MYSTERIOUS ISLAND (40)

Posted on Sep 8, 2015 by John Yeo | 9 Comments

I am taking part in Mondays Finish the Story 07/09/2015, which is a challenge that provides a photo prompt and the opening sentence to your story. The rules indicate that the story you come up with must be between 100-150 words, not including the given opening sentence.

The link below takes you to Part Thirty-Nine

MYSTERIOUS ISLAND (39)

Finish the story begins with:

“As her mount shifted uneasily under her, she grasped the brim of her old felt Stetson, gazed upwards and remembered Jean Pierre.”

Lucienne missed Jean Pierre, he had been fun when she visited Paris. She mourned the day he had left for Brazil, recruited by a mysterious organisation, Jean Pierre seduced with a large sum of money had promised to return and marry her when the work was finished.
Jean Pierre had served for three years in the rough tough French Foreign Legion, then recruited by the Brigadier’s organisation when he was discharged. Assigned to Marg’s team, he was present when the booby-trapped door exploded, he was thrown backwards by the force of the explosion and lying prone, blood gushing from a wound. Marg called for medical help as Don Fernando and and his team emptied the contents of the strongroom while the Little Bird helicopter lifted the badly injured Jean Pierre to safety.
The hidden cache of cash and precious metals was removed as a huge blast finally destroyed the complex.

(150 Words)

To be continued.

The link below takes you to Part Thirty-Nine

MYSTERIOUS ISLAND (39)

https://mondaysfinishthestory.wordpress.com/

VISTA

Posted on Sep 7, 2015 by John Yeo | Leave a comment

I decided I would try to conjure up a piece of written work using a single word. I chose the word vista, and described a day at sea on a voyage aboard a sea-going ship.

Image © John and Margaret

VISTA

by John Yeo

The watery view was endless, waves as far as the eye could see from the side of the ship to the far distant horizon or skyline. Where the sea meets the sky a natural black line separates the two. This is known as the water horizon. The foam-flecked waves were hypnotic, a cerulean blue that was the reflection of an almost cloudless sky on the wavy water below. Almost cloudless, except for the few straggling fluffy white clouds drifting freely, moving slowly as our ship sailed on.
Very few seabirds fly out this far, perhaps a few adventurous Gulls, always on the alert and on the hunt for food. These avian hunters usually fly out within reach of their colonies, especially during the breeding season. The closer to land our ship reaches the more birds are visible, following the vessel and congregating on the shore. On some very rare occasions a solitary migrating bird will land on board ship to rest and search for food or fresh water.
We encounter a number of other vessels on our way, mostly cargo ships piled high with containers. Much of the worlds goods for trade is now transported on board these huge ships. Sometimes we will encounter a small fishing vessel sailing out to follow the fishing routes, usually the closer to land the more small craft we will meet.
Suddenly there is a ripple as the waves seem to open naturally and a grey smooth, powerful, shiny, bottle-nosed dolphin, leaps to the surface from beneath the waves. Then another, and more, as a pair break the surface of the water together. This pod of dolphins numbers at least seven and their greyish blue glistening bodies shine as they leap above the surface of the sea, too fast and unpredictable to get a decent photograph.
Then the wind picks up and the waves get higher, rocking and rolling, testing the ships stabilisers. The beauty of the white-topped waves is clear, white foamy broiling waves with a dark grey reflection from the now stormy looking cloudy skies above.
As we travel through this almost endless vista of deep wavy water as far as the eye can see, the spray and bubbly spume from the now broiling almost stormy sea adds a dramatic frame to the hypnotic splendour of a very unforgiving picture. The mind seems to take flight into the depths beneath the surface, how many sunken ships from many centuries lie rusting and decaying beneath our modern vessel as we steam onwards to our destination? How many lives have been lost to this unmerciful, powerful sea?
The journey continues as the sun sinks beneath the distant horizon in a glorious orange red and golden sunset. This is a memorable beauty that can be preserved and the camera captures the magnificence for later re-living of this superb vista.
A silvery light then illuminates a much calmer sea as night falls, and a full moon lights up the night sky and the waves below, reflecting the moonbeams that now dominate the endless vista of the restless sea.

