Remember me

Posted on November 18, 2021 by hdh

Remember Me

I had a dream last night. A friend of mine came to visit, quite distraught. His mother had passed away and he did not know how to handle it. I was about to comfort him. I was going to tell him that my mother had just passed away also. Before I could say anything another ex-colleague of mine entered my home. 

She was very self-centered. Seeing his distress, she just kept talking, telling him, “It will be all right”. Adding experiences that she had with the death of others and how everyone involved survived their grief, how he should be strong because he was the one in control of his own destiny. In time, he would forget his sadness.

I could not get her to shut up. Even listening to her brought back the feelings I had when my mother died. The sadness for both me and my friend began to overwhelm me. 

It was at this point that I came to a state of almost wakefulness. I realized that though the people in my dream were real, the situation was not. For one thing, I have no idea of my friend’s family and if anyone has passed away. For another, my mother passed away in 1998, and though I think of her periodically, the sadness that I feel is not as strong as it was at the time of her burial, and I should not be feeling it that strong now.

However, in reality, my sister had passed away two months ago, today. My sadness had some real basis in this dream. And that might have been on my mind. It was at this point that I went back to the dream stage.

My obnoxious colleague was gone and it was just me and my friend. My response to him was, “Tell me about your mom.” 

At this point, he began to talk to me about what his mom did in her life, how she interacted with him growing up, how he cared for her in her old age, of the love he had for her. 

His stories brought back memories of my sister to me. It didn’t necessarily abate the sadness, but it gave it meaning. 

I ended up telling him that through his stories his mom was not dead. With his memories of her, she still lived and as long as he kept and shared those memories she would continue to exist and be part of him. 

There is an African folktale, ‘The Cow-tail Switch’ in which a father leaves his family to go out hunting for a day leaving his expectant wife and many sons, planning to return that night. When he doesn’t return that night, they continue to wait. This goes on for months and years. Life goes on for his family. At the point where the youngest son learns to speak, his first words are, “Where is my father?”

The others in the house realize that he should have been home, and the brothers go out looking for him. Each brother does something different, one discovers the trail their father had taken finds a scattering of bones in the woods, their father’s, who must have been killed in the hunt. One son then uses his skills to put the bones together, another adds skin and muscles, another adds blood, another adds the breath of life, yet another adds speech, and finally one adds movement. 

As the story ends the father who is now alive, comes back to the village and does well. He creates a cow-tail switch which he brings with him to all important ceremonies and it is admired by all. Many in the village ask for the cow-tail switch to be given to them. But the father kept it in his hand.  The father declares that he will give it to one of his sons; the one who did the most to bring me back from the dead. They each vie for it, claiming that their skill brought their father back. The story ends with the father giving the Cowtail Switch to his youngest son (the one that wasn’t born yet when he left) because he was the only one to ask, “Where is my father?”

As long as we remember the people who we miss and share their stories, they will not pass away. They will always be with us. 

This is why I write and tell stories. Lest we forget.

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A Call to Order

Posted on November 8, 2021 by hdh

 

A Call to Order

“This meeting is called to order,” the speaker announced.  Following the pledge by our members to the UGH, unified good health, our CEO Brain has a few comments to make.

As Brain takes the podium, a rustle of sounds can be heard by the assembled parts. 

“It has come to my attention that there have been some complaints coming throughout this body. I called this meeting to air out these complaints. Those who choose will be given the opportunity to speak. Stomach, you have the podium.”

Stomach made his way to the podium, grumbling and gurgling all the way. 

He began, “I have an issue with the foods being digested. Clearly, this body has no concern about its health. Klondike bars at night to lose weight? Absurd. I don’t care where he heard this advice. And the amount of liquid he drinks, it’s minimal, unless he’s working. 

“POINT OF INFORMATION”, called out the intestines and urinary tract simultaneously. “I keep sending him signals,” the intestinal tract explained. “I’ve been very polite so far, but if he continues to eat that way I’ll be blasting more than little toots and I’ll make sure it’s public, let’s just say noticeable.”

