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Journey's of a Lifetime [MultiFormat]
eBook by Members Reader's Station
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eBook Category: Mainstream
eBook Description: A warm and wonderful collection of short stories that will take you to a number of places. Enjoy your trip to the past and the future, and travel from the Taj Mahal to the Stars. Short Stories.
eBook Publisher: ebooksonthe.net/ebooksonthe.net, Published: print, 2007
Fictionwise Release Date: November 2007
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Available eBook Formats [MultiFormat - What's this?]: Adobe Acrobat (PDF) [672 KB], eReader (PDB) [218 KB], Palm Doc (PDB) [205 KB], Rocket/REB1100 (RB) [182 KB], Microsoft Reader (LIT) [202 KB] - PocketPC 1.0+ Compatible, Franklin eBookMan (FUB) [245 KB], hiebook (KML) [476 KB], Sony Reader (LRF) [265 KB], iSilo (PDB) [170 KB], Mobipocket (PRC) [211 KB], OEBFF Format (IMP) [286 KB]
Words: 62183
Reading time: 177-248 min.
Microsoft Reader (LIT) Format: Printing DISABLED, Read-Aloud ENABLED
Adobe Acrobat (PDF) Format: Printing DISABLED, Read-Aloud ENABLED
All Other formats: Printing DISABLED, Read-aloud DISABLED
ISBN: 1-59431-498-5
 
INTRODUCTION "The first and simplest emotion which we discover in the human mind, is curiosity." --Edmund Burke, British Statesman and Philosopher Who amongst us possesses so little curiosity that they have not dreamed of exploring a far off, exotic place? Or wondered how events unfolded decades or, perhaps, centuries past--or might occur tomorrow, next year, or hundreds of years hence. Or fantasized about the worlds, the people--the others--lurking in the farthest reaches of our universe--or, perhaps, in a different dimension. Who amongst us would decline the chance to slip unseen into the shadows to witness the very best and absolute worst of human potential? To cheer our heroes and curse the villains who challenge them, as they play out their parts in the ageless struggle between good and evil. The same curiosity that binds us together as humans binds us together as readers. For between the covers of our books, our imaginations take flight. Without airfare, a hotel bill, gasoline for the car, or a passport, our books transport us thousands--or millions--of miles away. They provide us with a hiding place that holds us safe as bullets fly, planes crash and ships flail upon the seas. They invite us to feel the tender touch of true love, the torrid passion of lust, the heartbreak of betrayal. Emotions we share with our heroes for a fleeting moment dance in our hearts long after the final page has been read and the volume stored on the shelf. We dedicate this collection of stories and essays to our readers. Readers give our words purpose. Without them, our work would languish unshared, like a songbird that chirps unheard in an empty forest. Grace Bridges is one such reader. We met her at the Readers Station message group on Yahoo and owe her a debt of gratitude for the title that adorns the cover of this volume. Chosen by our readers from a list of title suggestions, Grace's entry embodies the spirit of Readers Station and our goals for the Readers Station anthology. In her poetry books, Emily Dickinson wrote: "There is no frigate like a book To take us lands away..." In the spirit of Ms. Dickinson's words, we have compiled a collection of short stories and poems that incorporate a travel theme and a smattering of essays that share our experiences and expertise on nonfiction topics. Following the prose and poetry, you will find a brief biography for each author, a complete list of her published books and her contact information, as well. What's that? Listen closely and you, too, will hear the conductor's final boarding call. "All 'board, the Readers Station Express." My pulse quickens as I turn toward the boarding platform, a book tucked securely under my arm. I wave to my waiting friends, who motion for me to step quickly. Our adventure beckons. Will you join us? Travel well! Crew: Elena Dorothy Bowman Bryn Colvin Nikki Leigh Dorice Nelson Nora Peterson Ginger Simpson Donna Sundblad Angela Verdenius Anne Whitfield www.readersstation.com h t t p : / / g r o u p s . y a h o o . c o m / g r o u p / WelcometoReadersStation www.myspace.com/readersstation Many thanks to Grace Bridges, Winner of Name the Anthology Contest www.gracebridges.com myspace.com/grace1979 Members of The Readers' Station Welcome You to Take Your Journey All Aboard! Tour Guide: Elena Dorothy Bowman Destination: Dorchester, Massachusetts, Malibu Beach at Dorchester Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. What should I see along the way?' Maple, Elm, Apple and Pear trees, unpaved dirt roads, working farms, triple-decker houses, bridges, tree-lined streets with beautiful homes and plush lawns. What should I pack? Bathing suits, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, water, shorts, t-shirts and towels. Sneakers were on feet. Local Customs: Windows with cards signaling the ice man to come and fill up the ice box, women hanging laundry--postmen, policemen, and ministers, rabbis and priests, knew every kids's name. Listening to the radio, playing stickball in the street and sitting on the front porches were the main types of entertainment for most families. ONE SUMMER'S DAY Elena Dorothy Bowman This is a story of an earlier era when times were hard and a dime, a nickel and pennies counted; a man's family meant more to him than life itself; the poor didn't know they were poor, and when Boston's Dorchester Section had its own sense of dignity. Tom, Katie's Father, used to say he was the richest man in the world. She couldn't grasp his meaning since she knew they didn't have much money. But he explained his reason for saying so ... because he had four sons. Katie didn't know where she fit in all of this since she was his only daughter. Yet, she knew instinctively, her Father loved her as much as he did his boys. There were periods before she was sixteen when