Image © John and Margaret

MEANINGFUL MUSING ~ 5th September 2015

Posted on Sep 6, 2015 by John Yeo | 2 Comments

Image from the Net

MEANINGFUL MUSING

by John Yeo

Someone recently wrote on a wall somewhere, this anonymous piece of graffiti ~ “WORDS DO NOT MEAN ANYTHING TODAY”. The word anything was underlined to emphasise the lack of meaning contributed to life in general by words.
My immediate and unequivocal response is that in my personal experience the exact opposite is true. I firmly believe, and I will always stand by my belief that WORDS MEAN EVERYTHING! Our way of life and culture is built on verbal communication, we cannot survive rationally without the use of the spoken or the written word. We must communicate to be able to share our lives and our ideas with one another and the easiest and most widely understood successful method of communication is through the use of words.
Even the questionable graffiti message, “WORDS DO NOT MEAN ANYTHING TODAY ” is conveyed by the use of words.
Smoke signals, distant drums and semaphore flags all need words to interpret the message that is communicated.
The many varieties of the media that is everywhere these days, is built and maintained through the use of words. Electronic devices such as computers, laptops, and mobile phones thrive by the messages conveyed in the form of words. Sadly social media would not be very sociable without the hot air that is generated through the use of words. Yes, the “chattering classes” are alive and well and maintained wholly through the use of words. Perhaps the graffiti artist had this enormous and growing verbal assault in mind, when he painted his work of art.
I am afraid I haven’t got a clue who first uttered this sequence of words or the logic behind the statement. Perhaps someone was sadly let down by a smooth talking salesman, or they were badly hurt by a smooth-talking individual. Maybe they were very disillusioned by a series of concepts that gave them the impression through the use of words that heaven was just around the corner.
There is an old saying that people can be, “Put in the promised land,” simply by the use of words. To be put in the promised land a person would be promised much, regardless of the outcome, building their hopes up by the use of words.

THE PROMISED LAND

Billy was a native country boy who arrived in the city with a legacy of many thousands of pounds. Billy was bereaved when his father, a very wealthy farmer suddenly passed away after a massive heart attack. Billy was spending very heavily when he came to the attention of the entrepreneurs, Bob and Ben. They met in the bar of the palatial hotel that was Billy’s temporary home.
“Hi! Let me introduce myself, I’m Bob and this is my colleague, Ben. What would you like to drink?”
Billy was very impressed by the friendliness of these two prosperous looking men and he nodded.
“Thanks, I’ll have whatever you are having.”
“Three double scotches, please bartender, and have one yourself.” It was Ben who ordered the drinks and put them on a tab.
“We have had the pleasure of making the acquaintance of a very wealthy oilman from Texas and we are meeting up with him here to discuss some business, would you like to join us? We will have a few drinks and maybe play some poker, there is also a chance of us all making some very nice money from a huge deal.”
Just at that moment a tall man breezed up and proceeded to shake everyone’s hand, then in a very smooth American accent with a wide smile.
“Hi all! I’m Hiram, pleased to meet you!”
That night was a night Billy would live to remember for the rest of his life. Not only did he win a very large sum of money at cards, he was offered a share in a Texas oil well, that would make him a multi millionaire. Billy was flattered, but he asked for time to think the deal over. Billy parted from his very good new friends.
Bob nudged Ben after he had gone and mentioned the obvious skill and good luck that Billy had shown at cards.
“Bob! He cleaned-up. He won almost every hand and cleaned out Hiram!”
“Don’t worry Ben, he was just lucky there, we will get it all back when the deal is done.”
Billy was in his luxury room smiling and counting out his winnings. He was very good at cards after living through the long winter nights down on the farm.

Now this is an example of words in the form of dialogue. Bob and Ben think they have put Billy in the promised land by promising him a fortune for the easy earning.
Billy has put Bob and Ben in the promised land by going along with everything they say without any intention of investing.
Born on a farm, and as sharp as the blade of a well-used scythe.