There was more grumbling from Stomach now, with the support of the digestive tract as he concluded his comment. 

The next speakers were the eyes. “Our major complaint is the amount of screen time he puts us through. We read his Apple weekly reports. Nine hours a day! No wonder we get blurry after a while and he needs new glasses. This body needs an outdoor active life.”

The brain did interject here that these last two years with Covid might have led to an increase in indoor activity and screen time and questioned whether reading ebooks should have been considered part of screentime. 

The eyes replied, “That may be true for reading, but even before Covid his screen time was over 6 hours a day.”

Muscles were the next to speak. “We’ve got to admit this body does try to keep in shape. At least that’s how he’s set his AppleWatch to report. Most people set their goals for 10,000 steps a day, 600 active calories spent, 30 minutes of exercise. In his case, it’s 6,000 steps, 400 active calories, and 30 minutes of exercise. If it weren’t for walks he takes with his wife even those goals might be hard to reach. And come on…I’m sorry, washing dishes and your hands is not exercise no matter what his AppleWatch thinks. His watch needs to wise up. We’re tired of the complaints that his arm hurts, his calf gets a cramp when he wakes up in the morning, and his foot’s sore. Do some stretches once in a while, why don’t you?”

The final speaker was the heart. “I know the blood pressure and cholesterol meds he’s on is supposed to make it better for me. And last year’s stress tests and cardiologist report came out good. But if he’s in such great shape why do they want to see him every 6 months? All they do is an EKG on him and ask how he’s feeling like he’s going to tell them. “Oh, I feel like someone is attacking me with a chainsaw.” He’s always feeling good and I have to work my pulse off to make sure he does. They need to put an ankle bracelet or some nanites in his bloodstream that report directly to the doctor’s, then they’d get the real picture. 

Everyone having said their piece, the podium was given back to the Brain. 

“Well, it seems we all have similar complaints about this body. It needs to be better-taken care of. I myself have been made aware a number of times through his thoughts that he is concerned at times about its well-being. He is both trying to do better and trying our patience. I must say his intentions seem honorable and his willingness to listen to others is admirable. But his actions and procrastination are questionable.

A copy of the minutes of this meeting will be shared publicly. Hopefully, with our continued efforts to improve said body, and the public response from these minutes, progress will be made. 

On that note, and without further objections, this meeting is adjourned.”

As the members of the body association dispersed and returned to their stations, a feeling of satisfaction pervaded the body. For a time it was relaxed and became more self-aware of the issues that it faced. Potential plans and activities were set in motion and it looked like things were going to improve. As they say in the watch business, “Time will tell”.

 

Those that are interested in further discussions between my body and me read this piece I wrote in 2018 for a different Mindful Writing group:

https://www.hdhstory.net/Storyblog/?p=1035

 

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Nothing to worry about

Posted on November 8, 2021 by hdh

Nothing to worry about

It was a quiet day in the neighborhood. I was supposed to meet with my friends Ronald, Dave, and Jude to play stickball outside Jude’s apartment. His apartment overlooked a perfect place for stickball. It is a set of garages for residents that want to pay extra to secure their cars. The garages are parallel to each other with concrete flooring between them. At one end of the garages is the street and at the other end is a large wall, similar to the Green Monster at Fenway Park. We would meet there to play. On the wall was drawn a strike zone and certain garage doors on the right and left sides were designated as first and third with a drain in the middle of the concrete midway between the garages designated as second base. 

On this day in particular it was only the four of us playing. It was two on two. One person pitched for each team and there were a lot of invisible runners on base with only two batters on the opposing side to play.

Across the street at the far end of the parking facility, was the yard of Old Lady Crabtree’s yard.

Ronald and I were on the same team. The game went well until Dave blasted a ball (a Spaldeen for those of you uninitiated to city vocabulary) into Old Lady Crabtree. 

