STORIES FROM SUPPLEMENTARY READER IN THE FORM OF HINTS
1. SAM - Tammy Ruggles
Chilly rainy morning – terrible weather for summer – school
– out – Shelly – not go outside and play – Mom said – he would get sick –
Shelly put on his jacket – went out to front porch – found blond Labrador with
a hurt paw – no collar – not know who the dog belonged to – kind of mean –
calling the dogcatcher – Mom – gone to the store – went to his room – got out
his First Aid Kit – not real one – played doctor and patient with it – but had
stuff like iodine, bandages – named the dog Goldy – Mom tried to find the owner
– put a notice in the paper – no one came to claim the dog – Shelly and Goldy
played Frisbee and Football in the yard – Goldy – smart dog – knew commands like
‘Sit’, ‘Stay’ and ‘Come’ – Mom put the picture of Goldy – brought chew toy for
Goldy – Goldy followed Shelly to school – walked beside him between him and the
traffic – one day – a strange van in the driveway – lady with dark sunglasses
and a white can – talking to Mom – a man with her – Goldy started barking – ran
to her – “Sam” she laughed – Goldy whined with love – Goldy not really Goldy – it
was Sam – her guide dog – Shelly’s heart sank – traffic accident caused the
separation – Sam – trained working dog – the blind lady thanked Shelly for
taking care of Sam – Diane offered to come and visit anytime he likes – Shelly
thanked her – the van disappeared with two happy souls.
2. THE PIANO LESSON – Rob Reilly
The author - remember like yesterday – his father came home
from war – father – flying officer during World War II – dressed in a blue
uniform with skinny, boat-shaped cap – neighbour asked “what’s the weather like
up there?” – giant like father – carrying a brown suitcase with a leather belt –
author’s father – the tallest man – Mom and Rob Reilly - standing on the veranda – father dropped
the suitcase – contents spilled out onto the lawn – author only five years old
then – examined all the stuff lying around – mainly clothes and shoes – noticed
a large newspaper advertisement displaying Piano – Dad saw him holding the
paper cutting – “Yes, that’s right” he said
- “I bought your mom a Piano” – Mom squealed with delight – a large
horse cart pulling a brand-new piano – the delivery men positioned it near the window
of small living room – Mom and the author stood back – stared at the
magnificent piece of furniture (the Piano) – Mom saw a piano before only once
at the Catholic Kindergarten – after tea that night – Mom – teach herself to
play – plinked and plonked for about two hours – Dad said “Enough is enough” –
Mum obsessed with Piano – plink and plonk between cooking and housework –
within a month – belting out a tune – Dad – as pleased as Punch with Mum’s
tenacity and obvious talent – three months later – Mom – an accomplished
pianist – holding parties in the longue – neighbours sang “She’ll be coming
round the mountain” and “Goodnight Irene” – Mom felt like a princess – Dad
looking Sad and worried – unable to find a job – few weeks later – the same
horse clip-clopped the driveway – two men loaded the piano onto the wagon – Mom
staying in the Kitchen sobbing – Mom – a proud person – Dad in the back yard
looking sadder – the reason – no job, no money, no piano – couple of ladies
visited – telling Mom as welcome as flowers in May to play their piano – Mum
missed the Piano terribly – house awfully quiet without Piano – Dad got a job
with an accounting firm – study to qualify as a chartered accountant – every
night after dinner – stack of books on the table – sacrificed a lot over the
years – two years later – bought another Piano by paying cash.
3. The Face of Judas Iscariot –
Bonnie Chamberlain
Old priest told this story – author not know where it came
from – no one able to tell him – centuries ago – great artist engaged to paint
a mural for Cathedral in Sicilian town – the subject – life of Jesus – the
artist laboured diligently – finished except the two important figures – the
child Jesus and Judas Iscariot – searched far and wide for models – found a
model for Child Jesus in the street – a twelve year old boy – face of an angel
perhaps a very dirty one – using him as a model – finished the portrait of
Child Jesus – still no one to serve as model for the portrait of Judas –
haunted by the fear – his masterpiece – remain unfinished – continued his
search – the story of unfinished masterpiece spread afar – many men offered to
pose as model – but in vain – the painter looking for a face ; a man warped by
life, enfeebled by surrender to greed and lust – one afternoon – the artist
found a model for Judas in tavern – a gaunt and tattered figure – begging for
wine – his face bears the marks of every sin of mankind – the artist – ready to
offer wine, food and clothing – the artist working feverishly to complete his
masterpiece – change came over the model – strange tension replaced the
stuporous languor – blood shot eyes fixed with horror on the painted likeness
of himself – the painter pausing in his work – asks “What troubles you so?” –
the model for Judas sobbed – buried his face in hands – years ago – posed as a
model for Child Jesus.