Perhaps, “WORDS DO NOT MEAN ANYTHING TODAY”, should read

“WORDS SOMETIMES DO NOT MEAN ANYTHING TODAY”

DAILY PROMPT ~ 4th SEPTEMBER 2015 ~ CONSULTING WITH HIS LORDSHIP

Posted on Sep 5, 2015 by John Yeo | 2 Comments

Image © Copyright ~ John and Margaret

DAILY PROMPT on Word Press ~ 3rd Sept 2015
Inside the Bubble
A contagious disease requires you to be put into quarantine for a whole month (don’t worry, you get well by the time you’re free to go!). How would you spend your time in isolation?

~~~~~~~

CONSULTING WITH HIS LORDSHIP

by John Yeo

A whole month to concentrate on many things and try to use the enforced isolation to create something that I can build on by the time I am well enough to go home. My first requirement would be a laptop or an iPad, hopefully with an Internet connection that would enable me to work on my writing. The internet connection is not an essential as I can quite easily work offline. If necessary I would be able to work with an old-fashioned fountain pen and paper, I am quite capable of writing using longhand.

The most important requirement would be a clear state of mind. Would I be on strong medication, that could affect my thought processes?
Would I be able to summon up the energy and be able to demonstrate the reserves of commitment and concentration?
Given that my state of health is fairly reasonable and I am not zonked out by very strong drugs. I would spend my time working on creative writing.
I think I would start a whole new project, using the models of my carers as characters in my story.
Beneath the anonymous sterile protective garments required by the staff who would care for me in the isolation ward, are some very real dedicated people.

The consultant in charge of my case, would be written in as the Lord of the manor and a king of all he surveys. A cool unemotional man who is very guarded in his manner and very cautious in his relationships with his staff and his patients. The hospital consultant is always briskly visible on ward-rounds and is looked up to by one and all. As the Lord of the manor he would be very distant from all, delegating much responsibility to trusted managers.

The junior doctors and medical trainees, would be individually written into my story as these invaluable confidants, who work wonders in keeping the treatment plans of the patients and the estate management plans on track.

The ward sister would be written as his personal assistant, trusted almost to the point of becoming a colleague. The exceptional people-managing skills she possesses would be invaluable to our Lord of the manor and she would almost certainly be represented as his Personal Assistant or the estate manager.

The hardworking nurses who administer to my needs in the super sterile isolation ward, very friendly, skilfully detecting and reacting to any change in my condition, or my mood, would be very important characters to his Lordship. This team of dedicated individuals would be the estate employees, very competently working to keep things running smoothly, checking supplies and reacting to the slightest change or trouble looming ahead. The hospital nursing staff interact personally and directly with the patient, raising his or her spirits when required and granting the people in their care the dignity of a friendly face to relate to. These skills would be invaluable in any organisation. His lordship would be very aware of this and these valuable personnel would be transferred to many areas in his organisation.

The auxiliary staff who would be securely gowned and masked in protective attire, would speedily but efficiently carry out their duties, cleaning and delivering clean linen and removing soiled linen in special protective bags. Always very friendly, but always cautious as they quickly carry out their duties. These invaluable people would be members of his Lordships domestic staff, tirelessly working for the continued very smooth running of a large estate and organisation.

Then as my month in isolation progressed I would build the character of his Lordship and introduce her Ladyship, an ex fashion-model and now a society queen, ruling over an empire of social butterflies who would be vieing with each other for her attentions. This would translate to the hospital general manager and chief executive, responsible for authorising the budgets for each department throughout the hospital.

My impending discharge from hospital would come to the fore as my enforced quarantine isolation came to an end. There would be many visitors and my family and friends would now be allowed to visit. The protective masks and gowns would disappear.

This would relate to the lifting of the quarantine restrictions and many people would be allowed back into my life. Leading to my personal very interesting ongoing story.

FOLLOW YOUR DREAM

Posted on Sep 3, 2015 by John Yeo | 11 Comments

Flash Fiction for Aspiring Writers ~ Writing challenge.

Hosted by Priceless Joy.

The goal is to write a story between 100-150 words (give or take 25 words) based on the provided photo.

This week’s photo prompt is provided by Louise with The Storyteller’s Abode.

FOLLOW YOUR DREAM

by John Yeo

Joe was a steam train buff, he loved the metal monsters that chugged across the great prairies through the stunning scenery in the days of the steam train revolution. Joe’s dream was to go to the famous Chattanooga hotel and visit the original site of the great train-ride that was the inspiration for the big band hit “Chattanooga Choo-Choo”, made famous by Glenn Miller and his big band.
Joe Sproggins was a man who had spent his life in a merchant bankers office in the city of London in the UK, where Joe dreamed his alter-ego dreams of riding on the footplate of this grand old steam engine.
Joe was married to Dora and their very precious first memory was the night they met, dancing in the local dance-hall to the sound of a big band, belting out “Chattanooga Choo-Choo”.
Fifty years later, after a very happy marriage, they excitedly arrived in Chattanooga in Tennessee to fulfil Joe’s lifetime dream.
Joe was in seventh heaven, soaking up his musical dream.

(175 WORDS)

This is in response to a challenge hosted by Flash Fiction for Aspiring Writers. If you would like to participate in this challenge or need more information, please click the following link:

https://flashfictionforaspiringwriters.wordpress.com

DAILY PROMPT ~ 2nd SEPTEMBER 2015 ~ ETERNAL LIFE

Posted on Sep 2, 2015 by John Yeo | 2 Comments

Image © Copyright ~ John and Margaret

DAILY PROMPT on Word Press ~ Sept. 1st 2015
Golden Age
If you had to live forever as either a child, an adolescent, or an adult, which would you choose — and why?

