Red Plaid Shirt

This story starts with a young lady reminiscing over certain clothing items she had over the years, and the feelings that were connected with these items. She starts with a red plaid shirt that was given to her by her mother. It reminded her of when she was younger and when her mother use to garden. She liked the way it looked on her, and she met Daniel while she was wearing it. After her relationship with Daniel ended, she started to wear a blue cotton sweatshirt, which became her comfort shirt. It was too big for her, and she wore it three days before christmas the day she has an abortion. When she started her relationship with Dwight, she started to wear a pale grey turtleneck. He use to ignore her and not come to visit much, but on Sundays, the women use to wear her turtleneck while cooking a big dinner, in hope that Dwight would come. The women had boughten the white embroidered blouse for the christmas party with Peter. While at this party, her blouse got stained, but she meet Fernando who immediately fell in love with her. Her next item was the yellow evening gown that she had boughten for the new year's eve date with Fernando. She was looking forward to that night, a night with Fernando out at a party, but that night turned out to be a night that she found out that Fernando was a married man. After Fernando, she meets Ivan. Ivan road a Harley Davidson and was the reason why you bought the black leather jacket. She liked Ivan, but when he had to move back to be with his mother, she understood and moved on. Then came Daniel again and the brown cashmere sweater. This time it was bad. It ended with a trip to the hospital and a trip to jail for him. From here the women went to a shelter. She felt safe here. When her mother passed away, she decided to take the green satin quilted jacket that her mother use to wear. She remembered it well from her childhood and always wanting to use it to play dress up. When the women went back home, she decided to wear the green jacket, she felt that she brought her mother around with her wherever she went.

Blue Spanish Eyes

In this story a middle aged women is traveling across Scotland. While there she sees many beautiful landmarks and has a difficult time understanding how the people that live there can just go on with daily life as though nothing spectacular exists. Throughout the story, the women has many flashbacks of her relationship with her mother and the past times they shared. The women was recently divorced however she felt she would be more respected telling people she was a widow. While at a train station, she happens to see a very handsome man that she later speaks with. While on the train, together they talk and play card games, getting to know each other. From talking she learns more about the man and his past. She learns that he dropped out of school at a young age, to watch afternoon movies, and that he was 25 years old. The women learned that the mans name was Donald and that he found a new appreciation for education. After learning about the man some more, she realizes that he is exactly like her son, 25 years old, named Donald, married. At the end of the story, the women decides to take more time to view the magnificent scenery, where she later meets up with the man, Donald again.

A Handful of Dates

The boy was still very young when he first realized what his grandfather was truly like. His day started like any other day, a trip to the mosque to study the Koran, then for a quick swim in the river. He always was with his grandfather, never his father. He enjoyed his grandfather, and looked at him with a great deal of respect. Ever since the boy was young, he thought that it was his grandfather that owned all of the land that he loved so much. However when he came to find out that it once belonged to their neighbor Masood, his thoughts started to change. That afternoon, when Masood came to see if the boys grandfather wanted to come watch the harvesting of the dates. the boy saw another part of his grandfather. Masood did not seem he really wanted his grandfather there. As the dates were being harvested the boy found himself watching Masood, He seemed to have a great look on nature. He did not want to harm the plants all he wanted was to peacefully take the dates. The boy stood there, amazed. There were a few other men there also. They wanted to buy the dates. His grandfather seemed happy to be selling the dates and gaining a profit, but when the boy looked at Masood, he could see the pain in his eyes. This beautiful nature that was here and all it was used for was money. At that moment the boy seemed to have a hatred for his grandfather. He no longer viewed him as a pure, strong, amazing man. Running to the river with these hateful dates in his stomach, he spewed them up into the water.

Moon Watcher

Marg had to do it alone this year, the setting up of the cottage. She normally had her husband here, but not this year. She had to be strong and independent. Marg was doing good, getting all of the shutters opened, all of the little jobs that she never had to do before. All she had to do now was the wood. There she stood trying to chop up the pieces. It wasn't going well, and her neighbour Rob Carrigan knew this. He stood there offering some help, but Marg needed to be strong, she needed to prove that she didn't need a man to help her and that she would be just fine without his help. Rob enjoyed going over to have little visits with Marg. They mostly consisted of him talking, and Marg trying to ignore him, most times that didn't go so well. Rob has a wife, and Marg well she had a husband or has? The choice was hers now. Marg enjoyed going outside at night after everyone was asleep, to just enjoy to peaceful night. This night was different though, not everyone was asleep. There Marg stood, in the tall grass walking towards the beach in her red polo pajamas. Rob was behind her, walking quietly. Together they walked towards the water. Marg went in, splashing water around, and Rob followed. Together under the moonlight they played with the water and were just there for a moment.