The Story Teller

Archive for the ‘my stories’ Category

Leo is a superstitious guy.  He can’t leave the house without checking first his horoscope for the day. He only hangs out with friends who have zodiac signs compatible with his. He makes sure he wears the lucky color for such and such occasions. His room is filled with lucky charms of different shapes and colors. At times, it seems amusing. But sometimes, it seems overboard.

He believes it’s bad to cut your nails at night or to comb your hair before you go to sleep. You are not supposed to leave the house until everyone is done eating, otherwise the people who are still on the table have to turn their plates around. He also believes that a person’s  fate depends on his  moles, their colors, their sizes and their locations.

Mole on the head means a person is smart. Mole on the feet means a person is a wanderlust. Mole on the lips means a person is a gossip. Mole under the eyes means a person’s spouse is going to die early. Mole under the nostrils means a person will get rich someday, and so on and so forth.

His mother didn’t actually mind Leo’s too much preoccupation with moles and other things, in fact, she found it somehow endearing, until she noticed that Leo based his decisions on the location of his and other people’s moles. He didn’t court the girl he liked because she has a mole under the eye. He didn’t show up for the job he applied and was interviewed for because the boss had a mole in the lip. She believed that her son had gone too far.

One day,  she learned that Leo wanted to apply for a particular job. It seems like he really really wanted it. Unfortunately, he doesn’t have any mole that might indicate that the job is for him. His mother found it ridiculous that he would let the job opportunity pass by because of the absence of a mole. She insisted that it’s worth a try so that he will find out whether the work is for him or not. In the end, Leo agreed to apply for the job, if only to appease his mother.

That night, when Leo was fast asleep, his mother brought out a nice sign pen from the drawer and went to her unsuspecting son’s room.

The following morning, as Leo was about to leave the house, his mother abruptly asked him if he knows about his mole at the back of his right knee.

“Mole? I didn’t know I have a mole at the back of my right knee” said Leo.

His mother reached down and pulled his pants up to reveal the dot she drew last night.

“Do you know what that mole means?” she asked.

“What?”

“It means whoever tries his best has a great chance to get what he wants..”

That night, Leo came home excited about his new job.

(Original story by the blog author. Any similarities with other stories fiction or otherwise are purely incidental.)

Benny is a a distinguished physician. He offers his services in public hospitals. He always organizes medical missions and give away medicines nearing the expiry dates. In return he did not have any trouble requesting favors from public officials.

He sends his children to very fine schools and he is known to be generous in giving gifts to teachers and lavish donations to the schools. He disposes his and his family’s old wardrobe by sending them to his poor relatives. All in all, he is a fine and honorable man who is known for his charity.

One day, when he got home from the hospital, he saw a telegram on the coffee table. The moment he picked it up and saw the return address, he felt reluctant to open it. It was from his hometown in the province, the hometown he never visits because the road is too muddy during the rainy season and too dusty during the summer season.

He doesn’t want to see his relatives either. They are poor, unfashionable and most of them are untidy. His nieces and nephews are little rascals who smell of the sun and dressed in hand-me-down clothes. He never even once spends the night in any of their houses.

When he opened the telegram, he felt sad but not surprised that it was from his brother informing him of their father’s death. It has been a long time since he saw his father last. He was sick and old. He had a pungent smell typical of old people. He was complaining of a stomachache that never go away. Benny ignored it. He knew the old man was just trying to get his attention so was inventing pains and aches so that his physician son will spend time with him.

But Benny had no time for father and son bonding moments. He is just too busy with his charitable works and mission to help the poor. He has a lot of good deeds to do that he has no time for a malingering father and pathetic relatives. Now, holding the telegram in his hand, he thought of what a good son will do at such time.

The following day, Benny and his wife drove home to the province. They were met by his brother who was in deep mourning. He told Benny how their father had been for the past few weeks, how he suffered of severe pain and how often he asked for his oldest son whom he expected to take care of him when he got old and sickly. Benny just nodded and let his brother continue. After a few hours, his brother was surprised when Benny suddenly stood and told them that he and his wife had to go.