~~~~~

ETERNAL LIFE

By John Yeo

Living forever is a very wide, frighteningly difficult prospect to imagine indeed.
The three categories all raise some very difficult and probably unanswerable questions. My first impulse was to think adult, certainly, but even so this choice raises some very formidable questions.

(1) I will start with the prospect of living forever as a child? The questions leap off the page. Would I forever have the mind of a child? I don’t think so. A steady accumulation of knowledge gleaned from every source would certainly alter the thinking process, the mind surely would develop and grow. Would living forever as a child require the same dependence on adults to shelter, feed and provide for the needs of the everlasting child. As the birth parents would inevitably live for a normal average lifespan, who would take on the responsibility of caring for an everlasting child at their deaths. Then any potential carers would also die and replacements would have to be found continuously through the succeeding generations.
One of the dreams of the idea of living as a child would be the magical world of discovery, a continual living within the dream of fairy tales and exploration. Sadly this could never happen as the magic and the glitter and gloss would soon wear off and I suspect there would always be an adult inside of the person who opted to live life as a child.

(2) I think the prospect of living forever as an adolescent would be even worse than the prospect of living forever as a child. Adolescence is a time of discovery and finding the path through the pitfalls and heartbreaks that one inevitably encounters on the road to adult-hood. A time of falling in love and facing rejection or a long relationship of give and take, ups and downs with the person desired. Adolescence is a time of hard study as the future beckons and the choice of which road to take beckons the young person. Adolescence is a time of discovery of both good and bad experiences. Friends made now are usually friends for life as the young men and women grow up together, sampling and discovering the pitfalls of this world together. The worst aspect of an everlasting adolescence would be the fact that your closest friends would outgrow you, as they made their way into adulthood. I am writing these words in the belief that I would stay with the physical looks and outlook of an adolescent. Sadly my early friends would slowly die as the limits of a natural lifespan took their toll and I would be hampered from making new adolescent friends as my inevitable growing mind wouldn’t allow for the boredom that would ensue by going to college again. Once again as eternity slowly passed, I suspect that I would eventually become an adolescent in name only.

