhen trouble comes it comes in armies…’ Obviously a man who knew life! But let me start at the beginning. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘  It was about a month ago that, as far as I …

‘ ‘ ‘  Love, as strong as it may be, is often subconscious until the loss of the object of love.’  Hate, on the other hand is always strongly felt – its presence like an unpleasant taste or smell.’  Hate may well begin in infancy with certain things that are distasteful. At this stage it is like a root hair ‘“ tiny, almost insignificant and undeveloped but, like a root hair, may grow to become a secondary, then a primary root. This powerful root will then become venomous not only to the hater but feeding society with feelings and chemicals it can well do without.’  ‘ ‘ ‘  Hate, in extreme cases may become a constant companion, souring life, poisoning the blood-stream even disfiguring …

‘ ‘ ‘  Laura, having just completed an errand, was on her way back to the graphics department in which she worked. A meeting she had had to attend had gone easier than expected and she found herself with a while to spare. Heading towards her twenty sixth birthday, she was beginning to feel old. She was naturally shy and, as a result, only quietly attractive. ‘ ‘ ‘  Her walk took her past one of the most up to date fashion stores in Knoxville where a red dress immediately attracted her attention. It was almost identical to the one she had bought and dared to wear at her graduation ceremony at the University of Tennessee almost exactly two years ago. The sight at …

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘  This tale stems from a quiet village set in hills far from the bustle of cities. Iffy, one of the older of the villagers, lived in a log house set in the outskirts of the town. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘  In the spring and summer Iffy’™s garden was a joy to behold; flowers blossomed in magnificent profusion and variety. At this time, each year the garden attracted many a visitor. Two rose trees growing side by side close by the house entrance held a very special place for Iffy. There they received the early morning rays of sun which so suited them. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘  Everything about the two rose trees was elegant. They grew on slender straight stems, shoulder- high before spreading their …

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘  My name is Tillah. My sister, Likkah and I were born in Thailand, she two and a half years before me. Born to a working mother, from the early age of four I began my working life when I joined my sister and mother accompanying them to work. Mother worked on a steep slope in a rain forest pulling and sometimes carrying cut logs and trees to be floated down the great river. She liked her work because her keeper was kind even though the work was hard. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘  Of course my sister and I didn’™t do any real work but would watch our mother and other elephants at their work. Naturally, just as would be expected of a …

Ohad woke to a strange feeling that he had slept long yet was still very, very tired. His head ached badly. He thought his eyes were open, yet all was dark. ‘œBlind,’ he thought and the shock shook him into a frightening reality. ‘œDear God!,’ he went on, ‘œI really don’™t know whether it’™s dark, or ‘¦’ He didn’™t want to think of the alternative. By the smells around him, he felt he must be in a hospital. ‘œBut why!? What happened’¦’ ‘“ he struggled with his brain but found nothing that helped him fathom out why he was where he was. He couldn’™t recall a thing.’ He tried to move first his hands, then head. Fear clutched at him. …

The feel of the soft grass beneath her bare feet delighted Pearl as she danced on the lawn in the park.’  The movements of her colourful dress followed those of her small body.’  It was her fifth birthday but as far a she was concerned it was always a special day when she and her mother visited the park.’  The flowers were so colourful in her eyes and the deep shadows under the trees mysterious and exciting.’  Best of all she loved the natural pool with the fountains at the foot of the hill.’  It was large and exhilarating. Around it was a low wall and in the water were statues of nymphs laughing and dancing. From one, a stream …

The rain was coming down in sheets as David drove at a crawl, almost having to feel his way, south. The wipers on double speed did little to give him visibility for more than just a few yards each third of a second.’  The wind and the rain, lashed at the heavy station-wagon, its gusts threatening at times to sweep car and occupant to the roadside ditch in spite of its weight and robust skid-proof tyres. ‘˜Please God let me get there in one piece!’™’  The man was numb with anxiety but greater was his dogged determination to beat the storm. Only his level-headedness enabled him to keep his speed down to ten mph in spite of his urge to …

It was the hand- writing on the inside cover of the battered book that immediately fascinated me. By its style, I immediately felt it was by the hand of a youth: ‘A girl’™s in all probability,’ I thought. Then, at the end of the script – a name ‘¦ But this is a digression. This story actually begins exactly twenty one years ago ‘“ the day maturity lead me to search for a deeper meaning to life. I felt then the need to feed the spirit and soul something not found in a trip overseas, upon a dining table, or other amenities and joys of everyday living. I began attending services at a synagogue quite close to our home. As …