The usual rule was if it landed in her yard, it was hers to keep, for no one wanted to tangle with her. However this day it was my ball that was hit into her yard and Ronald said,” Let’s go get it.”

“Are you crazy?” was my retort, “She probably has man-eating dogs and bear traps on her property to catch us.”.

“Seriously, That’s just superstition,” was Ronald’s reply. “She’s probably not even home. What could possibly go wrong? Don’t worry about it.”

Far be it for me to actually pay attention to why we set up rules about her yard, after all, bear traps and man-eating dogs did sound a little ridiculous. I mean, what was there to worry about.

  So both of us went across the street, ignoring the NO TRESPASSING. PRIVATE PROPERTY. NO TRESPASSING sign and climbed over the fence that surrounded her property since the gate was locked to her backyard. I should say that I was the one who climbed over the fence. Ronald said he would stay back and keep watch.

It didn’t take me long to figure out why there was a fence around the property. Aside from the brush, I had to climb through on the other side of the fence (later discovering it was poison ivy), she did in fact, have two rather big german shepherds loose on the property. And she was definitely home.

I just barely managed to make it back to the street side of the fence without getting bitten, my clothes getting rather disheveled in the race through the bushes by the fence. All we could hear as we went back to our friends was her high screeching voice, “You little brats stay off of my property, or I will call the police and send you to jail! Can’t you read!”

Needless to say, I didn’t get my ball back. We all left the playing field to go to Jude’s house, not wanting to be identified by her to the police which we were sure was going to happen.

From then I promised myself that I would not listen to any of Ronald’s suggestions again. Well, you know how that worked out. Listening to Ronald, what could go wrong?

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Camelot

Posted on November 4, 2021 by hdh

Camelot

I heard it once, long ago. Darkness had fallen all around. Not just the darkness of night, but the darkness of spirit. People wandered from place to place with no hope in sight. Who was there to lead the people out of their misery, their destitute existence?  Many had tried, there was always a glimmer of hope, then a new king took over and failure was upon them again. 

Such was life, so long ago and then he came. Legend called him Arthur, his place was Camelot. It was he that brought them all together. It was he that brought hope back from the dead. And for a time life flourished. The people were happy. And yet, there were still those that remained disenchanted. And it was those malcontents that again came forth. King Arthur did what he could to dispel the evil ones, to renounce all the evil thoughts and ideas that were being spread. But he was only one man and he did not succeed, for on his passing, again the world was turned into turmoil. As for Arthur, it said he still is not dead, but asleep, awaiting his call to bring us back together again. 

I’m not sure what he is waiting for. We now stand at a juncture of roads,  well-traveled. Which one to take? Well, last year it was the one on the left. It would appear that this year it was the one on the right. Robert Frost once wrote a poem in which he wrote:

 

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I, 

I took the one less traveled by, 

And that has made all the difference.

 

I believe that it is time for Arthur and his believers to return. For now, with our multitude of roads to choose from we are tired of the same two roads, we take year after year. We’re tired of the darkness and the misery of this destitute existence. It is time for us to either take the road less traveled by or forge a new one. One that builds upon the beauty that is hidden in our land. Beauty that we hide and destroy by our carelessness. Beauty that is ours to maintain and provide for future generations. Our Camelot.

For if we don’t do it now. The darkness will pervade and soon it will be too late. Even for Arthur.

 

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My Three Talents

Posted on November 1, 2021 by hdh

My Three Talents

To fly in the sky on just the first try and without the use of a plane

I could be anywhere without even a care, some might think that I’m truly insane.

For the money I’ll save I’ll just have to be brave and remember to be a good flyer

I’ll be flying with class, no more paying for gas as the prices go higher and higher.

Just decide where to go, be a traveling pro without even the use of a guide

Within minutes I’m there, without even a care with my skill I will travel worldwide.  