(3) So far, I think most people who have read this far would say then, the answer to the question is obvious. Alas nothing is as easy as it looks, living forever as an adult could be just as frightening and difficult as the other two alternatives, if not more difficult. As one enters adulthood, there is no actual borderline between adolescence and adulthood as many people become adults at very different times in their lives. Some grow up very fast and to some the phase of adulthood comes very slowly perhaps with a nasty shock as new responsibilities become apparent. I will say that an adult is a person who has developed an individual way of life, settled in a chosen career, or not, as fate would dictate. Perhaps they are in a relationship with a spouse or a very good friend, and they have children, or perhaps they are loving and living an individual lifestyle with a circle of firm friends. Now comes the difficult harsh truth, you are going to live forever! Loved ones will die, your children will age and die, your friends will age and die.
I suspect living forever in any of these three stages of life could be the loneliest prospect imaginable.
Unless the whole generation and the following generations were all going to live forever as fully matured people. I am sure that from childhood through adolescence to adulthood is an unalterable natural progression and to be stuck in any one mode would be sadly unnatural.

MYSTERIOUS ISLAND (39)

Posted on Sep 1, 2015 by John Yeo | 14 Comments

I am taking part in Mondays Finish the Story 24/08/2015, which is a challenge that provides a photo prompt and the opening sentence to your story. The rules indicate that the story you come up with must be between 100-150 words, not including the given opening sentence.

The link below takes you to Part Thirty-Eight

MYSTERIOUS ISLAND (38)

Finish the story begins with:

“The cemetery spread along the area known as Devils Abode.”

Very few people attended the funeral of the wealthy Maxwell Dickus, a lot of people were startled, but glad to hear this news. The feeling was this parasite had gone to the right resting place and would feel at home in this particular abode.
The Brigadier was shocked when his interrogation unit was penetrated and an assassin killed Maxwell Dickus. The guards were under suspicion and interrogated.
Acting upon the information gleaned from the drone, Don Fernando’s team smashed into the hidden complex and after some fierce fighting were now in control. Marg, reunited with Don Fernando and Bella made arrangements to break into a strong room and strip the ill-gotten gains.
Dr. Dickus was missing, it was believed he had linked up with the mysterious Luigi and was now in hiding.
Marg, shocked and saddened that Paul Strang’s helicopter team were dead, patiently waited………Unexpectedly the boobytrap…….

(149 WORDS)
To be continued

The link below takes you to Part Thirty-Eight

MYSTERIOUS ISLAND (38)

https://mondaysfinishthestory.wordpress.com/

PICTURE IT AND WRITE ~ AN ARDUOS JOURNEY

Posted on Aug 30, 2015 by John Yeo | 2 Comments

This is the latest Picture it and Write prompt from Ermilia’s blog

https://ermiliablog.wordpress.com/2015/08/29/picture-it-write-69/

: Original image found here: http://www.thedesignwork.com/weird-pictures As usual the image is supplied and credited by Ermilia

AN ARDUOS JOURNEY

by John Yeo

The travellers were weary on the trail through a parched, dry, arid, waterless wasteland. The sand stretched out for miles in every direction. Then the wind whipped up sandstorms that penetrated every orifice in their outer clothing into the very pores of the skin beneath.
Fresh water is the most valuable substance here and every drop is conserved and squeezed out to the best effect, to enable the survival of the travellers.
Sadly the pack animals are the first to suffer and drop, refusing to go on, simply giving up the struggle to continue. Our only course of action is to grant them a merciful release from the torture of death by a slow painful thirst that eventually turns everything to dust.
The jeep and the all terrain vehicles struggle to keep a grip on the sandy desert floor as the exploration search party continues on their perilous quest.

“The tree of life is our goal, we will know it when the rain time arrives!” Blind old Pete said offhandedly.
Blind old Pete was actually a twenty-four year old medical scientist who was colour blind.
“When the what? arrives!” Marg exclaimed derisively. “I don’t think this place has ever been rained on ever.”
They both laughed, almost conspiratorially, they had been very good friends for years.
Donald Prestwick, a leading medicinal botanist, laughed loudly at this exchange. “We are searching for a particular tree that survives for long periods without water. We need to harvest some of the dark grey bark, which is reputed to have unique anti-ageing properties that could be the key to longevity in humanity allowing some people to triple their lifespans.”
Blind old Pete grinned at Marg and pointed to yet another vicious-looking whirlwind on the horizon. “We’d better take cover! ” He shouted.
After the storm had abated and passed on, the travellers had to dig the vehicles out before continuing their journey.
Suddenly there were dead-looking trees all around the vehicles. Marg had never seen such a bleak prospect in all her days.
“Surely these trees are dead, not the wonder-bark that is going to make us all very wealthy!” She exclaimed
The Don, as Donald Prestwick had affectionately been re-named, behind his back, almost jumped for joy.
“Yes! Please take as many samples as possible, we need a good supply to work with when we get back to the lab.”

