Category Archives: STORIES

This category will be for short stories that I have created about various subjects. It will be added to in the future.

Ralphie 2015-135

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Ralphie   2015-135

My name is NOT Ralphie and I resent those that call me that! You would think that after all the time I have been around; people would know that I do not like to be called that. Usually I do not acknowledge them when they do, but they still do call me that name.

My name is Ralph! I don’t particularly like the name I got, but I am stuck with it. There should be a rule that you get to change your name at a certain age. This way, the name used is a temporary one for when you are only little.

Can you imagine Ralph Waldo Emerson being called Ralphie Waldo Emerson after he wrote the poems he wrote? Who would want to read a poem by a dude named Ralphie? See what I mean? A name is personal and what you call someone is therefore a very personal thing.

I am fed up with those that do call me Ralphie! They should know better, or at least I think so. I would really like to tell them so, but cannot. I would be in the dog house if I did so. No one would want to talk to me or give me the time of day.

At least I can think what I think and nobody knows what I think. Or at least I think that is so. Didn’t that sound neat? Anyhow, my mind is what it is and I am not going to change it, of course, or change what I think others call me.

Another thing; dear sweet Ruth is not my real mother, and I know that fact. Still, I don’t call her Ruthie!! She is nice though! When she calls everyone, including me, for dinner, she doesn’t say “Here you are, Ralphie” as she starts serving food to all of us. Everyone is called at the same time and usually not much is said when we arrive to eat.

I don’t look at big Max as Maxie either. He married Ruth later in life, after her first husband died and I guess we are all stuck with him. Max was the first that called me Ralphie and I guess I can blame him for the name. I did get even though. When I was little he held me up above him and was saying “Hey Ralphie, how ya doing guy” while somewhat going up and down, as he laid on his back in the living room. Well, I didn’t like it then either and proceeded to pee on him. Ha!!!! That got his attention real quick.

Well, I could go on, but will not do so. I hear Ruth in the kitchen and I know what is coming. It is time for my daily Kibbles and Bits meal. I will scoot out to the kitchen, chow down, get a drink from my bowl and go lay down by the fireplace and take a nap. Max is snoring on the sofa, sounding like a freight train, which will not bother me too much. I look forward to dreaming about the cute little female cocker spaniel next door.

Den Betts

Help Me!!!! 2015-132

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Help Me!!!!         2015-132

 

Help me!!!!!

I am writing or typing this as fast as I can. I guess I am asking for help, but doubt if you can do so. Stop, let me start all over….

I have been getting this feeling in my head, well actually in my ear. It was driving me nuts or at least bothering me a lot. I would get my fist at my right ear and rub it to try and get the feeling to disappear. It did not work. The more I rubbed the more my ear inside hurt and the outside got red.

This started last week. I would put my little finger in my ear and scratch inside, but that did not work. The rubbing was making my ear look like the dickens. I had one ear my normal color and the other a reddish glow or ember of light looking like a lightbulb.

My ear doctor said, “Never put a Q-Tip inside your ear”. It was easy for her to say. I went and got two of them from the drawer and proceeded to dig. Well, not dig, but swab tenderly; sort of. I inserted it in and pushed it deeper until I could go no further.

I felt resistance and then something happened. It was somewhat pulled out of my fingers and just hung there, wiggling. What the heck! It went up, then down and then round and around. I looked in the mirror above the lavatory and watched it rotate.

I took this in for about a minute that seemed like ten. This was something I did not experience before, and just looking at this was unnerving. I became transfixed with what I saw, but my mind was spinning with questions. What in the world was going on, I thought.

Time for action I decided. I reached up and carefully grabbed onto the swab. As soon as I did I could tell that whatever was causing this, did not like it. The swab was tugged and it went into my ear a little farther. It could only go so far I thought at the time. I slowly pulled on it and it started to come out of my ear.

Now I am heartened with the realization that I was in control. I kept tugging and finally it withdrew the whole way. At this time I was shocked. There was something on the end. I held the swab up, closer to the light and peered at a strange object.

On the end was, what looked like a, well, like a lady bug, or so I thought. It was the same size, and had what I thought were legs. The back was colored, and somewhat changed color. I thought of what oil on water would look like with a swirling color. At the one end was kind of like a head with a mask on it, or so I thought. It pivoted and looked up at me.

Now I am a little scared. What is it? What is it doing in my ear? How did it get there? What now??? Too many questions and no answers. As I stood there thinking about it, something then happened. It, whatever it was, turned and was pointed at me. Then it decided to do something.