It is just what I feel, to make this become real, even if it is only a dream.

But they’re other ones too, which I’ll now share with you, after all, that is this week’s theme

 

I will learn a great deal, every grunt, roar, and squeal, as I pick up new words I can say.

I will talk like the birds using only their words, as for donkeys with them I’ll just bray.

And frogs I will croak as I tell them a joke that I heard from a penguin last night.

As the dogs and the cats have their usual spats I will calmly discuss who is right.

Let the elephant call after having a fall I will be there to help rather quick

And the vets I will tell if a shark is not well for their job is to deal with the sick

It will not be so bad for this skill I’ll be glad as I learn the ways animals speak.

My plan is quite clear, pick it all up by ear, and to master them all in one week. 

 

From the day I was born, you could hand me a horn, and a song I could play rather soon.  

And as I grew older, my talents grew bolder, for each song was a masterful tune.

Any instrument at hand, I could play far from bland, as an expert without even knowing

If I’d played it before, it was far from a chore to play whether bowed, struck, or by blowing

As to learning by ear I would just have to hear a tune once or so they did say

That in a short while, I’d return with a smile with an instrument ready to play

That very same song and a harmony quite strong and just right in a singable key

Yes, this song that was found, with its beautiful sound such a pleasure as you’ll all agree.

 

These talents I flaunt are just things that I want for adventures I’d sure like to get

With these skills that I prize, which will catch other’s eyes, my future plans soon will be set

But the problem I fear is the future is near and to do all of this will take time

Maybe I’m not the one, to be having this fun after all I am not in my prime

But maybe someday, they will find a way, for then I could make it my mission

To fly, speak, and play, learn it all in a day, all my dreams would then come to fruition.

So to put you all straight, we will just have to wait to see if my future is bright

But till then have no fear, I will always be here, as long as there’s something to write. 

 

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It happened one night…

Posted on October 29, 2021 by hdh

It Happened One Night… 

‘Twas a dark and stormy night. Have you ever wanted to begin a story with that line? Sure, it’s cliché and really might make a lot of people turn away from your story, but what if it really was a dark and stormy night? You really want to set the scene for the action that is about the occur, wouldn’t you? 

Of course, if the plot didn’t revolve around the fact that it was stormy, since nights are always dark, to begin with, then you probably shouldn’t begin your story by describing the weather. You should probably focus more on an action or a character. 

But I digress, for indeed it was a dark and stormy night. Halloween was always the time to go trick or treating in my neighborhood. Back then, we could go out in groups without parent supervision as long as we stayed within our own apartment building. Which for the most part we did. We were careful about whose apartment doors we knocked on. If we knew the person that lived there, it was a no-brainer, treats were to be had. If we had no idea who lived there, as might have been the case in an 11-story apartment building with 8-10 apartments on each floor, we were more tentative as to whether or not to knock. Some doors had signs on them that said “Quarantined, Contagious Disease, Do Not Disturb!” We tended to leave those apartments alone; Since at ages 10 and under, we actually believed those signs. Unlike today, where there are no signs on any doors, but in fact, anyone within might be contagious. 

Once I reached the age of 11, though, I was sometimes able to go outside of our safety zone into the apartment buildings beyond our own. And so it was on this dark and stormy night, that my friends Ronald, Jude, Dave and I, ventured out to the apartment building behind my own. The entrance closest to us was down a secluded narrow alley, restricted from car traffic. My apartment building was on a hill, so it had two entrances, one on the upper part of the hill (on the 6th floor). We met at the sixth floor back entrance.

Ronald, naturally, was the impetus for us going to the other apartment building. He was the idea man. He was bored with his own neighborhood and told us it would be fun. “What could go wrong?” were his spoken thoughts. So we followed him.

This alleyway, had no lighting, hence the dark part, and it was raining pretty heavily, hence the stormy part. It was a short distance from my apartment building to this one, so we didn’t get too wet. I should mention that my mother thought we were only going trick or treating in my own building that night. 