Then the arduous return journey was soon underway, many times there were holdups due to vehicle problems and eventually our versatile trusty mechanic Willie, almost gave up as the jeep died, but miraculously was nursed back to life again.
We almost missed our main watering oasis on the way back due to a faulty compass reading. However after some more sparkling adventures in the desert, our only thought was to get back home.
Some weeks later we were all back in our super sterile lab, measuring and testing the precious samples.
Marg thought inwardly, “It will be many more years before any of the expected wealth arrives! The memories are preserved and my long, probably tripled, average life expectancy will be enhanced by the addition of the royalties to come.

Original image found here: http://www.thedesignwork.com/weird-pictures As usual the image is supplied and credited by Ermilia

DAILY PROMPT ~ 29TH AUGUST 2015 ~THE RETURN OF THE BIRDS

Posted on Aug 30, 2015 by John Yeo | 2 Comments

DAILY PROMPT on Word Press

Missing Sequels
If you could create a sequel to one favourite (standalone) movie, which would it be? How would it build on the original?

Image from the Net

THE RETURN OF THE BIRDS

by John Yeo

I am not much of a movie buff, but my favourite candidate For a sequel would be an Alfred Hitchcock, movie from 1963 entitled “The Birds”, this is a horrific take of a buildup of bird power, beginning to frighten and attack humanity. We are left with a feeling that the birds are massing and gathering to launch a full scale attack on humanity and take control of the world. The build up and massing of thousands of different species of birds at the end of the film, leaving an open- ended horrifying ending, is a wonderful candidate for a sequel. Many would say however that to attempt to interfere with a work of such outstanding brilliance and try to write a sequel is pure sacrilege.

My sequel would continue with the random and increasing attacks on the population, leading to the involvement of the military. Much slaughter of our avian attackers would then begin by all means possible, including flame throwers and gas. The response from the birds would be to mass together and enter buildings and attack the occupants from within. There would be terror and fear reigning throughout the land as the casualties mounted and the authorities were powerless to defeat these random attacks.
Mitch and Lydia would survive and there would enter a new character, a hermit from the wilderness of the Rocky Mountains.
Gabriel would arrive with two huge Eagles circling above his head and offer to rid the leading aggressive birds of their leaders, leaving the hordes of feathered attackers in disarray.
There would be a huge price to pay for this solution however, Gabriel requests a huge area of land with a palatial property and an income to be paid for the rest of his life. Some would hesitate to pay any price at all, leave alone this unrealistic demand made by Gabriel. Members of the government would finally agree to his demands as the attacks by the birds inside the buildings became almost impossible to stop.

The action then would go something like this ……

“Gabriel then blew on a very high pitched whistle, the response from the Eagles was instant and soon there were a large number of these huge birds in the skies attacking and destroying the leaders of the fearsome flock of attackers.
Within hours it was all over and some semblance of normality had returned to the lives of the beleaguered populations. A peace settled on the community for a settled period of months.
Gabriel approached the leaders and requested his agreed price for the miracle of the return to peace and normality. There was much discussion and the upshot was a much smaller offer than he had requested. A few thousand pounds and a medal of honour, with the freedom of the land forever.
Gabriel was very irate and demanded his reward without success. The leaders just laughed in his face. The result was devastating as Gabriel drew a trumpet and blew hard and long, one note, silent to the powers of human understanding.
There was a guttural squawking from a flock of Crows and a screeching of large Seagulls as a huge flock of birds massed to attack. The birds were back and menacingly massing to begin to attack the citizens again.”

The sequel would finish with a concerted attack on a large public arena during a well-attended sports final, the birds would attack suddenly from all directions. The casualties would be huge from this totally unexpected surprise attack. The army and extermination teams would race to the area but they would arrive to find not a single bird in the area. Then fighter planes would appear; to discover the flocks had separated and we’re now scattered over a very huge area.

