| STORIES
#1. Learning to (fly) swim
Back in the summer vacations of 1986, I used to go everyday
to the rocky beach in my little town. I used to go there with
some of my best friends that could go with me. They are Gil,
Miguel and Alberto. Some of my other friends were not allowed
by their mothers. They wouldn’t let them go. In the beach
we would lie ten minutes in the sun, then after, it was time
for the bath in the small tide pools. It was like that every
day, even Sundays.
The only problem at those days was I didn't know how to swim.
Miguel did, so he was going to teach us, me and Alberto. At
first I went from rock to rock, first a few meters in shallow
water. After half an hour of lessons we would get tired, so
we would explore the pools. Sponges, sea urchins, jelly fish,
sea stars, algae and coral were some of the creatures we used
to look for. Although we didn't know anything about them,
we knew that sea urchins and jelly fish were the ones to stay
away from.
Like I was telling… we used to just go from rock to
rock. With some patience from Miguel, a month after we already
knew our way across larger pools. After that Miguel said that
we could swim on the open sea. At that time I felt a new kind
of freedom in a new world. but I also thought, “Be careful,
this new world is unknown, after learning to (fly) I don't
want to fall.”
Joao Ferreira
#2. My Truck
It was one of the last ones built in 1950, by the Chevrolet
Company. It is a 1950 Chevro-let, half-ton pick up with several
1951 parts. A rugged truck built for work, it came from the
factory without turn signals, seat belts, carpeting or a radio.
Bought by a contractor, the truck was put to work right away.
Everyday the truck was used to haul tools and supplies to
and from different jobs. This truck was worked for nine years
without any major problems. In 1959 the contractor gave up
his business and sold the truck.
A carpenter who had worked for the contractor, bought the
truck for one dollar. He added a few accessories, ladder racks,
turn signals and three wooden tool boxes. Now the truck was
ready to go back to work. For ten more years the truck was
used for work. The motor was worn, the rear springs were shot
from being over-loaded. There were dents and rust from years
of work and bad weather. Still running, it was taken off the
road; replaced by a station wagon in 1969.
I was home on leave when I saw it in the back yard. I looked
it over and knew it needed a lot of work. The more I thought
about it, the more I wanted it. The last day of my leave I
bought it. It was put in a garage for storage.
It was late in 1974 when the truck was put back on the road.
Now there was a newer Pontiac motor and transmission under
the hood. The rear axle and springs had also been replaced.
The electrical system also had to be converted from six volts
to twelve volts. It needed some bodywork but that would wait.
Put together, mainly for transportation, it wasn't long before
the truck was put back to work. There were moving jobs, runs
to the dump and scrap yards. It also did a few tow jobs and
hauled a trailer. In 1976 the truck was put back into storage,
replaced by a van.
It's now 1991, after 14 years of storage the truck has been
brought back to life. This time it has been completely rewired
to accommodate all the new accessories. Under the hood is
a new 350 cubic inch Chevy motor. In need of some body work
and paint, it sits patiently in a heated garage waiting for
the day it will again be on the road.
This time will be different. Its working days are over. The
next time it sees the road, it will be for cruising and transportation.
Eddie De Mello Jr.
#3. The family
The family is a place where people love and feel loved,
a place of understanding and forgiving, a place of happiness
and sometimes sadness. The family is where everybody feels
comforted. It is where sometimes we have discussions to fix
things, a place where everybody respects and is respected.
Family is a place where we form a small society to go in a
big society. I think the family is the most important thing
we all have because all of us in the family are loved and
feel loved. Everybody helps everybody.
Good things happen like a marriage or a new born child and
it makes us happy. Sometimes, when somebody gets sick or dies,
sadness invades the family. A family is where parents respect
children and children respect parents and grandparents, where
sometimes discussions arise because of how children behave,
because of money or lifestyles. If we are good families, societies
will be good too. In conclusion, family is the best thing
everybody has: that goes from love to all other good things
that can exist. I don’t know what I would be without
my family.
(I feel very sorry for people who don’t have a family,
especially the homeless or people who live alone.)
Maria A. Alves
#4. CAR TECHNOLOGY
One of the most competitive sectors of the world’s
economy is the automotive sector. So companies worldwide are
largely tuned into research and technological development.
They don’t only need technology for quality, but also
to be a step ahead of the competition. In the last few years,
the most amazing of these developments are active suspension
and four wheel steering.
In the case of active suspensions, they are still in the
development phase. Some firms are taking the risk to sell
them commercially. These are Mitsubishi, Dodge, and Infiniti.
There are also the “semi-active” suspension which
is standard equipment on all Lincoln models. It has been just
a couple of years since Lotus Formula I car used active suspension.
