Fiction: Story behind the lens

While I was walking down the road of Athens, through the ancient Agora and on top of the Parthenon slope. I can’t get my mind off of the last few weeks when I was in Turkey war-torned.
The devastation of bomb, the children that’s crying on the cracked floor, blood drenched women holding on to man of her life, stream of tears wash her face gray with ashes.
To self contain my sanity; the only way I can get through this is to hold up my camera. Shut out every sound. What’s used to capture beauty now transformed to immortalize agony, sadness and pain.
Still my eyes flinch not. My heart keeps pounding, pumping blood of warm tears throughout my body. Every fiber of it, felt and ears and cry and scream and……… every dust is not missed, every light is save in the film, every pixel of the interlocking gunshot is stored, every flying rocks is stopped eternally, every faces, gray, red, blue, wet, dry, dumbfounded, is burned permanently into the little black box. And it is my shield, my armor, my only defends against all the arsenal.
Now, I’m safe sipping this horrible coffee that’s simply paradise in comparison. I wonder. Man. Where are we now?

Short Story : The Day We Left

“Mom been sleeping in the bed for the past four months, I don’t know what is she thinking now or where is her mind. I have been trying to get through to her, though she responses every time I feed her or bring her to sit up for book reading, but her expression is not here, she is not with me her, she is somewhere else.”, Kathleen keep thinking on the kitchen round table. “I have lost her forever.”
After the accident, Wilma has not been in the same state as where everyone is. The shock has pushes her so back into her own mind. She is living with her memories now.
From the moment of the impact, she has left her body and gone into the light. This light blurring bright at first brought her into this place. Where the green is greener, the red is redder and the dusk seems orange-er. There are all the people in dresses and suits in the park, kids playing and running around. Wil… saw Sam, in his army uniform, kissing the cheek of her, she still remember the warm lips of Sam touching her cheek. Unconsciously, Wilma caresses her cheek to remember more of the feeling, and yet she found a single drop of tear in trickling down her face. Why is she crying? Suddenly she is in the darkness, Sam in running across the field, there are loud sound chasing him. “Run Sam, faster, Run…..,” Sam was about to reach Wilma when he suddenly drop to the muddy ground and lie motionless. “Wake up, Wake up Sam! Sam.”
She is standing now back on a screen door, there is the green car outside on the porch with 2 officers walking towards the house. “Mam, Wilma,” “It’s Elliot, No, he promise he’ll never come over no matter what happen, he’ll never come over, No!” “Elliot, Please don’t, don’t you dare come near this house.” “I’m sorry Wilma, he is not coming home. I’m sorry!” “Oh, Elliot…. No!!!”, As she saw her young self cry uncontrollably, she can’t help herself from weeping now.
********************
“Elliot, how are you?”
“Wilma, it’s 4th of July, come on, let’s go out to the beach and watch the firework.”
“I… don’t know if I want to.”
“Come on. It’d be fun.”
“OK!”
*******************
“See! There’s nothing wrong!”
“Elliot, I can’t, Sam...”
“I’m not asking you to forget him. Wilma, I love him too, but he is no longer here, I am. I promise I’ll take care of you and now forever I will. I promise.”
“Oh, Elliot!”
Wilma just couldn’t stop herself from crying. Sam is her first love, yet, Elliot is the one.
********************
A smile appears on her face, Sammy and Kathleen, “You two, now don’t run like that, you are going to hurt somebody like that.”
“Daddy!!!!”
Sam walks through the door. Wilma cannot stop admiring how handsome he is even in his sweaty workmen jeans. He looks much handsome everyday. “I’m falling head over heels here.”
The kids grabbing Sam’s leg and wouldn’t let go. Carrying them one in each arms, he stumble over the kitchen counter and gave Wilma a kiss.
*******************
“You know that would be our star. That spot there, that’s ours.” Sitting on the front porch in the swinger, they sat. “It seems forever and forever we can be there.”
“It is time to leave my love”
Wilma turn and Sam and Elliot are both standing behind her. “Have I?”
“Come on Wilma. You need to say Goodbye.”
*******************
Kathleen is sitting beside Wilma.
Wilma touches Kath face, slowly. “I Love you Kathleen, I will always be here.”
Kathleen touches her face just where Wilma hands caresses.
“That would be all, Wilma. She will be alright.”
“Alright… Good Bye Baby Kate. Take care of your brother. Will we be seeing them again?”
“Sure you can see her anytime you want. And she will meet us again. We’ll come together.”