Did you ever go up to a door and as you were about to knock, the power goes out in the building you’re in, and a bright flash of lightning lights up the hallway, then the loudest thunderclap you’ve ever heard BOOMS and the whole building shakes? Well, this night that’s exactly what happened. Before we could even react, the door we were in front of swung open, and something with a ghoulish-looking face, lit only by a light source being held beneath it, jumped out at us and yelled, “TRICK, no Treat!”. 

This was followed by almost every other door on the hall we were in opening with assorted people pouring out of them screaming, followed by another flash of lightning and clap of thunder. 

My mother may have insisted that every time I go out to other people’s houses I was to make sure I was wearing a clean pair of underwear. On this occasion, I certainly wasn’t returning home with a clean pair. We didn’t wait to find out what had happened to the building’s power, or who the people in the hall were, whether living or dead. I’m not even sure if we still had the bags that we brought with us to collect the treats we had already been given when we charged out of the building, down the alleyway, and back to the safety of my own apartment building only to find that the power was out there too. 

Dave and Jude politely said they were going to go back to their own houses using the excuse that there were probably some safe houses they hadn’t been to yet. Ronald on the other hand suggested that he and I go to a house in his neighborhood, which he was sure wasn’t haunted despite what local legends attested. I pointed out to him, that I wasn’t even supposed to be out of my apartment building during a storm so leaving my own neighborhood would have compounded my mother’s reaction when I got back. 

“How would your mother know? What could possibly go wrong?” was his assertion. 

My response was, “I really can’t. Right now my main concern is to deal with getting back into my apartment and changing my clothes without having to make any explanations.”

I wished him good luck in his endeavors as he left. I never did find out what happened to him after that. He was out of school for the next 3 days. 

As for me, I made it into my apartment and went straight to my room to change out of my costume before my mother caught up with me. When you’re not allowed to leave an apartment building it’s kind of hard to explain wet clothes. I told my mom that I had been attacked on the 10th floor by some teenagers with water balloons. Judging from the look on her face, I don’t think she believed me. 

So starting a story with “Twas a dark and stormy night” might just be the right way to begin one, under certain circumstances. As for this story, I could mention the mysterious and eventful, sunny day that followed that night. Just know they don’t call it the Day of the Dead for nothing. But there are some secrets better left untold. 

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Peeves

Posted on October 25, 2021 by hdh

Peeves

(a Herman and Otto story)

Otto and Herman were sitting on a park bench, watching the cars go by. 

“There goes another one!” grumbled Otto. 

“Another what?” was Herman’s retort already knowing what Otto was going to say. 

“Another speeder,” replied Otto, “Just a bad driver that speeds on roads making them unsafe to walk on or near. Not to mention, the other drivers that do follow the rules of the road.”

This wasn’t a new conversation between Otto and Herman. It happened frequently. 

“Let me ask you,” Herman said, “Have you ever driven over the speed limit while driving a car?”

“Of course I have,” Otto stammered, “but I know what I’m doing, besides if I drive too slow, compared to everyone else, then I’m going to cause an accident when the rest of the world passes me by.” 

Herman was quick to react. “But doesn’t that make you one of the rule-breakers? Shouldn’t you be ticketed and fined?” 

“Absolutely not,” cried Otto. “If I’m going slower than the rest of the cars, even if I’m over the speed limit, it’s the faster cars that should be stopped and fined. If that happened more often, maybe we all would slow down more and follow the rules.”

Herman couldn’t argue with that. “I agree that there is a problem with speeders. I tried to hand signal some drivers that were speeding towards me to slow down while Minna and I were walking in our neighborhood. We were on the edge of the street facing traffic since we have no sidewalks in our development. What happened both times was the drivers gunned their motors and sped up faster past us. And this is not a gender issue, drivers of all genders are the culprits. I’m not sure what we can do about it.”