“But, brother, this is our father’s funeral. You are supposed to be at his wake until the day of his interment.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll be back at his interment. Now, take this..” then handed a plastic bag. His brother opened the bag and found a new barong (traditional male Filipino clothing) presumably for their father to wear at the funeral.

“So, this is what you came here for, to give this?” his brother asked.

“I am a very important person and I do important things. There is a lot of you here. You can do all the necessary things even without me..” then Benny turned his back and walked away.

His brother just stood and watched them go.. In his mind was a thought he heard from his father and other people much wiser than himself..

Charity begins at home..

Benny drove away and as soon as they were out of the town proper, he put out a bottle of hand sanitizer and vigorously rubbed his hands with it…

(Original story by the blog author. Any similarity with other stories, fiction or otherwise, are purely incidental.)

Grace just came back from a long-week vacation in the province and she was so excited about the pictures that she took. She uploaded them on her Facebook account and tagged her best friend Richelle.

As soon as Richelle saw the pictures, she sent Grace a message about how cool the pictures were. She told Grace how much she liked them especially one particular picture . Richelle praised Grace’s ability to capture her subject as it is. It looked so real that she could almost touch it. The colors were vibrant, and the lighting was perfect. Just simply looking at the picture gives a person hope that everything is going to be fine.

Grace was touched and flattered. For an amateur photographer like herself, she couldn’t believe she would receive such compliments.  She didn’t know it would be that simple. She didn’t do anything special. She just pointed the camera at the direction she wanted and clicked it, and that was it.

After several days, Grace received a message from Richelle asking for her permission to use one of her pictures as the front cover of a book she was writing. Grace was so thrilled. She asked Richelle what particular picture was that and Richelle said the picture of the ‘sunset.’

Grace frowned. Richelle must be mistaken, she couldn’t remember taking a picture of the sunset. So, she asked Richelle if she was sure it was one of her pictures and Richelle said yes. Grace asked for detailed description of the picture and her friend described it until Grace finally remembered it.

“Oh, I think I know what you are talking about..”

“Oh, good! So, can I have it?”

“Of course, you can.. “

“Thank you so much.. Well, can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

“Why did it take you so long to recognize the picture?”

“Well, you see.. when I took that picture, I wasn’t actually taking the picture of the sunset. I was taking the picture of a kitten sleeping under the tree.. But I guess I’m just so bad at it that I wasn’t able to center the kitten on the frame. And I thought the sleeping kitten was so cute that I failed to notice the beautiful sunset in the background..”

The list of beautiful things is endless if only we would take some time to look around..

Lola (Grandmother) Dora lives alone in her small house in the province. It has been years since her grandson, Edgar, went to the city and except for occasional visits to her, preferred to stay in his apartment. So, Lola Dora was surprised when he suddenly came home without prior notice.

As was her usual way of handling things, she didn’t ask, instead she waited for the right time for the problem to reveal itself. However, in Edgar’s case, it seems like she would wait in vain. So, afternoon, as Edgar was lying on the old hammock between two mango trees, she took her broomstick but instead of cleaning the backyard, she stood beside the hammock and spoke.

“So, Edgar.. What can you say about that mango tree?”

Surprised, Edgar couldn’t answer right away but managed to say..

“Uhh.. It’s big..”

“Is that all?”

“Ahhh.. yes, I guess so” Edgar answered just to end the conversation.

He knew Lola Dora was onto something, but he was just not in shape to discuss about anything much less about an old mango tree. At this time, he was just simply not into anything. He was just fired from work for violating company rules, his girlfriend broke up with him when she found out he was cheating on her, his credit card debt was way up his head in addition to other bills he left unpaid.

“Well, that’s the problem with people. They only see what their eyes can reach but never what’s beyond. That mango is, you’re right, it’s big. But it’s also tall, it’s tough, it gives us shade when the sun is at its hottest, it gives us fruit, it clutters the ground every day with its leaves, it has broken branches and if you look close enough, you will see a name carved on it by a naughty boy using an old kitchen knife.”

