Senior / Sixty+

Talk with an Angel

*-*-*-*- Teek's Short-Story Collection -*-*-*-*
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Talk With An Angel
By Teek
1,660 words long
 

Summary: God offers a toddler with autism a choice between two possible futures. Now the parents and the child's guardian angel must cope with the decision.

Image by brgfx on Freepik

A Grumpy Old Man’s Tale 46 Bringing the Past into the Future in the Present

A Grumpy Old Man’s Tale 46 Bringing the Past into the Future in the Present

This is for those few of you who are interested in the GOM. For the first time since writing GOM 01 I have nothing left in the ideas file. There is nothing with which I can even begin GOM 47. Doubtless material will eventually arrive, but I believe that to find, or imagine enough to create GOM 47 will take considerable time. I do, however, have a considerable’ amount of material for other tales and am also working on various aspects of Castle T S, but I seem to have travelled as far as my journey can go with the GOM for the foreseeable future.

Curled Up

Curled Up
A Vignette
By Maryanne Peters

When I retired, I decided that I was going to live a life of leisure. I had made plenty of money and I no longer had any dependents. I just wanted to curl up on the couch and relax.

It was just that my whole life I was driven, and I felt that so long as the driving force was still in me, I could never truly let go and lighten up.

The problem was that I was a man. The problem was between my legs. That simply had to go.

A Grumpy Old Man’s Tale 45 Teachers and Tofu

A Grumpy Old Man’s Tale 45 Teachers and Tofu

“However, we’d been talking for no more than ten minutes when I realised I was in way over my head. I’d already made my mind up about her.

She is our kind of folk, and desperate to be seen as such, so I rang for Adalheidis to take over. A part time chiropodist I could manage, but one who intends to spend the rest of her working time as a ladies’ manicurist and was trying desperately hard to convince me she can do the job, just forget it. My secondary sex characteristics just don’t meet the requirements necessary to understand the differences between acrylic and gel nails. Adalheidis spent the next two days giggling and laughing at me.

Life is a Drag

The London drag club was not in the least CD, sorry seedy. The audience was quite sophisticated and the ambiance friendly and gay (in the original sense of the word). The artists were top of the range. They were not only beautiful but very talented as well. If some of them wore skimpy costumes that was not the only thing they had to offer. However, the star of the evening could not be accused of wearing skimpy attire, nor was “she” young and beautiful. The only way to describe the “Baroness” was outrageous.

Such a Prude

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Such a Prude
By Sabrina G. Langton

***
Author's Note: The penultimate one of this series, I don't know what I'm thinking, I really don't know where my mind has been finding itself lately. I hope YOU like it and I know YOU, yes you, over there in the corner will understand... ha...

***

I remember the first time my nylon legs hit fresh air.

Such a Tomboy

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Such a Tomboy
By Sabrina G. Langton

***

Author's Note: 'Oh no, more of these freakin' essays, doesn't she know we want a story? Doesn't she know she's not that freakin' special?'

Ha, I know, and that is what I like about this Closet. I'm sorry, I am going through a phase lately. This is just something that is a-happenin' in my life here on earth. I hope YOU understand.

***

A Grumpy Old Man’s Tale 44 Spring, Broadband, and Natural Justice

A Grumpy Old Man’s Tale 44 Spring, Broadband, and Natural Justice

Since being a toddler, Violet had heard many conversations concerning war, it was something regularly discussed by Bearthwaite men, a number of who had served in the armed forces, and she had taken it all in, for to her the Bearthwaite view made perfect sense. Much of what she’d heard over and over again could be summarised in short pithy sentences. ‘Wars are caused by idiots who have the principles that ordinary blokes don’t give a toss about, but end up dying for anyway.’ ‘The number of armed conflicts a nation gets involved in is a measure of the incompetence and stupidity of its leaders because in the end all conflicts are settled around the negotiating table. It doesn’t actually require that much intelligence to have the negotiations before the conflict.’ ‘A squaddie I knew a long time ago who’d been in the mob for twenty-odd years once telt me that a battle that doesn’t happen is one won by the lads on both sides.’

Such a Show Off

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Such a Show Off
By Sabrina G. Langton

*
Author's Note: Not really a story, just something that is a-happenin'. Just something that is keeping me up at night. Just figured I should tell someone...

*

Hi.

I feel the need to show myself off all of a sudden.

I bought three items in the last month that are trying desperately to change my life.