Otto had a plan for walking in the neighborhood. “It’s not my fault if my walking stick happens to fall out of my hand in the direction of the offender’s windshield when they pass me going too fast.”

Herman just sighed, knowing that Otto talks a radical game, but he’s best at just complaining. “We need more cameras on the road like the red light ones, that can ticket a person via a video feed. That might at least get rid of some of the offenders.” 

Otto replied, “Nobody cares. If they did there would be more citations, which there are not. How many people do you see on the roads that are not only speeding but are on their handheld cell phones at the same time despite the fact that there is a law against that?”

“For once I agree that you’re right, Herman said. “I’m not sure what the answer is either. It’s hard to believe that when we were growing up in the city it was actually safe to play in the streets. Between the paranoia of parents and the crazies out there driving uncontrollably, it just isn’t safe anymore.”

As conversations go this one, as usual, did not come to any resolution. That is usually the way with Herman and Otto, though for this one they agreed more so than usual.  

As they were getting up, they noticed their wives Minna and Lina walking towards them. They could hear both women in a heated conversation themselves.

“If I hear one more person complaining about why we should be getting vaccinated, I’m going to scream!” Minna shouted. 

“They’re saying it because it is the right thing to do.” Lina tried to respond in a much calmer voice.

Herman and Otto just looked at each other and both said at the same time, “Not today.” One disagreement a day was enough for them so they just walked the other way. 

 

Author’s note: Herman and Otto were the main characters in my A to Z Blog Challenge in 2018. The theme I chose for that year was “Attitudes and Gratitudes” (https://www.hdhstory.net/Storyblog/?p=1053) 

 

If you would like to read more stories with Herman and Otto start with this link: https://www.hdhstory.net/Storyblog/?p=1087

 

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Alien Nation

Posted on October 20, 2021 by hdh

Alien Nation

According to the dictionary: an alien is defined as:

  • a foreigner, especially one who is not a naturalized citizen of the country where they are living. 
  • a hypothetical or fictional being from another world.  
  • Dissimilar, inconsistent, or opposed, as in nature.

Note that based on the first two definitions, there are two trains of thought. Those real entities that come from other countries and those so-called fictional entities that come from other worlds.

I consider myself far from fictional; I am real, I exist, despite the fact that I do come from another world. Time to revise your definitions.

If you earthlings would have spent as much time exploring their closest planet in the solar system, the one named after their goddess of love, rather than that funky red one named after a god of war, they might have realized not only that we do exist, but that we’re the better of the two. I mean, you claim you want to “Make love, not war” but you are always focused on war. 

Yes, I will agree that our planet seems much less adaptable to human existence. Mean temperatures of 900º F are a little off-putting, but the -81º F on Mars is no picnic either. Our planet is closer to the sun than Earth so that we can generate a lot more solar energy than Earth or Mars can. No fossil fuels here. You should look at an atmosphere of mostly carbon dioxide as a plus. What you don’t realize is the abundance of plants that we can grow there. Remember, plants need carbon dioxide to produce food and oxygen. Though we spend most of our time underground, our gardens and fields are a vegetarian paradise. 

It is said that our planet rotates retrograde (backward) compared to all the others. Did you ever think that maybe we’re the ones that got it right and all the other planets actually are rotating backward? Ours is unique. Who really cares which way you rotate? Our year is only 225 earth days long; meaning we can live to a much older age than the people on earth in the same period of time. Most of you spend ? of your day at work. Our workday is an infinitesimal part of our day compared to yours. Granted, our day (243 earth days) is longer than not only your day but our year; but who’s counting. When we get days off, trust me, it lasts a long time and is certainly worth it.

My exothermic skin was created for me to make it possible to survive on your planet. It would also help you survive on Venus should we choose to share our technology with you. 