At this, Edgar smiled genuinely..

“That mango tree is just like us, Edgar. We grow up, we grow old, we grow tough. Along the way, we meet people whom we help, we protect and we feel responsible for. But sometimes we messed things up. We might not like it sometimes but we affect other people’s lives and we hurt them even without meaning to. Then we felt broken and bruised. Sometimes, we feel altogether worthless. And the worst part, no matter what happens to us, whether we feel good or bad, the sun will rise in the morning and will set in the afternoon regardless of our worries. Time will pass by and seasons will change and there is nothing we can do but live one day at a time.

“But unlike that mango tree that bears fruits, and sheds leaves depending on the season, we have a choice. We can choose to be productive, we can choose to be happy as much as we can choose to be a bum and be miserable all our lives. The choice is ours and only ours to make..”

After that, Lola Dora started to sweep the ground. She never spoke again about the mango tree.

The following day, Edgar spent his time watching the mango tree. Lola Dora just watched from a distance and she felt that whatever was bothering her grandson will be dealt with soon.

In the morning, Edgar packed his bag and after giving Lola Dora a passionate hug, faced the problems he left behind.

Sarah and Mina are best friends since they were young. Though they don’t always agree on things, they are always able to reconcile their differences and work things out. They have different tastes on clothes, on books, on sports, on food and even on men. Obviously, what holds them together is their faith and love to each other.

One time, they talked about meeting at the mall on weekend to watch a movie. They simply agreed on the movie they were going to watch and the time they will watch it. The week went by and as they were both busy, they didn’t talk about it anymore. The weekend came and Sarah texted Mina about their plan to watch a movie. She got no reply. She dialed her friend’s number but it was out of reach. She looked at the clock, it was only two hours before their agreed time. Sarah couldn’t decide whether to go or not. But what if Mina goes? She doesn’t want to keep her friend waiting.

Reluctantly, Sarah got ready to leave. She called Mina’s number again but it was still out of reach. What if Mina forgot about their plans and is still sleeping with her cell phone off. She would look dumb waiting for someone who wouldn’t come. But Mina has never cancelled a date nor has she stood up anyone. Sarah left and went straight to the movie house.

There were so many people at the mall. Sarah couldn’t find Mina anywhere. She felt so stupid standing by the cinema entrance and looking everywhere for her friend. She felt so dumb for thinking that Mina would show up. Sarah was hurt. What kind of friend would be so inconsiderate. Sarah took a deep breath of regret. She shouldn’t have come.

Sarah was about to leave when she heard Mina’s voice..

“Hey, where are you going?” she asked.

“You’re here..”

“Of course, I’m here, we talked about it, right?”

“But why didn’t you text me?”

“Oh.. My cell phone was snatched last night”

“Oh, sorry about that.. What are those?” Sarah pointed at the plastic bag Mina was carrying.

“Snacks. I came here early. So, while I was waiting for you, I bought our tickets and got us some snacks from the supermarket. I got your favorite chips and iced tea..” answered Mina with a satisfied grin.

“Thank you..” Sarah felt ashamed of herself for thinking badly about her friend.

“Come on. Let’s go now so we can have the best seats..”

They went inside the movie house. When the movie was about to start, Sarah asked Mina..

“Didn’t you even think I might not show up?”

“No.”

“Why?”

“Because I couldn’t bear to think that you would let me wait for no one..”

“But what if I didn’t show up? What would you think of me?”

“I would think that something bad had befallen you and that you might need my help…”

Sarah’s tears welled up and she embraced Mina, the best friend any one could ever have..

(Original story by the blog author. Any similarities with other stories, fiction or otherwise, are purely incidental.)

A poor gardener was employed by a nice rich man to tend to his garden. Theirs was a professional relationship based on respect and trust, the gardener’s respect to the rich man who employed him and the rich man’s trust to the gardener who tends to his garden as if it is his own.