(With grateful thanks and respect to author and producer of the original masterpiece)

I really let my imagination run riot with this prompt. I think this is the sequel that would be impossible to make.

DAILY PROMPT ~ 28TH AUGUST 2015 ~ AN INTERRUPTED REVERIE

Posted on Aug 29, 2015 by John Yeo | 2 Comments

DAILY PROMPT on WordPress

Middle Seat
“It turns out that your neighbour on the plane/bus/train (or the person sitting at the next table at the coffee shop) is a very, very chatty tourist. Do you try to switch seats, go for a non-committal brief small talk, or make this person your new best friend?”

AN INTERRUPTED REVERIE

by John Yeo

Yes, this looks a good place. A restaurant by the lakeside, in the middle of this beautiful park in the city centre. I will sit here and buy a pot of tea and watch the world go by in the peace and tranquility of a Sunday afternoon.
“Your tea Sir!”
The waitress arrived with a bone china teapot and a single cup and saucer, with a familiar willow pattern blue and white design.
I am entranced with the swans gliding across the water and the beautiful surroundings of the lakeside banks.

“Hi! Do you mind if I join you? There are no other tables available.”
This unwarranted intrusion into my solitary reverie was made by a voice with a distinctive loud foreign accent. Without waiting for a reply from me, a rather portly gentleman sat directly opposite and signalled to the waitress.
“Pleased to meet you! My name is Nathan, I am a visitor to your wonderful land, I am here on a business trip. I am from Quebec in Canada, what a beautiful city this is. You live here all the time? “
I was so overcome with this shattering bombardment of intrusive voluble stream. I just scowled, nodded and mumbled, “Yes!”
“You Sir, are a very lucky man.” Nathan continued, “There is so much going on here , theatre, the arts, concerts and the historical palaces. Everywhere you look history is overwhelming your senses. Who do I have the pleasure of addressing?”
This last question came out of the blue, I was so battered by bonhomie, I simply answered one word again. “John!”
“Well, John,” Nathan continued, “I really am glad to meet you, I have very little time to spend here and I am looking for a reliable guide to recommend some places to visit and sights to see. My wife Mary is an invalid and she has to have treatment in a clinic here. I am travelling with her and our daughter, I need someone to show us around while Mary is indisposed. I am prepared to pay for the privilege.”

I shook my head in sheer disbelief that a total stranger could shatter my peace and suddenly without a formal introduction or any knowledge of me whatsoever, suddenly offer me a job. I was suspicious of his incredibly easy approach and his whole lax demeanour.
“Wait! What?” I stammered, my curiosity aroused. “Why me? You don’t even know who I am.”
“John! I have an unerring instinct for an honest, reliable person, I have been coming here to this country for years and I bet you any money you like you are just the person I am looking for. Would you take me on trust and consider my offer. I would like you to meet my family here tomorrow at the same time. Would you consider that?”
I had no idea what the outcome of this meeting would be as I nodded my head and agreed to his proposal.
Nathan then went on to describe his business and his home state in Canada, and I began to warm to his friendly attitude as he drew me out of my shell. I described myself and my studies at the University and he listened with a friendly interest.

The next morning I was very early in the restaurant by the lakeside in the park, sipping my tea and watching the swans floating on the water.
“Hi John!” A now familiar voice came from behind, I turned to see Nathan my new friend pushing a lady in a wheelchair, “This is my wife Mary.”
“Pleased to meet you.” I gasped, as I recognised the young lady who was strolling behind them, smiling and laughing.
Nathan grinned and said. “No more introductions are necessary, I know you and my daughter Marie are great friends at the University. I wanted to meet you and get to know you personally.”
I was so stunned and overcome with happiness, I just mumbled one word.
“Thanks!”

	John Yeo on Spring Flowers
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Yearly Archives: 2015

MYSTERIOUS ISLAND (40)

“As her mount shifted uneasily under her, she grasped the brim of her old felt Stetson, gazed upwards and remembered Jean Pierre.”