I’ve been here on earth for 71 of your Earth years, just observing and reporting back to Venus with my opinion as to whether it is worth officially contacting you, rather than waiting for you to contact us.  You should be aware, it’s not looking good for that collaboration. There are plenty more of us Venusian observers here that concur. Your planet really doesn’t learn from its own history. You still have wars; you still can’t agree to work together to live in peace and harmony; you can’t even come together and try to help each other when people are sick and dying. Besides, I believe you are actually trying to make your planet like Mars the way you are squandering resources and not doing much to save your environment as one world. On Venus, maintaining our environment is a high priority.

You’ve got a long way to go and time is running out if you truly want to go where no one has gone before; in a positive direction. 

It really is up to you. If that concept seems alien* to you then I wish you good luck with your future. I’ll still be here. Maybe the next inhabitants of Earth will be different. 

*the third definition of alien

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Beauty is…

Posted on October 19, 2021 by hdh

Beauty is…

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I would have to add that it is also in the ear of the beholder. Going to sleep at night to the sound of rain falling by my window as my head rests peacefully against my pillow is a comforting sound. It focuses my mind and pictures appear before me of forests and lakes with rain falling as the sun goes down. The sounds create a calmness within me that says, we are at peace and all is well. My eyes may be closing slowly but the images remain as sleep pervades my being and I dream.

Those sounds change in the morning as the Carolina wrens, bluejays, and cardinals announce that it is wake-up time. Though their songs lack a melodious quality, their message is clear. We are not here to relax and comfort you, we are here to see that you do not waste the day away in slumber. Get up, rejoice, make something of yourself, for today is the day…! Of course, we won’t find out what today is the day for until we accede to their demands. 

From there it is the sounds of life that both comfort and define us. Are we the slow-growing grasses that take in all the rain and sun and just sway with whatever the wind provides us? Are we the thousands of grackles that just keep scavenging for food in our yards or soar through the air in waves with clamorous squawks announcing to the world that we go where we want, and take what we can and are proud of it, whether it is right to do, or not?  Or are we the builders and shakers of the world; the trees that hold and protect the nests, and provide the fruit that nourishes us and keeps us alive and well? 

All of this is the beauty the eyes behold. They are the sounds the ears hear. They are the breaths we take. They are the thoughts that make us become what we are capable of being. 

As I write this I find it comforting to hear right now the rain falling outside my window, which is also the peaceful and comforting sounds that guided my muse. 

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Take the Fall

Posted on October 15, 2021 by hdh

Take the Fall

Roger looked at Steve and said, “The time has come.” 

Spring and summer were the worst times of the year to commit crimes. Way too much daylight. But now that Fall was here and Daylight Standard time was in effect, days got shorter and so did the sunlight’s brilliance. Roger was well aware of this. 

He had planned this heist earlier in the year. The key to their success was not to be recognized. Attempting anything during daylight hours wouldn’t accomplish their task. And it was crucial that the office was open at the time of the heist, which limited when they could make the attempt. Though winter had shorter days it also had the possibility of snow. Uncleared roads and sidewalks left footprints and hazards that they did not want to risk. So they would take the chance with Fall.

The plan was simple. Once they were able to establish themselves inside the office, Sally, Roger’s girlfriend, was to cut the power to the building. With darkness inside the office, and poorly lit streets and darkness outside the building, it would be easy to get the package with the documents and escape without capture. The new guy, Steve, was basically there to act as the lookout.

Everything went as planned, the power went out, Roger grabbed the papers and package and was well gone before the power returned. In fact, it was a while before anyone even noticed that something was missing. These papers alone would bring much money when given to Roger’s employer.

What neither Roger nor Sally had counted on was the fact that Steve was an undercover FBI agent and used a night vision camera to capture the whole event. That, and there was a tracer carefully placed inside the package so that whenever the exchange was made between Roger and the person that hired him, multiple arrests would be made. 

Yes, Taking Fall may have been the ideal time to make a heist; however, if it seems easy and goes without a hitch, chances are you should be prepared to really take the fall, which they did. 

 

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