One day while the gardener was pulling weeds in the garden, a group of children passed by and watched him while he worked. The gardener, flattered with the attention he was getting, started to show them not only how to pull the weeds but also how to trim the grass. When he was done, he thought of something more to demonstrate. He then remembered the rake the rich man kept in the barn. He took it and showed the children how to gather dried leaves and other dirt. The children enjoyed his demonstration, thanked him and told him they would be back again to watch him work.The gardener was glad.

After a week, the rich man learned about what the gardener did. He got extremely mad. He accused the gardener of trespassing because of using his tool without asking permission. He accused him of calling attention to himself at the rich man’s expense and vowed to make the gardener pay for disrespecting him. The gardener was sincerely confused. For one, he couldn’t think of any thing he did to disrespect his employer. He just used the rake to show the children how to use it properly. But this enraged the rich man even more.

The following week, when the same children got back to watch the gardener work, the rich man went out and spoke about the gardener’s misdeeds. He ranted on how his property was violated. He talked about all of his accomplishments that made him worthy of respect, that a certain gardener, no matter how good his intentions are, has NO RIGHT to use his property without asking his permission first. He went on and on about the good things he did to other people and how he lived in luxury and that he deserves treatment that befits a person of his station. He enumerated the number of properties he acquired and the places he had gone to. He may not have directly said it, but he was probably mapping out the difference between a distinguished person like himself and a poor obscure gardener.

He was too intent in what he was saying that he failed to notice that the children, who only wanted to watch the gardener work, were not paying attention and neither was the incriminated gardener who felt remorseful when he finally realized his mistake. After the rich man’s speech, the gardener gloomily walked forward and in a soft but clear voice said:

“I apologize to the rich man for using his rake without asking his permission. I should not have done it to him or to anyone. It was wrong of me to assume that just because I am allowed to use the tool to do my work, I can also use it to flaunt my skill. I am really sorry, Sir. I promise that I would not do it ever again..”

The children, who felt insignificant and belittled after the rich man’s litany about his accolades felt sympathy to the gardener that one called out on him..

“We do believe you didn’t mean any harm at all, Mr. Gardener…”

Then, one by one, they patted  the gardener at the back and without even looking at the rich man, turned around and went away.

If the rich man looked down on his gardener and thought he was a better person because he was distinguished and accomplished, then, he probably looked down on each and every one of them as well..

Moreover, regardless of his station in life, a person, as well as his properties, must be respected ALWAYS.

There are two brothers who live in the same house. The younger brother is an honest worker who goes to work for a living everyday . He treats everyone nicely and fairly. He pays his bills regularly. He eats the food he likes and if he has extra money, he would treat himself to a few luxuries like a nice book, a new movie, a nice pair of suit or anything that might suit his fancy.

The older brother, on the other hand, does not like to do anything. He feels too tired to work. The weather is always too hot or too cold for him. The food is too sweet or too salty. He thinks everyone is treating him unfairly and suspiciously just because he doesn’t have any regular job. The job is either too easy or too difficult. So, he always ends up penniless and cranky.

His younger brother is always ready to share whatever he has with his older brother. So, the older brother, though jobless never starved. But, despite the younger brother’s kindness and consideration, the older brother feels that his brother thinks ill of him and considers him worthless. So, when the younger brother started to have the house renovated before the year ends, the older brother felt that he would be sent away in a matter of time.

“He is fixing the house and when it’s done, he would send me away so that he could have it all for himself..” he mumbled.. “That ungrateful boy, after all I’ve done for him. He thinks he is a better man just because he is paid for cleaning tables? He is just a WAITER, nothing more, nothing less. He thinks he can send me away just because he is wearing a bowtie and smells of cheap perfume he buys from imitation stores? Hah! He is nothing, yet he thinks so highly of himself that he can afford to fix the house. Doesn’t he think I notice his ‘looks’ every time we eat the lousy food he buys for us? I know what he thinks, I know that he thinks he feeds me and that I am indebted to him. Well, I wouldn’t wait for him to kick me out of the house. I will leave as soon as I find my own place..”