4. Swept Away – Susannah Hickling
“Come on, We’ve got to get out of here now” Serge urged
Celine – flood water poured into their terraced home – already 30 centimetres deep
and rising – the couple lifted the sofa onto the dining table – stacked many
possessions out of reach of the filthy water – 2.15 pm, Monday, September 22,
2003 – Lunel, the small town in Southern France – battered by violent storms
since mid-morning – Serge (43), Council Worker – Celine (32), Home help – live
in Lunel – the flood – second time in just over a year – Serge and Celine
stepped out into the street – Celine stepped over a low hedge – it separated
the street from the pavement – Serge following close behind – in an instant –
Celine disappeared below the water – “She’s dead” Serge thought – Celine felt
his grasp – her relief short-lived – swept along underwater – swallowing
mouthfuls of filthy liquid – “I’m going to die” She thought – about ten metres
from the manhold – Celine in a two-metre wide concrete storm drain – across the
drain – a small plastic pipe – the tunnel completely black – Celine grabbed the
pipe – above ground – “Help, help!” Serge panicked and cried – Louise Martinez,
the neighbour advised to ring the fire brigade – Celine hung on – thoughts came
like photographs – see her daughter Amandine blowing her a kiss – Amandine to
celebrate twelfth birthday in two weeks time – then thought of Serge and the
squabble they had that morning – firemen reached the place after an hour –
shone powerful torches down the manhole – probed with metal rods – no sign of
missing woman – Celine still hanging from the pipe – lights and rods
disappeared – black now in the drain – felt objects smashing against her –
bags, branches, the contents of bins – couldn’t hold the pipe any longer –
water level dropped to her chest – “There’s got to be an exit” she reckoned –
“Perhaps there’s a grill” – able to touch the bottom of the drain with feet –
her face smashed against an iron bar – lost consciousness for a moment – could
feel something above her – the pieces of plastic hanging down the roof – Celine
grabbed one – water picked up speed – couldn’t hold on to the pipe any longer –
her body – thrown around by water – slammed against the concrete wall – still
buffeted by the terrifying force of the storm water – Celine not immediately
realize herself being in the open air – night falling – reality hits – “I’m
outside!” She cried – Celine - been in
the ditch whose water over flowed into a
large flooded area – houses one side – the fields on the other – grabbed tufts
of grass and reeds – screamed for help – heard a man’s voice – Jack Poderoso
(45), teacher – standing on the platform – checking his daughter’s horse
alright – the time – after 7 pm – Celine had been down the water for five hours
– gave Serge’s number – nobody answered – recall Serge’s brother’s number –
Celine heard another voice – “Where’s the body?” the firemen asked carrying a
bag – after 8 pm, Serge arrived at Lunel’s firestation – Celine only collapsed
weeping into Serge’s arms – her theory – when she wanted something, she was
very determined – wanted to be there for Amandine and for Serge.
5. A Close Encounter – Rex Coker
Geniuses and tinkers live everywhere in small towns all over
the world – Rex Coker’s brother – a tinker – spent time coming up with new
inventions to keep him from having to overexert himself during the summer
months – too much time on his hands – left his mind wander – sit down and apply
his ideas to paper – blueprinting his invention to try out – Old Schwinn bike
with heavy balloon type tires kept upside down for weeks – brother attached
different things to the gear system – DC electric motor – bought from local
pawn shop for twenty bucks – old battery out of Dad’s old Chevy – DC electric motor
mounted on the mainframe – just below bike’s seat – battery strapped down on
the rack over the back tire and fender – two cables run along the frame to a
switch – mounted on the crossbar – in the place of sprocket – a pulley with fan
belt – fan belt – of an Yazoo lawn mower – pulley made the bike look like a
sci-fi novel – the test run behind the house – placed the bike on the centre block – hooked the battery
terminals – switched on the motor – stirred to life – back tire to sing a high pitched sound – so cool to see the
invention work – the real test – most fun part of the summer – brother saddled
on his beast of invention (bicycle) – put on bike helmet – wore leather gloves
– threw his legs over the contraption – held thumb up – like those in old war
movies – pushed off before throwing the switch – “We have lifted off” Rex Coker
yelled – brother threw the switch – the beast (bicycle) came to life – hurried
off into distance – Rex Coker tried to keep up with the bike – but the bike
much too fast – standing out of breath – hands on his knees – seeing his
brother – having trouble to turn – reappeared minutes later – headed straight
at a high rate of speed – Rex Coker ran for his life – escaped under the clothes
line through the double gate of the back yard – Rex Coker’s brother not lucky –
switched off the motor – speed too fast to stop – clothes line caught him under
his chin – Rex Coker raced over to help – brothers began to fight – cursed the
narrator for not helping – Rex Coker’s reply – he should be given the first
ride – Rex Coker – shorter and smarter for escaping under the clothes line –
brothers laughed – tires warped – battery flown into neighbour’s backyard – Rex
Coker brother’s reply – had quality time together.