Lotus is still one of the technology leaders. Active suspension
is one of the most important recent automotive developments,
which contributes to a bumpless ride.
Four wheel steering has been a long time dream for major
car companies. It was brought to life by Honda, using a simple
mechanic system within its model “Prelude SI.” Mazda
also developed a more complicated electronic system. Both
proved to be a big improvement in performance and are also
a good selling point.
The list could go on with aerodynamics, alternative fuels,
and “Kansei” engineering. But in conclusion, one
can say that, “Car industry is the first to work for
consumers.” Now we can be sure that companies are trying
to do the best for us and our environment.
Joao Ferreira
#5. MY FAMILY
We were four brothers in the family. Until I came to the
USA, I lived in a city called Curitaba. That’s the capital
of the Parama's state.
In 1983 we lost our brother and my house stayed sad. We missed
him.
In 1984 we adopted a little girl. The happiness came again
to us because she is a smart girl.
Now we feel the loss of my brother, but we also have a little
girl.
Samuel Sales Pires
#6. War
As a child, growing up in World War Two, I found it to be
very exciting. Being only six years old, I thought it was
great when the sirens went off. We had to shut all the lights
off and pull the window shades down.
My sisters and I would run to the windows and peek out at
the air raid wardens. They walked up and down the streets
protecting our neighborhoods. We were unaware, I know at our
ages, of the Jewish people and how they were murdered. Also
innocent people who were killed trying to hide them from the
German soldiers. We were too young to read a paper or to understand
what was being said on the radio.
Today I am reliving another war. This time I am fully aware
of what is going on, and I do not find it very exciting. I
only hope the young men and women who are in Saudi Arabia
know what they are fighting for.
It is sad that we have to go to war in other countries to
help them fight for their freedom. At the same time people
in the United States take their freedom for granted. We are
lucky to be living in a democracy where we are free to speak
out for what we believe in, to go to the church of our choice,
many of us are never satisfied. We should look around us and
see how other people live, and we would appreciate what we
have.
Betty Coderre
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#7. HARBINGER
Jon could still see the mynah, his mind still heard its piercing
cry. Jon had seen this self-same four previous times in his
life. Four dreams that he could never forget, and now for
the fifth time he did it. Invaded his dreams. Another nightmare
that would haunt him throughout his days.
He was ten the first time the dream appeared to him. He wakes
up screaming and his mother comes in to comfort him. She tells
him it was only a bad dream. The next day Jon’s grandfather
died of a heart attack. It was a bad dream, nothing more.
At 14, the dream returned. Once again Jon was terrified and
he somehow remembered having seen that bird some other time.
The next day there was a substitute teacher at school. His
class was told that their teacher had passed on. No further
explanation was given the students. Jon knew when he had seen
the mynah before, and he was scared.
Once more did Jon dream of the damned mynah. He was 19, and
in college now when he was called in to identify the body
of his roommate. His best friend’s cycle had been hit
by a truck.
The next nightmare of the bird is the hardest for Jon to
accept. For he remembers it with shame. His wife of three
years had just given birth to a boy. It was his first child.
He was so scared for them, for he knew the meaning of his
dream. The shame he recalls is of the relief he felt when
his mother called him and his father had just died in his
sleep.
And now after six years, the dream again. Jon lay in bed
trembling. Someone he loved had died, or was about to die.
He knew there was nothing he could do. After having composed
himself as best he could, Jon got out of bed, he cleaned up,
dressed, and went to his kitchen to have breakfast. He was
finishing up his coffee as the phone rang.
Michael Woodmansee
#8. THE DAY WHEN I IMMIGRATED TO AMERICA
It was a happy day thinking that I was coming to America.
Every person talked about it as big, rich, and beautiful country.
I was anxious to come to see if it was true! Even so, I was
very sad to leave my little and beautiful country too.
In my country I wasn’t rich and I had to work hard.
I left my family, friends, animals, rivers, and springs, the
Sundays when we could rest and dress up, the dances where
we could find a boy friend.
When at the airport, waiting to leave on the plane, I was
sad and happy and scared. When in the plane I was anxious
to get to Boston to know how it would be. When still in the
air I could see a dark city. Right away I could see the difference
from Lisbon to Boston, Lisbon so bright and colorful and Boston
so dark.
When out of the airport, my grandfather was waiting with
the taxi. I was so happy to see him but that taxi was so old
and dirty. Soon I started to look and see that what people
there were telling me wasn’t true, so many old things,
the houses of wood, the food wasn’t too good. Right away
I started to remember my house and my country where I grew
until I came.
It was like I had nothing. Thank God my parents and brothers
came with me. I was so sad nothing would brighten me, in part
too because I had left my boyfriend. It was so different from
what I used to do. Days passed and I went to work. It was
so different from what I used to do. Soon I started in piece
work. It made me so afraid, seeing the man with the clock
taking the time.