But finding a house proved to be not as easy as the older brother thinks. For one, he doesn’t have any money to rent an apartment. Second, he doesn’t have anything in his possession that he can use to start a life of his own, an electric fan for instance. Third, he just simply doesn’t know how to start.

The night before the end of the year, the older brother was again talking to himself..

“If I leave, what will happen to my poor younger brother? Who is going to look after him? Who would watch over the house when he is at work? Who is going to guide his important decisions? Who would talk to him when he needs someone to talk with? Ahhh.. my poor brother. How can I leave when I am perfectly aware that he needs me. Well, I guess that’s what an older brother is supposed to do.. to sacrifice his own happiness for the people he loves.”

So, on New Year’s Eve, the two brothers stay awake to welcome the new year. The younger brother told his brother how happy he is that they are together. The older brother smiled and felt proud of the ‘sacrifice’ he made. Then, the younger brother spoke..

“Brother, I want you to know I am so grateful to the Lord for having you and I wouldn’t want any other brother aside from you. I had the house renovated to give you a bigger room. It has a wide window so you can look outside when you feel bored. It also has a bigger bed so you can sleep more comfortably. You can move in the new room as soon as you like..”

The older brother was genuinely surprised. So, the new room was for him after all.

(Original story by the blog author. Any similarities with other stories, fiction or otherwise are purely incidental)

Right now, I’m still blessed with ideas that I turn into stories. Other people find them interesting, other people find them not that much and still other people simply don’t care about what I wrote and would settle for a ‘great blog’ on the comment section.

I heard from the movie Music and Lyrics what Hugh Grant said that ‘Inspiration is for AMATEURS!’ and I guess it’s true. I, for one, still need inspiration for my stories. It doesn’t have to be great. I don’t need to go far nor do I need to meet someone new. I just need an idea, no matter how absurd it is, to keep my mind working. But sometimes  when it works, I have a hard time coping with it. It actually floods that I have to keep a notebook nearby to write them down.

Honestly, I don’t really know if people read my work all the way through. I sincerely wish they do, because, I may not be a Bob Ong or a Paulo Coelho, but just like them, I write from my heart.

I don’t know what’s in store for me this year, but one thing is for sure, I would keep on writing stories. Who knows, maybe I could have them published before this new year ends. I know I can’t force anyone to read my stories but I will keep on writing simply for the love of doing it.

So, what’s more from The Story Teller this year? Hmmm.. I don’t know yet. It will be as much as a  surprise for you as it will be for me..

Happy New Year, everyone!

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Diego is a successful businessman. He is a wealthy young man who can still do so much more with his life. Before his father died, he left him one piece of advice..

“Enjoy your youth. It only comes once in a lifetime..”

Since then, Diego started to think about how he could preserve his youth. He searched from ancient books, surfed the net and went deep into the forest in search of shamans or tribes that could tell him how to be immortal. Then one day, he saw a book from a second hand bookstore, which mentioned something about a road to Immortality. It was a collection of folk tales and was printed about 50 years ago. Diego knew it was a long shot, still, he wanted to check it out himself.

He went to the place described in the book. And to his disappointment, nobody knew that road or anything like it. They knew, though, about a man in search of immortality who passed by their place a long time ago. They described how he looked like and what he did as if it was only yesterday when he was there. Diego was intrigued. So, he stayed with them hoping he would learn more.

In his third day in the village, he helped them fixed an old bridge. It was built about 50 years ago with the help of the immortal man as they called him. After all these years, the bridge had become shaky and unsafe for people so they needed to fix it. Diego helped them out. In absence of better tools, they worked with their bare hands and finished fixing the bridge after a week.

When the work was done, Diego left the village and moved on to the next. Again, nobody knew about any road to immortality but knew about the man in search of it. So, again, Diego stayed. As he was staying, he helped them build a bigger clinic than the one they already had which was built 50 years ago. They made an extension for lying-in patients. As they worked, the people told him about the man who helped them, just like what he was doing now, put up the original clinic.