Looking out Looking in

Why must we be so serious? Life isn’t all that? It’s writing in the coffee shop. It’s about living life, it’s about experiencing it. it’s about expressing yourself. It’s about see things truly as you look at them. It’s about sitting in a small table in the coffee shop alone looking out to the windows. Sipping on that espresso, taking a light reading on one of your favourite book. Then looking out the windows and see everyone around you walking by. Some look marvellous, some look elegant, some look franticly running away from something, one may just seem to be clumsy enough to keep dropping her files and then all the inlay blown away by a gasp of wind, into the fountain at the center of the square. So she got in fell and all wet. Funny instead of cry and felt miserable. She’s simply overwhelm by the silliness of it all. The document ink won’t even be there anymore yet she climbs in and got her hold outfit wet and well, why not it’s a hot summer day anyway.
Funny isn’t it. there’s always more than one outcome that could come out it a situation. Instead of crying, why not laugh it out loud. Sometimes the world are as silly as we think it could be.
Just as silly as I am now, sitting here writing about these strangers. I got nothing but this. No job, no reason to stay, no reason to leave. The only reason I’m here is living. And every fibre of my being is showing me that I am alive and that is all I needed. I walk over to the counter and asked if I could just help them wait for a day. For I got nothing to do and they are all packed and the lunch rush is about to come. With my half English and Italian, I convince the manager for one day I’ll be his staff and in return I get one bagel and a cup of latte by the end of the hour.
So I ran and just sending off variety of bread and coffee and wine and cheese and everything in between to every table. Just by listening and when I don’t understand I point. Well, I guess this is what life should be spontaneous and adventurous.
After over 2 hours of frantic running finally there’s left only some leisure tourist like me in the shop. And sat back on the same spot by the windows and the manager came over with a glass of wine and a plate of sausage slice and cheese and pad on my shoulder and said in some what heavy Italian accent “Nice, nice, here is your lunch. Enjoy Eh! Grazi.” And I was again in that state of mind. Sipping my coffee and wine, looking out into the square, seeing people running on with their life. Mine is calmingly in the comfort behind the windows. And there goes another Julio with his girlfriend leaning behind him on a scooter. Well, Life is well and strange and exciting. That one moment and this one. It’s all good.

After one Kiss

It’s been a while since I last wrote any short story. Tonight I felt that I want to start one.

One Kiss After.
On the cold sinter night on the river bank of the City of lights, Samantha was walking alone. Fearing that the cold weather is going to cold her already slow beating heart. She could not feel her feet. And her eyes could not stop the flood of the sadness she felt. The only heat she felt was from the tears dripping from the side of her eyes. Yet it’s proven anything good cannot stay forever, for the heat of the tears was gone from the second it reaches Sam’s cheek.
She can’t walk anymore, she cannot stop herself weep, and she is out of breath because of it. She stop under the over bridge. She heard the sound of a bunch of teenager making a hassle in the distance behind her, walking closer and closer. Fear of anyone noticing her she tried to hide her face from the lamp light. Suddenly she felt one of the teenager came close and planted a warm kiss on her left cheek, she is totally shock and do not know how to react. She can only stare at the teen as he look at. Then he stopped, leaving his gang behind. It was as if he realise something and awaken from his drunken state. He was mesmerise. “Are you alright?” He asked. “I’m sorry. Did I scared you?”. “No, No. It’s nothing.” Turning away, Samantha tried to hide her shame. “I’m so sorry. I don’t mean to scare you. Are you alright? Are you alone here? Why are you crying?”. Could not hold her breath and sadness anymore, her tears just pour out like a water fountain.
“Wo, wo, what’s the matter? I’m try to do anything to you......”
“No, it’s not you”, Sam said in her French accent English. “ ’tis has nothing to do with you. My father have passed away. And I can’t even be there with him. ”
“Oh, erm, IF you don’t mind, I can stay here with you for a while. Sorry that I took advantages just now. It was a spur of the moment thing. I don’t mean to offend.”
“None taken...... ”, she continue to cry.
Awkwardly, Brett, the American asked,“So,.... What happened?”
“He was in California on a business trip and a car hit him. I didn’t even have a chance to say goodbye....”
“I’m sorry to hear that. You need any help? My brother is in LA now.”
“I don’t know.... I just want to be there.”
“I’m sorry that’s all that I can do.”
“You are one of the beautiful girl I’ve ever seen.”
“huh, you just saying that to stop me from crying.”
“I’m not. I know that’s kinda of the mark at the moment, but you are. That what catches me to kiss you just now. Sorry.”
“Don’t apologize.”