Days, months and years passed. I went to school for a short
time during the night. It was very difficult, but slowly I
learned a little bit, how to speak and read a little. Twenty
and five years already passed. I miss my country Portugal,
still. Today I love this country, America. I am a happy citizen
too. I forgot all the bad things and changed them for the
good it had to offer me.
Maria C. Alves
#9. A toy
It was long, long ago. I was about five years old. My grandmother
was sitting in front of her bedroom’s window. She had
called for me. When I got there I saw her with her glasses
on, holding gently a rag doll. She had just finished it. My
grandmother was there, smiling, while holding the most beautiful
doll that I had ever seen. She gave me the doll, just like
that. It was not Christmas, or any other kind of commemoration,
and it was my first and the only toy I had in all my childhood.
My mother wanted to sell the doll to make some money, but
my grandmother said there could not be money enough in the
world that paid for her granddaughter’s happiness, and
she reaffirmed her intention that she had made that doll with
love to be given to her granddaughter Zana. The doll doesn’t
exist anymore, but my grandmother’s words and the doll
image still live in my heart. I can clearly remember it.
The doll body was made from white cloth that my grandmother
used to make sheets and pillow cases. Her underwear, little
panties, was light pink, the same kind of cloth that my grandmother
used to make our own underwear. Her dress was hand-knitted
from lamb wool that my grandmother had dyed pink previously.
Her socks were hand crocheted from pink cotton thread and
her shoes were made from lamb fur. Her hair was made from
brown wool and her eyelashes and eyebrows from black cotton
thread and her lips from rep. It was the most beautiful rag
doll I had ever seen in my life. I felt fascinated, overjoyed,
delighted with my doll; but my attention almost failed on
a particularity — my doll was wearing socks and shoes,
while I was barefoot.
Maria Z. Santos
#10. GED
I quit school when I was 16 years old because of financial
reasons. I had to help my mother with the bills and my two
younger brothers. I had many different jobs. My last job lasted
for 22 years. I would like to have stayed there until I retired
but plant closure took that dream.
When I was younger, I could walk across the street and get
a job. That’s how easy it was. If I didn’t like
that one, I could just as easy go somewhere else and would
get hired on the spot.
Now plants, corporations, and companies want high school
diplomas and if you don’t have one, most good paying
jobs won’t even consider your application. Some places
won’t even tell you that’s why you didn’t get
hired There are a few places left that don’t require
a diploma, but they are getting fewer and farther apart.
I was a stitcher, driller, solderer, tire builder, supervisor
and injection molder to name a few. I have learned a lot up
to this point. When I think about my life and past jobs, there
have been a lot of things accomplished and one or two failures
along the way.
Getting a GED is not as easy as it sounds, for my anyway.
Through the classes I am learning all over again and I am
determined to get my diploma..
Marie Lucas
#11. THE WISH
Arthur had always been fascinated with the past. As a young
boy, he used to collect old stamps and coins. Strange pieces
of metal and rock he would scrounge in his neighborhood were
precious Indian relics or stone age tools to his young imagination.
Now he was in college studying ancient history. For the summer,
he was lucky enough to be included in the field trip to Israel
to work at an archaeological dig.
It was uncomfortably hot the day that Arthur, carrying his
shovel and camera, climbed down into a newly excavated dwelling.
He welcomed the cool air in the dim interior. After working
carefully in the north corner for an hour, he was scraping
his shovel through the sand when he heard it clink against
metal. His heartbeat increasing with excitement, he bent down
to examine his find. It was an old brass lantern, rather sooty
near the lip.
Pulling out his shirttail, Arthur started to buff the grime
off his lantern. Immediately, he began to feel light headed
and dizzy; the room grew darker and an unsettling feeling
of spinning passed through him. He found himself surrounded
by greenish vapors that congealed into the shape of a man.
“I am the genie of the lamp,” the voice boomed.
“You have awoken me from my eternal slumber; your wish
is my command!”
Arthur almost fainted from the shock. He sweated and trembled.
Finally he managed to speak in a high nervous voice. “I
wish to go back in time and witness the construction of the
Great Pyramid at Giza!”
No sooner than the last word left his lips, he found himself
in the desert. He looked down and saw that he was wearing
a long white robe. He looked up and saw a half built pyramid.
Nearby were men also dressed in long white robes. They were
straining to push a huge stone block along little wooden rollers.
Arthur looked desperately for his lamp, but it was nowhere
to be found. The crack of a whip behind his right ear startled
him into awareness. Approaching was a heavily armoured Egyptian
soldier flailing his whip. “Get back to work,” he
commanded, “or you will be thrown to the jackals!”.
Timur Turkdogen
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