All of a sudden, a beam of light came out the things other end. It was green, a dark green light. It was on the swab and then it was not. It took off toward the window of the bathroom. Like a laser beam it was traveling in a straight line toward the window. Then it hit the glass and a cracking sound occurred and the “thing” fell to the window sill. The glass was starred with a circle in the middle and rays of broken, but intact pieces radiating out. Whatever it was now on the sill, very still and it was not moving.

There was a glass mason jar with candle wax in it, nearby, so I grabbed it and turned it over on top of this buggy type thing. I decided to get my camera and magnifying glass to record and look at it better. I took off for my den to get them and returned in minutes.

The candle glass was still there, but inside there was now a blue hazy smoke obscuring the thing. I carefully lifted the jar up and there was now a smoking, black piece of debris with what looked like a charred leg sticking up. I would not be able to tell what it was now. That was OK, I thought.

I had enough. My experience was really different and to say, unusual. My right ear was fine now with the thing gone. It started to look better, and the itching pain was gone. Relief was evident in my mind, but the questions were there about what I just experienced..

I went and sat down on the bed in the bedroom to go over what had happened. I then put my head on the pillow to think some more. Then I felt it. My left ear started to itch and I rubbed it with my hand to make it feel better

Help!!!! Another one is here; inside me, in my ear making me itch like my right ear. Help me!! I think it is going the other way, INSIDE my head, not out of my ear; HELP MEEEEEEEEeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Den Betts

Three Souls Saved 2015-127

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Three Souls Saved   2015-127

 

The storm created waves like mountains rolling across the sea. It was eerie and scary at the same time. A deep throated horn shrieked its sound letting other possible seafarers know they were not alone and to be aware.

Inside the rusty overworked ship were some passengers that booked their passage on the tramp steamer in Australia bound for a faraway port that seemed too far away now. Three of them sat in their bolted down chairs wondering if they were to see the light of day. Earlier, the Captain came by and told them the seas were getting worse and perhaps they should return to their quarters.

They looked at each other and without words remained seated in what was called the dining area. To get up and venture about while the turbulent waves and crashing bellows of noise from the sky, was not to their liking.

A giant wave enveloped the ship and in an instant, created havoc and turmoil for those inside. For some reason the three men were flung about together and one wished he was tied to the chair instead. Not so, and for that reason he and the others found themselves at an alcove together, by the hatch going outside.

The wave was a freak one and soon the other waves were like they were before, high and dangerous. All three looked at each other and as one, they made a decision. One opened the hatch door and the others followed outside where a life boat station beckoned.

As instructed earlier in the week the boat was soon, unfastened and away. The journey began with the lowering of the boat into the maelstrom. Not long afterwards, the steamer went to the bottom and the three looked at the upraised stern saying goodbye to them.

Like a miracle, the next day found them in the boat with calm and placid seas around them. They looked at each other and assessed their predicament. There was food and water in a storage locker, so the immediate needs were met.

They did not mingle before the storm, and remained strangers while on the steamer, so it was an introductory period where they introduced themselves to each other, on the life boat.

They found that they were from different areas of the world and of different faiths. One was Jewish from Israel, the other a Christian from America and the last a Muslim from Pakistan. All three were visiting or doing business in Australia where the steamer embarked from its journey.

The three somewhat kept to themselves on the lifeboat, sitting alone, but still together. When it was time to eat, the American took it upon himself to distribute the food and water. The other two watched him carefully to make sure the parcels were even. All three did not trust each other.

The Muslim would pray to his god trying to bend toward what he thought was close to the direction of Mecca, his tradition. The Jewish man sat and quietly mumbled words now and then. The American just sat and watched the other two as they observed the religious piety being presented to him. He was a believer, but not, as he said, a fanatic about it. He struggled to say the Lord’s Prayer as he learned it long ago.

After many days, they started to pray at the same time during the course of the day. A ritual began that became a tradition each day. No smokestacks or evidence of another ship was seen and hope was startling to fade for their survival.

The old expression “Time Passed” was true with these three souls trying to survive on a lifeboat in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Days and days went by with no sighting of a ship in their vicinity. They grew beards and were becoming quite ragged looking. All three tried to keep under a tarp, hiding them from the relentless sun.

They soon found that their provisions were slowly disappearing from use. The water was most critical and they started to be concerned about surviving. Finally, first the food then the water was gone. All three were hungry and parched. First the Jewish man started to scream and got up and tried to jump overboard. The other two grabbed him and tied him up, and he struggled and swore at them. The Muslim man continued to pray, but his words were garbled and his eyes looked vacant. The American Christian just sat and looked into the distance, unseeing. All were getting close to the end of their lives.