Not knowing what to do, Brett, looking up in the sky and waited in silence. As a reflex Samantha did the same.
“Isn’t it strange? A cold winter night light this. Not a cloud in the sky.”
Not even the normal mist around the river.
With a deep breath, Samantha sighs. “Hi I’m Brett.” Brett Buckley introduce himself in a desperate act to soften the situation.
Choking a little bit, “Samantha.... Hello. Ni..ce to meet... you.”
“Oh, my pleasure... erm, I mean. No. Not.... I mean it’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“Ha, ha. ” Samantha can’t stop giggle.
“huh, Huh!” Embarassed. Brett tried to hide it with a smile.
Trying to get Sam’s mind off the issue, “So you are a local here?”
“Si, I’m a cafe..... eh.... owner.”
“Oh, I see. The famous French latte maker....”
“Haha! Si.” Still looking up at the sky. “Merci, I need to go back to the cafe now.
“Can I come? And have a nice coffee? Now I’m all awake and Lost all my stupid friend.”
“Oh, Si. Come. I’ll make you one myself.”, surprised that Brett asked to go back with her. But she sees no reason to reject. Since he comfort her, and helped her.
“Merci” while walking towards her Cafe. “The kiss? It’s nothing. Ha! Ha! Sorry. I’m kidding”
“Ha! Ha!.......”
Both shadow walk off to the shadow of the shop beside the river.
Bringing Brett the coffee, Samantha sat with Brett and drank with him.
The whole time that Brett is in Paris, he had never felt comfortable. Although being outside his own country he can let loose a little bit. But he never felt at home talking to a Parisian, because of the language, accent and their attitude towards American. But here, now with that little kiss, he felt a little bit of connection with this little but beautiful lady.
Lady was telling him the story of her life. How her father has left her with the cafe. The last word he said before he left. Cried a little bit.
All through the night, he just can’t stop himself looking into this sad, soft yet strong emerald eyes of this lady in front of him. Falling, and falling deeper into her voice with every moment passes.
He has the urge to talk and talk just to stop her from crying. Trying to crack up jokes after jokes that’s polite yet funny. Telling her, how he got his scar on his forehead falling from a cliff. Realising only a couple of minutes later that he had made her cried again. Trying desperately to help, he made up some story of 3 old man in a lake arguing about cupcake. At last Samantha smile again.
The interaction continued throughout the not until the first light of dawn shines through the glass windows of the cafe.
However it brings no pleasure to Brett, because he realise that it is his time to leave.
“Are you going to California then?”
“Yes, but I still need to get the plane ticket.”
“Well, let me help then. I’ll talk to the American Embassy and see if we can arrange for a flight for you to fly over today and then return with your father.”
“I don’t want to bother you.”
“It’s no bother. I’ll go back to America with you. I’ll just end my trip here. The fellas won’t miss me anyhow. ”
Without saying anymore, Brett left.
Not knowing whether this stranger will really help her and return. Samantha realise at that moment seeing the shadow of this man into the sun rise. She is starting to admire his broad shoulder and wishes she can lean on it like she did beside the river last night for a few moments more.
Since it is a short story I’ll just leave it there and the rest up to your imagination.

How strange It is! De Javu! Short Story Saturday!

I was changing the country that i'm in. and suddenly everything just gone back 12 hours back. haha. Now all my post are in Thursday haha. I thought i was making a Friday post when i'm actually posting the last post. A bit of a De Javu moment there.

Anyway let's continue. I guess you guys now would be looking at my blog a day earlier each day. I actually write my blog the night before it is posted. so......... here goes.

Here is a short story i've written a couple of days earlier. I thought Since the weekend is coming, what's better to start the day with a bit of a story reading?