6. The Summer Flight
Kumar
staring through the window – owns comfortable, fully furnished apartment in New
York – intelligent and enterprising young man – feel an emptiness in his heart
– the blaring horn and the noisy movement of truck – Kumar’s thoughts drifted
to another place in Delhi – the continuous honking of water tankers – men and
women jostle their way towards the tanker – narrow congested street – two
flight of stairs – cramped flat with inadequate water supply – no study room –
doors ajar – family members walking in and out – Grandpa sitting in armchair
watching TV and the open doorway – Grandma – ever serving coffee, Pakodas,
dosas, snacks, etc., Dad with serious face striving to work – brother and
sister busy with school activities – Mother – soft, sweet creature –
ever-loving and caring – attending all the members of the family – cooking,
cleaning and running errands – ‘Oh, Ma! How I miss you’ thought Kumar –
recalled his preparations to US – his outstanding performance at college –
wonderful career at MNC – deputed on an assignment to the states – assured of a
promising career – scheming and cajoling to convince mother – Dad squeezed out
funds from every possible source – brother and sister – sacrifice so many
necessities – tear stricken faces bid farewell at airport – Kumar having no
time to consider all this – his mind set upon
a glorious career in his dream country – the States – obtained Green
Card – gaining citizenship in his Utopia – America – full purse and lavish life
style now his own – initially spoke to his mom for half an hour – pacifying her
– gradually drifted away from her by the pleasure of his work and lifestyle –
calls made mum sit until midnight – Kumar lost cheer after that – his mom
pleaded with him to return – speak less and less - once a week – once a month – calls rarer – a wave of guilt and
remorse – the images of his mother sitting by the telephone – turned to the
window – sky dotted with birds flying streamlined ‘V’ – seemed to be hurrying –
that time of the year – migratory birds – return to home after five-month warm
sojourn – remembered his childhood picnic to Vedanthangal – saw flocks of birds
there – Dad hired a telescope to have a closer view of the nest – saw five tiny
little nestlings – Dad said that though the birds resided here, they soon would
go back to homes – “There’s no place like home, is there?” he added – Kumar
gazed at the flock of birds flying back home – his vision blurred because of
tears – left the room with a sure stride and strong determination – Kumar understands
that Home is where the heart is.
7. Caught Sneezing – Oscar Wilde
Art
and Culture – one form of creativity – innovatively tackling the problems of
life – another form of creativity – Hubert – little boy of fourteen – travelled
on his horse through a lonely road infested with thieves and robbers – three
hefty men waylaid him – took away his horse – beat him black and blue – Hubert
limped to a palatial mansion hoping to get some help – raised his hand to knock
– the door already wide open – shocked to hear the voices of the thieves –
thieves tactfully diverted the attention of the inmates to huge noise outside –
inmates likely to return – thieves decided to hide inside a cupboard – wait
until night to plunder the household – Hubert suppressed his cry of horror –
out of fear – hid in the narrow space under the staircase – Hubert intelligent
and clever by nature – yearning for a chance to warn the household of the
impending danger – the family – an old couple, visiting sons and daughters –
gathered for a family function – came back – Hubert taken for a thief – kind
old man believed his story – offered him food – Hubert wracking his brain to
forewarn the family – the danger lurking in the cupboard – idea hits on –
Hubert sprang up to demonstrate a few magic tricks – his first act – to create
a storm in a cupboard – asked for snuff box – emptied it into the narrow
opening along the upper edge of the door – emerged a suppressed sneeze from inside
the cupboard – “How very strange” said the old man – “More snuff” Hubert
demanded – all sprayed into it – soon perfect storm of sneezes – family
realized – the presence of the strangers – opened the cupboard to tackle the
thieves – thanks to Hubert’s skilful strategy the thieves fainted – badly in
need of air and ventilation – Hubert retrieved his horse – set off with good
will and gratitude – Hubert proved – Wisdom does not seek only the aged to express itself.