A Grumpy Old Man’s Tale 43 Bearthwaite Beck, Solid Fuel & Limned Letters

A Grumpy Old Man’s Tale 43 Bearthwaite Beck, Solid Fuel & Limned Letters

If Dr Tenby had any surprise at seeing a naked, eleven year old, biological female holding his father's hand she kept it to herself.

At the end of Peter’s appointment, Dr Tenby stood up and said, “You have an amazing relationship with your son, Herr Meltzer. A relationship that many of my younger patients could only dream about having.” She escorted them to the door and shook hands with them as they said goodbye.

A Grumpy Old Man’s Tale 42 Adoption, Education and Death

A Grumpy Old Man’s Tale 42 Adoption, Education and Death

After the first serious beating by forces unknown of the most vociferous bigot, an overweight fifteen year old who went by the nickname of Porky, behind the dining hall even the name calling diminished to almost nothing. The entire school knew the Bearthwaite kids had to have been responsible, but they were as closed mouthed about the matter as they always were about any incident that protected their own and as usual the school authorities were frustrated by finding out nothing, for Dean, Porky’s real name, had clearly been terrorised into silence and stuck to his story that he’d seen nobody. The rumour was that he’d been telt if he opened his mouth he’d be the next transgender victim of the gossip and he wouldn’t be needing GRS because it would already have been done for him, but none knew if that were true or just scuttlebutt.

A Grumpy Old Man’s Tale 41 Bearthwaite Politics, Law, Lore and Reality

A Grumpy Old Man’s Tale 41 Bearthwaite Politics, Law, Lore and Reality

One of the pupils at Whiteport Academy was Fergus McCann. To others fourteen year old Fergus was the ultimate alpha male. A big strong and physically unstoppable boy who was the star of all the physical sport games he played for his school. It was a surprise to most when they discovered he was more interested in the creative stories he wrote for his English teacher than he was in his endeavours on the fields of sport. The boys thought he was a bit odd because he admitted to enjoying reading, and even writing, poetry, drawing and painting, but none made anything of it because Fergus was not someone whose ire they wished to court. Without doubt Fergus was a masculine male, and he had never considered being, nor had he ever wanted to be anything else. But his day dreams would have been considered by most of his peers to be in a word, pink, if that is any other than himself had been aware of them. He had absolutely no desire to be in any way feminine and like other typical males of his age from time to time he had sexual fantasies concerning his friend’s mothers and sisters, but naytheless he had a very different view as to what constituted masculinity from that of the males of his acquaintanceship and especially his father, Davy, who he did not get on with. His father would have liked him better if he’d been a male chauvinist bully, and better still if he’d been a chauvinist thug like himself, but his mother, Eunice, was delighted that Fergus was naturally polite, helpful and considerate, especially to girls, but his father unremittingly reviled him for being a sissy. The only reason it had not come to blows between them was that his father was like a lot of bullies a coward and was deep down afraid of Fergus who had for a number of years been bigger and stronger than his father.

A Grumpy Old Man’s Tale 40 Bearthwaite Acquires New Bearthwaite Folk

“Davy is a hundred and three just turned and Granny’s hundred and first birthday is on the ninth of next month. Elle has telt Casper Lawton to be prepared, and to have a traditional Bearthwaite ash wood coffin ready for him. The allotment lads have said that for more than his entire working life Davy was one of them and they’re ready to dig the grave at a moment’s notice.

This contains an edited version of ‘A DISTURBING SCENE’ first posted on 2019/09/10

The Chameleon

The Chameleon
by
E. E. Nalley

I bet it all on a good run of bad luck
seven come eleven and she could be mine.
Luck be a lady, and I'm gonna find love
Coming on the bottom line

Clint Black A good run of bad luck

Maximum Warp, Chapter 11: The Emissary

“Uh huh,” Dr. Singh said, his voice indicating deep skepticism. “Officer Wolf also wrote that you claimed to be a missing professor of something or other.”

“That’s ‘Distinguished Professor of Something-or-Other’ to you,” I said indignantly.

Abducted

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Abducted

by Maeryn Lamonte – Copyright © 2022

I could apologise for this. It reads a little bit like I’m channelling a grumpy old Brit who feels that the wrong side won in 1783 but, truth be told, as with most wars, I think the wrong side would have won regardless of who surrendered first.

Anyway, the idea for this story came after a minor prang I had earlier this year, pretty much as described in the story. On the plus side, in real life I have my bike back and running better than ever, apart from a recent problem with the gear lever return spring which is unrelated to the accident.

I should say I’ve never been within a hundred miles of route sixty six and all the descriptions come courtesy of my mate Google, so you can blame any inaccuracies on him. I hope you enjoy.