So here Goes! ***** Homosexuality Tendency Alert!****

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Saturday April 20, 1940

Me and Papa just came back to the cottage from the field. It's a great day, spring is in the air, the moon is bright, the mountain side and the cliffs reflected a curtain of grayish velvet. Looks just like a waterfall of shiny silver magma flowing from the sky above to the field below. The side hill leading up the cliffs just filled with fully bloomed wild primrose of the spring. It is a great day.

"Alex, Go and put all the Shuffle into the barn and come have dinner." "Yea, Papa!" I answer.
I was walking towards the barn, crossing the Store House where Papa and Monsieur Gillespie teaches me to piant.

I light up the lantern on the side wall of the barn cos the night is getting darker, and it's getting hard to see my way even with the half full moon light. As I was walking towards to the barn door, I saw that the barn door was opened. It's strange, we never kept the barn door open to avoid wild wolves from running in to the goats and horses. Walking slowly toward the door, raising the shuffle in my hand....... The barn was strangely quiet, no clicking of any hooves, no quaking of any of the duck......
when i reach the door, there's a stripe of handprint by blood drag across the door to the lock. That's when i realise that there's a trail of blood on the floor leading from the other side of the barn. I walk cautionly into the barn, opening the door softly so that i won't alert anything that is inside. I heard the harsh breathing of the horses inside.......

the blood trail have stop at the barn door....... as i was looking inside the barn there's nothing strange inside. the horses and the goats is fine. the duck is in the duckling house me and papa build a couple of years ago.

I went inside and put the shuffle in the tools stored corner of the barn.

Then I saw it out of the corner of my eyes, right beside the horses, there's a pair of muddy feet.
I pick up the holves knife and walk over to the comparment and there I see it / him. He is lying on the old hay lay down from last fall...... He have an angelic face, laying there calmly, both his hand on the left side of his waist, there I saw the bloody working cloth i use to wipe the knife in the barn. I approach him and saw his chest heaving.... He's breathing, but he doesn't seem right... he's muttering something, then only i knew the blood stain of the cloth is still wet, they are still dripping......

I quickly ran back to the kitchen and yell at Pap and Monsieur Gillespie along the way. They met me half way from the cottage and I told them about the stranger I saw in the barn. They hastily follow me to the barn, Monsieur Gillespie still holding his kitchen knife in one hand and a table cloth on the other.

When we were there, Papa examine the boy. He say he have been stab, Monsieur Gillespie throw away the knife he's holding and quickly carried the boy back to the cottage kitchen. the steady silent night now filled with hast and running feet. Louis lay him in the kitchen's bedroom. "Alex go and get a lot of clean cloth, get me the sewing box from Mama's room, and Louis boil some hot water from the kitchen."
I ran up to mama's old room. I've never come in here after mama passed away last year. I found the box in the the closet and ran back down stair.
Papa clean the wound with the hot water and burning the needle with a candle and he start sewing his wound. we have to hold his arm so that he won't struggle and hurt himself. Papa finish with a nod at the end of the stitches and as papa and Louis walk out the room to discuss i meant to follow but his hand is grabbing mine so tight i can't break free.
"Alex, you take care of him for tonight. We'll take turn. the stab didn't hurt any of the organ. It's just a flesh wound but He'll get infection for the next couple of days. Use the rest of the cloth to clean him. I'll be in the kitchen if you need me."

I pick up a clean cloth, wet it with the new batch of boil water, and start taking his blood stained shirt and pants off. He have a lean body, muscled in the right way, I thought in my heart, he must be one of the boy from the mountain. as i was cleaning his body, he groan a bit when i clean around his wound, which makes me very careful and wipe his body softly, scared that i would hurt him in some way.

He started to groan a lot and sometimes started to mutter word that cannot be recognize. His infection is making his body burning like an oven, he constantly sweat all over and i have to wipe it off every couple of hours. It's hard to force him to drink. I have to feed him soup and water with a spoon.

