Tales

‘œYou know, Walter, It took a remarkable incident to teach me that car- hire in Greece is far from what you’™d expect in, say, European countries.’ ‘œAnton’™s out of the blue statement surprised me somewhat.’  We were standing in front of a travel agent’™s window looking at enticing places in the world to visit, my imagination making wonders out of the forests and beaches of Mauritius.’  I turned to my friend,’  who was eyeing a poster in the corner of the display window of the glory of Athens: the Acropolis and Greek islands – all very colourful and attractive. ‘œSo what’™s all this about car- hire in Greece, Anton?’ Knowing my friend well, I was certain that’  he was on …

‘œTwenty five,’ was Evelyn’s first thought when she woke and rose from her bed to a chilly and cloudy June morning.’  ‘œMost of my acquaintances married and with growing families.’’  The thought lately was uppermost in her mind.’  Twenty five,’ she repeated to herself as she looked at her reflection. Looking beyond her reflection through her bedroom window she could see a branch of a slender elm on the background of the red brick wall of their neighbour’™s house.’  Somehow the branch, too, seemed a little sad that morning. Evelyn imagined her parents waiting expectantly for her to appear at breakfast with a smile and a present for her, their cheerful ‘œHappy Birthday, Eve!’, exaggeratingly loud.’  No doubt there would …

Seated at a bar in Buffalo, New York, two men were in heated discussion. ‘œHare-brained, that’™s what the idea is, Bill! You’™ve gone off your rocker! Sure we’™ve done crazy things but challenging a tornado beats the lot. No, Bill. I won’™t help you. We’™re more than friends and that’™s exactly why I can’™t go along with such a wild cat scheme – see you get yourself killed. Forget it!’ ‘œBut, Jack, see the possibility of success too! It’™s a great challenge. If you’™ll consider my plan in more detail, you’™ll see it’™s no more hare-brained than the climb up the frozen water-fall in Alaska; no crazier than the hundred foot cliff scale and dive into the river. No one …

An accountant by profession, Milton Bookman felt sure that his love of books had much to do with his name. In his mid fifties, he concluded years back that a meaningful name influences its bearer. This was confirmed when he came across a Hebrew expression that roughly translated means’  ‘œa man becomes as he is named’. Be it as it may, Milton Bookman had a special love for books. His family name had been anglicised from Buchbinder, some two generations back; his first name from the Hebrew, Menachem meaning, to console. He not only had a strong love of reading, he also enjoyed the feel of a good book in his hand.’  Like so many who enjoy a good read, …

‘œWhat’™s your name?’ ‘œAnsi.’  What’™s yours?’ ‘œMaynard.’ ‘œWhat a funny name.’  Play conkers?’ ‘œ’˜Course.’ ‘œ’˜Cummon then.’  I got one -‘  the knight.’  Beats all.’  Beat yours too.’ ‘œNo he won’™t.’  I got one I call Gallahad.’  Got twenty four with ‘˜im.’  Bet I’™ll get your knight.’ ‘œCummon then.’ I wound Gallahad’™s string carefully around my finger with the horse-chestnut dangling freely. It was early autumn, the start of the school year, when the brown nuts were at their hardest and best.’  Now and then my conker touched my bare knee as it swung freely. Squinting critically and carefully at Ansi’™s knight I willed Gallahad to win.’  The knight looked’  dryer and more brittle than mine.’  He held it chest high …

‘ ‘ ‘  ‘œAllow me to introduce myself. I’™m Bechstein.’ ‘ ‘  Music has been all my life. You must excuse my present, temporary home which is so dingy and dusty, I have lived in far grander homes than this, but met few who could match the gratiousness of Mr. Hawley.’  Mr, Hawley is an extremely nice man – all the more you get to know him.’  He has been so very kind to me and during my stay here, has done me so much good.’  ‘ ‘ ‘  Excuse my being so dusty. I love being seen at my best but appearances are, of course, not everything you must know.’  ‘ ‘ ‘  I’™m pleased to make your acquaintance.’  I can see you are well educated and …

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘  It all began when my eight-year-old grandson begged me to come to encourage his team in a very important game of soccer that his side just had to win.’  I was persuaded – and promised. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘  I turned up duly on time only to be confronted by a smiling games mistress whose opening remark was: ‘œIt would seem that your grandson wasn’™t taking any chances and brought you early.’  You’™ve got a quarter of an hour to wait.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘  Unperturbed, I turned to sit upon a concrete step that ran the length of the ground. In spite of the dampness and the fact that it was freezing to the touch, I sat to wait. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘  In the meantime I …

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘  Arnold Stepson, a gangly fresh- faced lad from the country had come to The Big City for the excitements it had to offer. He left’  home’  to get away from the boredom of the small Shropshire village of Oakfield. For some years now he had been edgy and restless and felt he must prove to himself that he could make it on his own. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘  A few months on from this adventurous decision he was relatively satisfied’  with the way things were turning out.’  He had a position in the collections department of a large manufacturing firm and even had made a friend.’ ‘  ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘  The ways of the young in London were so strange to him that for a …

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘  All I know of my birth is that it was cataclysmic in its power. Powerful forces spewed me steaming and writhing into a boiling sea of foam and steam.’  For thousands of neap and spring tides I stood, a great bare rock in a seemingly endless ocean, waiting for what – I was not able to know. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘  ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘  It was aeons of time until out of all the flotsam a jetsam to be washed up upon my shore, the first coconut was fortunate enough to find a pocket of soft ash and sand. I learned of its approach’  from an albatross’  seeking a rest while crossing an endless sea.’  It came from the east and was thrown by …

‘ ‘ ‘  Dear Juliette ‘ ‘ ‘  Normally I wouldn’™t be writing but simply speaking to you in person. I did, however, decide to write in order both to clear my own mind on the matter and also to make sure that the salient points won’™t become lost in what might easily become a great deal of verbiage passing from mouth to ear. ‘ ‘ ‘  This coming autumn we will have been relating for exactly five years. I remember so well the corner caf? in the Rue des Lions, Paris, the song, Autumn Leaves’  in the air around us. My last day before returning. Something I never did tell you is that it was your travel bag label that prompted me to ask’  if …