The Jew looked around and seeing the other two he said, “Who is that”, looking over their shoulder. Both of the other men ignored him. “WHO IS THAT?” he repeated. The Muslim said, “Abe, it is ok, there is nothing or nobody.” Abe looked at Habib, the Muslim, and yelled, “What the hell do you know, why don’t you look?” as he struggled against the ropes holding him. The American, named Richard, slowly turned his body and head to look behind him. Richard said, “Oh crap”, and turned completely around. “Habib, you might want to look”, he said.

Behind them was a figure, seated by the bow of the lifeboat. An unnatural glow emendated from Him, casting shadows behind the tree men. The three sat or lay there, watching in awe. They were scared, quizzical, but they just looked and waited. The figure stood up and approached all three. He stopped and looked at the three and spoke. “Your prayers have been heard, asking to be saved! The Father of the Universe has heard. Hear this; you are, all three saved! Know this; what you know is not all that was known and said long ago. You have prayed to the one God of the Universe and He has heard you.”

The three looked at each other and then around them in the distance. Nothing had changed in their distant view, so they became more scared.

“You are saved and in the saving you will be whole and be with me in Paradise. Let not your cares and worries bother you anymore.” At that moment all three looked again at each other and their vision saw completely through each other and then they knew. They were saved, but in a different way…………….

Den Betts

The Man Who Could 2015-119

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The Man Who Could   2015-119

The man, who could, at one time, could not. It was a process and he lived through it and it became that which he did not ask for, but received anyhow.

It started with a simple prayer. He thought he would pray for something that was somewhat generic and he wanted to see what he received. He did not receive that which he asked for, but instead something far greater.

He had been watching the news on TV and listening to the horrors of the world that transpired on a regular basis. So, he asked for peace. I guess that was too broad of a request and the one he was praying too ignored that one, he thought.

But, what he did not realize that, as part of the prayer was an additional one that asked God for the ability to hear the anguished prayers of others. Why he asked for that ability he does not even remember, but it was so.

He got more than he wanted. Yes, he heard the prayers of others to God, but he heard ALL of them or many at least. God gave him the ability to hear others pray and at the beginning of most of the prayers, he heard the word God. That was the problem.

He was inundated with the prayers that began with things like, “Oh God!”, “Oh my God”, and the ones like “God damn it” in the form of swearing at something. He heard these words and others, over and over and over. It was overwhelming to him.

Yes, there were actual prayers of requests, pleadings, those of thanks, etc., but these were far outweighed by the ones taking the name of the Lord in vain.

Most of what he heard was, of course, not prayers. He finally got the point, and realized that what he was hearing were cries of another nature. There was anguish out there; there were frustrations and heartaches beyond the norm. He realized that he, himself, was guilty of calling for God, but not really wanting God to do something or answer him.

The man then thought about what he had learned or was learning in the process of hearing other prayers and outcry’s being said. People in general, were not taking advantage of the presence of God and had learned to use the word God in an ungodly like nature as a standard way of speaking every day. He was a personal witness to these actions and he was embarrassed to know it.

Many though, were praying to God in a way that called out for help, understanding and an acknowledgement of Him. He did feel good about that fact and he realized that there was nothing he could do actively about what he was learning. BUT, there was something he could do.

He could let others know about prayer, about God and what He hears from his children. Hopefully, they will hear the man and understand that OMG, and Oh Hell, and God damn it, are NOT to be used in daily living situations. It will make a difference, a small one, but a difference for those that hear Him and perhaps they will change……. So be it…………

And so, finally he understood many things that were unknown before and he was at peace, which he originally wanted anyhow. So God in his wisdom, allowed the man to hear those asking for God, and in doing so the man found that God is what He is and not something or someone that is taken for granted. God finally gave the man respite from the hearing and did listen to when the man asked Him for help, council, comfort and love……………

Den Betts

The Fires of Spring 2015-100

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I read the book by James Michener, “The Fires of Spring” when I was quite young. It and the below  paragraph stayed with me and is still pasted on my wall to remind me of my “finding myself”.  I share this with you now, to consider the words written by a renowned writer long ago.

The Fires of Spring  2015-100

For this is the journey that men make; to find themselves. If they fail in this, it doesn’t matter much what else they find. Money, position, fame, many loves, revenge – – – are all of little consequence, and when the tickets are collected at the end of the ride, they are tossed into the bin marked failure.

BUT, if a man happens to find himself — if he knows what he can be depended upon to do, the limits of his courage, the many positions from which he will no longer retreat, the degree to which he can surrender his inner life to some woman, the secret reservoirs of his determination, the extent of his dedication, the depth of his feelings for beauty, his honest and unpostured goals — then he has found a mansion which he can inhabit with dignity all the days of his life…………………………………………………………..

James Michener – The Fires of Spring