After 2 days of groaning and fever he finally settle down. The fever is gone and the wound, Papa said, is healing very well. As I was walking off out of the room, I glance back at him and realise something. I haven't been touching my paint brush for the past couple of days and i've never drawn a human body before, Luois and Papa is the only one at home, and Luois just arrange fruits and pans everytime when he teaches me to draw.

so I quickly ran to the store house and grab some coal and paper and back into the room.
I started drawing. begin from the his face to his half covered body. he have the most handsome faces I have ever seen. Tender and strong, A few strain of his light golden brown hair lay across his face, his arm is of the right length, well toned, a couple of scar here and there. His chest heaving steadily with his breathing, slightly brown skin covered his well defined body reflecting with a bit of golden brightness from the sunlight shining in from the window. It's the perfect picture of a fallen angel. without any haste and retouching i've finish my drawing. After making sure that he is alright. i go into the kitchen.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I am so facinated by his body, I can't stop drawing him. I go into his room with a drawing board everyday. Luois and Papa say I should just stay home and take care of him. he and Luois will do double duty to take care of the crop. I've also learn a few tricks in cooking while Luois is in the kitchen for the past year. Bossing him and making trouble in the kitchen everytime he want to start cooking. I'm incharge of dinner now.

Then I was thinking, though I have clean his body plenty of times. I have never touch his skin before. I slowly walk across to the bed. I started touching his face. he have a soft skin, firm as his lean body would suggest. Crossing his neck, there's a scar beside the right colar bone, I've notice it everytime i draw him, wondering how he get a scar so close to his veins and could it be the same kind of wound he have now. then i reaches to his arms, his shoulder strong and arms long, lean, well muscled, I'm sure that the person he holds will feel safe in his arms, and the i reaches across to the stomach, the well tones muscle heave and shadow with his breathing. and that wound stiches clearly visible. and when i lay my hand on his chest, feeling his calm breathing, i felt a rush of blood to my face. I don't know why. I have never felt this way with Papa or Luois. I'm shock and intrigue by this strange feeling. I can't move my eyes away from his angelic face nor my hand from his chest, my whole body are fixed perplex in that moment.
Then without a warning, I saw him opening his eyes. His crystal blue eyes, staring at me with that soft tenderness yet strong gaze. I was shocked. I don't know what to do and i run out of the room. standing beside the door. He called out to me. I look back inside, he was trying to get up. "No, No, don't move, you'll hurt yourself." I rush back into the room and hold him and lay him back onto the bed. We stare at each others eyes for a while.
"Merci." He said. "Where am I?" "My house." I said. "You are hurt and came to our home about a week ago.". "Si." He answer. He doesn't look surprise as i thought he would react. Yet I saw a faint shadow of tears on the side of his eyes. "I am Samuel. I came down from the hill forest. My family stay there. They are all gone."
I don't know how to react. I know something bad must have happen but I don't know what to say."They killed my father and my brother when they fight back. and they thought they killed me too. I ran away when they are gone.". Losing my mom is hard enough to process for me, I can't imagine losing a whole family. "Who are they?" I asked. "They are run awayed German soldier. they have no place to go. So my father take them in. but they betrayed him, betrayed his trust and lock us in the storeroom for days. We fight back one day and they killed them."
He continue, "I've been in the forest for a couple of days. not knowing where to go. then I saw this house and I go into the barn...... "
"Well, You are alright now." Finally I know what to say, "You just take a rest."
"What are you doing just now?" Suddenly I felt the rush of blood in my face again. I saw the drawing board, I pick it up and said, anxiously,"I was drawing you."."Oh, do I look good in it?" He reaches for the drawing and i give it to him. He look at it, "I look like this just now?" "Yes" I hastily answer. "Well, I look better in the drawing, you can draw me anytime you want." I blush again, so I turn away and say,"Si!" As I want to walk away. He grab my hand, and pull me to sit on the bed. His hand holding the back of my head, we are face to face, and he kissed me on the lips. I have never been kissed before, my heart was pounding so hard I cannot feel anything at all. "Merci!" He said. I look at him speechless, I don't know what I'm feeling nor what just happen. "Thank you for taking care of me, I can feel you around me these past days. I'm just too weak. I also don't know what is this. I feel the same way when you just touch me.",He said."Merci!"


To be Continue~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I am very Tempted to write a sex scene after that but now it's just too soon.
Although the story is a bit old, being in the world war 2. but it is inspired by mordern real story.
The real story is not as dramatic. Drawing involved, taking care of a young friend is relatively in the range, and that's what happen one day. The Last bit of the story.
So here It is. The story may continue. it may not. I don't know. We'll see.