2567. City life

Serenity’s husband was away on a business trip – for the whole working week. It was no bother. Serenity was at work herself during the day. Upon finishing work she would go home, cook something to eat, watch a bit of television, and go to bed.

It was on the Tuesday night, around eleven o’clock. Serenity was awoken by noticing a light left on in the shed in the garden. It wasn’t a very big shed. Her husband used it mainly for storing tools and the ride on lawn-mower. (Yes, even though they were a very liberated household, her husband was still the one who mowed the lawn).  It had been a handy shed when the kids were growing up; a couple of bunks when they had friends stay over was a Godsend.

The light being on bothered Serenity; mainly because she had not been into the shed for a while and if she didn’t turn it off it would continue to stay on all week and chew up a bit of the grocery money in electric costs. So she got out of bed and went out into the dark. She opened the shed door, walked in, turned off the light, and returned to the house.

As she got into bed she noticed something. The light in the garden shed was on again. It was strange, but not enough to bother Serenity. She would turn the garden shed off properly in the morning. She went to sleep.

In the morning she had forgotten about the light being on in the garden shed. She put a few vegetables and a couple of tough meat chops in the slow cooker and left for work. The cooked result would be enough for her and her cat!

That evening when she got home someone had been in the house and eaten her dinner and left a mess in the kitchen. This was the straw that broke the camel’s back. When her husband returned at the end of the week they were leaving San Francisco whether he liked it or not.

2339. A light on shopping

When the bulb of a desk lamp blows it seems to do so without any warning. One is happily working away and then POP! Shadows hover over the desk.

Howard’s desk lamp was a little bit different. It was perfect for his needs but it took a special bulb. He always liked to have one spare – just in case. Of course, his special bulb was slightly more expensive and not available among the more common, everyday bulbs at the supermarket.

There are so many options these days when it comes to bulbs. Who hasn’t arrived home with a screw-in bulb when the fitting takes a bayonet? And one enters a shop in search of a 75 watt bulb only to discover that the packaging proclaims not wattage but “lumens”; to say nothing of the size of the base. Is it E12, E17, or E26? Then one must select the right colour of white; warm perhaps.

Howard decided that the best way to ensure he purchased the exact same bulb was to take the spare bulb into the shop for comparison. He found exactly the right one almost immediately, and it was identically packaged.

“And sir,” said the shop assistant, “what is that second light bulb you are holding? It looks very much like you are trying to get two for the price of one.”

The police were called. Three hours later, Howard seemed to have convinced one and all that he had brought the spare light bulb into the shop himself.

Now for the next shopping task. His wife had said to get some candles – “Not the wrong candles like you got last time. The base of the candle has to be exact; if it’s too small it won’t stand up in our dining candelabra; if it’s too big it won’t fit into our dining candelabra.”

There were so many options and variety in a candle shop. Howard was glad he had brought along a box of the exact-sized candles he needed to buy.

1073. Viewing one’s life

Harvey had, as is the lot of every human, passed on. To his astonishment there was some sort of continuing existence, and he discovered that if he travelled out into space far enough he could watch himself in the different stages of his life. It was all to do with the speed of light and watching that light present images of his past as it sped through space and so on…

There’s Harvey now, watching himself as a toddler. He’s crawling through a field of tall grass. Oh isn’t he so cute? So adorable!

And there is Harvey now, at his wedding. What a magnificent wedding it was! He can move unseen among the guests and hear their comments:

“God Milly, I’ve never been to such a boring wedding. What an old fart that preacher man was.”

Oh well… and here’s Harvey simply walking down the street when he was about 52.

It’s so fascinating viewing one’s life as if in a movie. Harvey’s been doing it now for 472 years. He’s obsessed with himself. He hates it but he can’t drag himself away.

975. The sky was brilliant

The sky was brilliant; absolutely brilliant. Jolene looked out the window.

“What a brightness! What a dazzling display!” said Jolene to Abigail.

“But it’s three in the morning,” said Abigail.

“North Korea and Iran must be testing again,” said Jolene.

Listen to the story being read HERE!