After a couple of weeks, the extension of the clinic was finished so Diego decided to leave and move on to the next village. They told him there is no such road. And if there was any, nobody knows where it is except for the immortal man. Upon hearing about the man, Diego decided to stay.

Just like he did to the first two villages, he helped them, this time, to build an extension for the school. They were going to add additional classrooms to the original two so that the children need not go to the next village in order to finish elementary school.

Diego stayed a little longer. He heard a lot about the immortal man. The man was said to be a builder. He left his home in search of immortality. When he came to the first village, he decided to make a bridge over the river to make it easy for the people to come and go. He started alone and was soon joined by the villagers.

When the bridge was done, he moved on to the second village. He thought the village needed a clinic so that they won’t need to go to town. He went to work and soon the entire village was helping out. Finally, he went to the third village and thought they needed a school for their children. He gathered timber and planks and went to work. After a few weeks, the building was done and the man went away. Nobody knew where he went and what happened to him afterwards.

Diego left the third village when the extension of the school was done. He went towards the direction that the villagers pointed. He travelled with a light heart. There was something that tells him there was nothing out there, but it didn’t matter. He did some things he never thought he could and he felt happy about it. Suddenly, the idea of immortality doesn’t appeal to him anymore. So, he decided to camp for the night and go back home the following morning and accept his failure.

But when he lay to sleep, a realization dawned on him. The immortal man was true. Maybe he has been long dead but he is still alive in the minds and hearts of the villagers whom he helped. The road, then, to immortality was also true. The book was written by the man who had been there, the immortal man, himself.

The road to immortality mentioned in the book was not a physical road. It was life and what he did with his. What made the man immortal was what he did for other people and that the other people told the later generations. Hence, he didn’t die, he will never die..

The following day, Diego went back home to choose between his thriving business and the road to immortality.

(This is an original story by the blog author. Any similarities with other stories, fiction or otherwise are purely incidental)

One summer day, an old man with his old rattan basket took a seat in one of the restaurants in town. The heat was too much for him and he felt sick. He looked at his basket filled with vegetables as if making up his mind about what to do and shook his head. He turned to the waitress and asked for a glass of water, but the waitress said he needed to buy something from the restaurant, otherwise, he had to leave to make room for paying diners. The old man felt his pockets but he didn’t find any money. Sadly, he got up and left.

He was already several steps away from the restaurant when he got extremely dizzy and fell on the ground. When he woke up, he was on a smelly old couch inside a small house a few houses away from the restaurant he came from.

“How do you feel lolo (grandfather)?” asked the little girl beside him.

“I feel much better now, thank you..”

The girl’s mother handed him a  glass of water to drink. He thanked both of them then remembered his basket. He asked where it was.

The girl pointed at the rattan basket beside the couch and the old man grabbed it. It was surprisingly heavy . The old man took the vegetables and lay on the table nearby. Under them was a plastic bag filled with paper bills. The old rattan basket was actually full of money. The old man, scared of being robbed, put them in an old basket when his car broke down in the middle of the road and he had to walk all the way to town. He changed clothes with his driver who waited in the car for the mechanic to arrive. No one offered him a ride on his way to town nor anyone recognized him as the owner of the building rented by tenants including the restaurant he went to earlier. He was about to deposit the money to the bank when he felt thirsty.  He wanted to buy something to drink at the restaurant but he didn’t have any money in his pocket and getting money from the basket would reveal its real content, so, he just walked away. Thanks to the little girl who helped her, now he felt comfortable and ready to go to the bank.

The girl’s mother was speechless. More so when the old man handed him a bundle of bills and shook her hand. The little girl received a coin so she could buy something cold for the hot weather. In return, she smiled at the nice old man with an old rattan basket.

*(This story was told to me by my father who personally knew the old man in the story. I believe the story to be true and really happened in our town in the 1980s. Any similarities with other stories, fiction or otherwise, are purely incidental.)