her actions caused him to wonder if he had five boys instead of four. Tom worked in the garment industry in Boston as one of their top designers. He walked the distance from Boston to Dorchester and back to save the cost of the carfare, a dime, in order to put a bottle of milk on the table for his family. She remembered him trudging through the snow covered, harsh, winter mornings and pushing himself on the hot, steamy, summer ones to put more food on their table. * * * *On one particular hot summer day when Tom was getting ready for work, squeals of laughing, giggling, children, and strange noises reverberated throughout the house. "I'm almost afraid to look in their rooms, afraid of what I might see," Tina, Katie's Mom, said. "Then don't," Tom answered, laughing." "Don't get up, Tee!" he said, "It's too early and too hot." She nodded as she watched him walk through their bedroom door, her heart going out to him. "Don't forget your lunch," she said hurriedly. "It's in the icebox." "Don't worry, love, I couldn't do that. See you at dinner tonight," he called back. He pushed his way through the front door of his Dorchester home and set out on his long trek to the woolen sportswear factory in Boston. * * * *By now it was seven-thirty and Tina's healthy, active children were demanding their breakfast. She would need more ice, she thought. She put the card in the window and hoped the iceman would come before everything in her icebox spoiled. The chatter around the kitchen table increased incessantly. The obvious boundless energy displayed by her offspring did not diminish in any significant magnitude while they ate. It drove Tina crazy. "Go out and play," she said. "It's too hot outside," was the reply. "Then find something to do." "What?" "Go down to the basement. It's cooler." "What can we do down there?" Ryan, her eldest, asked. "Good grief. Do I have to think of everything?" Ryan smiled brightly, shrugging his shoulders answered; "Guess so, Mom," as he watched his mother struggling with her thoughts. The children were running around the house, playing tag in and out of the bedrooms, getting underfoot and interfering with Tina's efforts to create order out of chaos. "Look at this place. It's a mess," she said, her eyes filling with tears. "I'll never get this house cooled off before your father gets home." "Don't cry, Mom," Ryan said as he, too, surveyed the mess he and his siblings created. "You kids put your things away and I'll start in the bedrooms. That shouldn't present too much of a problem," Tina said, mentally making the beds and straightening out the rooms. "I wouldn't go in there just yet, Mom," Ryan warned. "Why not?" she asked as she pushed open the bedroom door. "That's why," Ryan answered. Tina stood dumbfounded in the doorway, shocked at the total whiteout that greeted her. Small wispy feathers floated every which way throughout the room. Torn and limp pillowcases were strewn carelessly on the floor and on disheveled beds. Lampshades hung drunkenly on their stands, curtains were at half-mast and the shades seemed to have disappeared from the windows. The heat and humidity affected Tina more than it did other members of her family. But she took a certain amount of pride in her rented four-bedroom flat. She kept it so spotless you could eat off her floors if you had a mind to. But this was too much. The oppressive humidity had already taken its toll. She felt miserable. She didn't feel she could cope with any of it. "It'll take me forever to pick up all these feathers," she cried. In a sudden panic, she gasped, and rushed towards her younger son's bedroom, her heart pounding wildly. "No. Please, oh no," she prayed as she pushed the door open. She screamed. She leaned against the door, slid down to the floor and cried, laughing hysterically, as tears streamed down her face. Ryan watched his mother. Concern expressed openly on his young face. "Mom?" his voice faltered. "Are you all right?" Tina didn't answer. She couldn't stop laughing. Katie, her middle child, pushed forward. "We'll pick them up, Mom, don't worry. Won't we?" she said, her eyes pleading with her brothers. "Mom," she said, softly patting her mother's head, "we'll put the feathers back in the cases, and you could make them like new again. It will be okay, Mom ... you'll see." "Maybe," Tina answered. Her laughter subsiding as she watched the worried faces of her children. Tina's head shot up, "Katie?" Grinning widely, Katie answered, "Don't worry, Mom, we didn't get there." "Thank you," she said looking up, "at least someone up there is thinking of me." "Up where, Mom," Lucas, her youngest, asked as he, too, looked up, trying to see who Tina was talking to. "Never mind, son," Tina said, as she rose from the floor. "Look," she said slowly. "You kids put your things away. Pick up as many of these feathers as you can and put them in clean pillowcases. I'll take care of them later. Then if you all promise to behave, Ryan will take you to Malibu Beach. Just be home before dinner. Understood?" "What are you going to do, Mom?" Adam, her number two son, asked, smiling now. "Enjoy some peace and quiet." By nine-thirty the kids were ready to go. The two youngest boys, Brady and Lucas already in their suits waited impatiently. "Let's go," Ryan said running out the door. "Wait for your sister," Tina called after them. "Hurry up, Sis," Brady said. "Or we'll leave you behind," piped in Adam. "You do and no one goes," Tina scolded. With a quick kiss on her Mother's cheek, Katie ran out the door after her brothers carrying a big paper bag in her hand. "What have you got there?" Tina asked. "Sandwiches..." she called back. With a wave, Tina watched her five children, trooping off to the beach. It was a long walk, but at least it was a safe one. Tina sighed and turned to the tasks at hand. Her young children wended their way toward the lifeguarded beach they often referred to as their old swimming hole, anticipating a glorious day.
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