Maximum Warp, Chapter 10: Power Play

“Are you sayin’ my mini dress and go-go boots are impractical?”

“They're practical, girl. For certain, ah, pursuits.”

“Jogging not being among them,” I agreed ruefully. “Especially since our hosts don’t understand underwear.”

Janet snorted. Then giggled. “You might catch a few eyes,” she agreed.

Maximum Warp, Chapter 9: A Matter of Honor

I pulled the front door open with a jerk, surprising an imposing man with a completely bald head just as he was about to hit the door again. “If you say anything about knockers, you’re a dead man!” I growled.

A Grumpy Old Man’s Tale 39 Iroko, Ermine and Critters

A Grumpy Old Man’s Tale 39 Iroko, Ermine and Critters

“You’re seriously telling us that you’re doing all that learning just to cook chicken chow mien, Jeremy‽ Just get a book written in English, Lad. My missus would lend you one if you’re strapped for the cash.” Pat’s words caused gales of laughter. All knew that was not the issue, but they were up for the laugh anyway.

Maximum Warp, Chapter 7: Prime Directive

I reached into my purse and flipped him my drivers’ license. “That’s me,” I said. “Or was, up until a month ago. I have sixty years of memories to go with the photo. If I was scammed, the scammers are the functional equivalent of an advanced species. And there’s no way that I could ‘delude’ myself into a working knowledge of Old English, Norman French, Greek, Classical Latin, Church Latin and Hochdeutch, with a smattering of other languages besides.”

A Grumpy Old Man’s Tale 38 Bearthwaite Invests Even More in Itself

A Grumpy Old Man’s Tale 38 Bearthwaite Invests Even More in Itself

“Nay, Lad that was fine. There’s nothing to be ashamed of in telling of the lives of ordinary working blokes, and those lads that died fighting that fire and in the explosion deserve to be remembered, and doubtless they were our kind of folk just trying to get by in a hostile world. We may not know their names, but there’s many a man here who tragically lost a mate under different but similar circumstances at work and will feel for them and their families and mates. It one of the reasons we meet here. Even Sasha tells the truth occasionally, though I’m not sure about Dave.” At Vincent’s final words there were hoots of laughter including from Dave.

A Grumpy Old Man’s Tale 37 Alf’s Philosophies and Youtube

A Grumpy Old Man’s Tale 37 Alf’s Philosophies and Youtube

“It’s not all bad getting old you know, John. The good thing about being an old bugger is youngsters just assume you know nowt, which in the case of stuff you don’t give a toss about is probably true, well it is for me any road, but for stuff that really matters, they know nowt and I do. I love dealing with ’em because I won’t play their games and they have to play mine. I haven’t figured out what an app is yet never mind a bloody widget, and don’t bother telling me because I won’t listen because I don’t care. Tell you lads dealing with youngsters is easy money.”

“How do you mean, Alf?”

“Well, while they’re busy doing a thousand quids’ [$1117] worth of damage to a car to rip out a hundred pound [$112] radio to sell on a car boot [yard sale] for a tenner [$11], I’m busy making a legit living out of them. They can’t rip me off because I only deal in cash and direct bank transfers, after I’ve rung the bank to make sure I’ve got the money of course. I only deal in owt that guarantees I get paid up front, cash or goods it doesn’t matter as long as I can tell it’s actually worth what they say it is. If there’s any doubt I won’t accept the deal. I don’t do credit unless it’s someone that lives here. I don’t have owt to do with anything that comes over a mobile phone or a computer, and I don’t give a monkeys how smart it’s reckoned to be. I don’t trust credit card transfers and I’ve never accepted cheques. Result is I’ve never had any bad debts.

The Passing of Jack’s Mother

Herbertstown House, Dunboyne, County Meath, Ireland:
Mona looks out the massive window in the drawing room. She wipes away the tears that have started leaking from her eyes. Her grandmother had passed away in her sleep last night. She wasn’t looking forward to calling all her aunts and uncles to let them know. She had already called her aunt Charlotte and her father.

She feels her hand nudged by a wet nose. She looks down and notices it is Lady. One of her uncle Jack’s specially bred wolves. Lady and her mate Bruno guarded the grounds and Mrs. Bounty.

Maximum Warp, Chapter 2: Eye of the Beholder

I was starting to think that a Distinguished Professor of Linguistics ought to be able to come up with something more penetrating, more insightful, or at very least more likely to generate an informative response from others. Not that my use of “what” as an interrogative pronoun was in any way improper, of course. I was just surrounded by idiots.

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