Unexpected

By Michael Reisman

It happens at anytime and anywhere. Something called the unexpected which turns our life around. The spice of life that makes things more interesting and unpredictable. We will take a journey together as I offer you these moments in time in the following short stories. You may cry, smile, and feel a wide range of emotions as that is just what the unexpected does to us all. Sit back and read the pages but be prepared for the unexpected.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Feb 22, 2012
• ISBN: 9781469771922

Michael Reisman

I have been writing since I was thirteen years old. My teachers in school through the years suggested that I pursue this talent. It is my sensitivity to nature and life’s situations that drives me to tell it as it is. I was raised in Brooklyn, New York and moved to the Bronx. Now I live in Westchester, New York. With soft music or in plain old-fashioned silence, one can be inspired to write. It is my goal to make one think and feel and wonder through my writings. As long as my heart beats, my mind creates; the pen shall never run out of ink.

Book preview

Contents

The White Purse…

Mary John And Rufus…

Tina Louise…

Mirror Reflections…

Coming Into Focus…

Photos Now and Then…

For A Favorite Song…

That Was My Grandma…

Jeffrey The Drummer…

Julia’s Lottery…

Two Empty Chairs…

Just Visiting…

Audrey’s Story…

Walking The Aisles…

The Substitute Teacher…

Mother And Daughter…

Wooden Dreams…a poem

Bobby And Sherrie…

Spaghetti And Meatballs…

The Hitchhiker…

The Silent Fan…

Sometimes When We Touch…

The Circle Line Cruise…

As The Shoe Fits…

An Enemy Of Mine…

Mood Swings…

Tuned Into…

The Nightlight…

A Vial Of Tears…

Paper Trail…

Three Chords And The Truth…

Three Chords And The Truth…

December Night Sky...a poem

A Missed Flight…

www.heaven.com…

A Matter Of Conscience…

Serina…

Lifeguard On Duty…

Four Dishes Of Spaghetti…

Leftover Wine…

A Personal Experience…

String Ties And Sawdust…

Something About Harriet…

A Summer Ring…

Emily’s Doll…

Fifteen Cabins And A Lake…

An Early Snow…a poem

A Long Three Blocks…

Lights On Lights Off…

For Future Reference…

The First Fan…

Over Her Shoulder…

Tara…

The Drive In Movie…

B-4…

The Welcome Mat…

Glasses And Braces…

The Lobby Below…

Halloween Angel…

8:46 A.M….

For Old Times Sake…

A Kind Word Is Spoken…a poem

From Two Seashells…

The Waterfalls…

I Know Where Heaven Is…

Drumsticks…

The Scent Of A Rose…

Toy Dogs…

A Simple Coaster…

From Then Till Now…

Back Home…

A Pen And Blue Ink…

Two Passengers

Orange Crush

Dennis And Diane

A Brown Paper Bag

Jeremy’ Frog

Signed, Sealed, And Delivered

My Chambermaid

Under The Sheets

Rag Doll

Tree House

Where New Face May Be Seen

Fortune Cookie

A Letter To Santa

Missing In Action

Old Campfires

One New Years Eve

And A Passenger On A Bus

The Hundred Yard Dash

The Following December

Melanie And Grandma

Just Visiting

Wanda The Maid

Roberta And Her Doll

On The Thirty Fifth Floor

Last Call

Star Light, Star Bright

Living Rooms And Museums

The Flute

Trinkets In The Sand

Where We Take The Right Turn

Comes Into Focus

On The Third Ring

A Tail Wagged

Pretty In Pink

A Comb And A Brush

This Ones On Me

Color Combinations

An Online Greeting Card

A Candle For Samantha

Valentines Day

It Was Already There

1106

From The Heart And Soul

Billy Junior

A Bus And A Shopping Mall

Flowers On The Wall

A Single Red Rose

The Hitching Post

A Whisper Of Love

The Gift

When The Dancing Began

Get Their Message Across

Shoveling A Path

A Dream And A Daughter

The White Purse…

Beatrice walked home the usual route after getting off the subway ride from work. The same four blocks at about the same time once again. A man came out of an alleyway just a little before she reached her home. He snatched her purse and ran away as she stood in shock at the unexpected event. Thank goodness she wasn’t harmed but the 100 dollars in cash plus her credit cards were now stolen. Beatrice made a police report and told the credit card company’s about it. No clear description was given as it was dark outside and he ran away too fast. He was never caught as six months later something much unexpected happened. Her husband Jonathan was a painter by profession and had an appointment to visit his next client’s house. Two rooms were to be painted, the kitchen and the bedroom. He gave an estimate and the client agreed as the following weekend he would start on this next job. Saturday the kitchen was completed and Sunday he would start painting the bedroom. He laid down the tarp and noticed something just under the client’s bed, a white purse with the initials of his wife’s name. Jonathan called the police from his cell phone and they arrived at the house in about fifteen minutes. His client ran out the back door but was caught in an alleyway that was not to far from Beatrice’s home. The white purse was all the evidence needed to convict the robber and he was sentenced to prison for the time he deserved. Beatrice still walks down the same path to get home after work. She no longer carries cash or credit cards in her white purse. That is now kept in a pocket from whatever pants she decides to wear that day. Jonathan painted the baby’s room which she would have some 9 months from now. What beautiful photos are now in the white purse that was recovered….

Mary John And Rufus…

Mary heard a whimpering in a parking lot as she left the shopping mall to go back to her car. It was muffled as she listened once again to see where the sound was coming from. Next to a dumpster by a wall was a small blanket as she walked a little closer. The blanket quivered and the whimpers came from under it. A small puppy was abandoned by some heartless owner and she picked him up. Mary drove straight to a veterinarian hospital and admitted the baby German Sheppard to the doctor’s care. Under nourished but otherwise not injured, the puppy was taken care of and given the necessary shots and medication. She took him home and gave her new friend a new name which he immediately responded to. The love between them grew with each passing day, month, and year. One night Mary was driving and fell asleep at the wheel. Her car slid off the rode and rolled over into a ditch below. A bloodied head hit the horn on her steering wheel. Rufus woke up out of a sound sleep and jumped out of the open bedroom window. He followed the sound of a whimpering unconscious Mary about 2 miles from where they both lived. Rufus then walked backed up onto the road and barked at cars passing by until one curious driver stopped and got out of his vehicle. The driver followed the dog down into the ditch and saw the young lady unconscious in her car. He called 911 and requested an ambulance to the location at hand. Mary was treated in an emergency room at a local hospital and then released the next day. The stranger picked her up and drove both her and the dog back home. One human being saves a puppy and the favor is returned. Now there are three living in her home, Mary, now no longer stranger, and Rufus. The unexpected happens sometimes with the most pleasant results. A family of three now share the same bed together. Mary, John, and Rufus….

Tina Louise…

For Barry’s tenth birthday it was something different than previous years. Not a toy this time, but something more special. It was sitting next to his bed as it woke him up that Saturday morning. Meow..meow..meow, as mom and dad watched their son rub his eyes and investigate the sound. A kitten that was a few weeks old made him smile as his parents took the little furry thing out of the carrying case it came in. A live birthday present that surprised him beyond belief. The litter box, food dish, and water were set up ahead of time as mom and dad gave instructions to their son on how to take care of her. Barry named her Tina Louise. The bond became instant and continued each week, month, and year. She sat on his lap while he was on the computer and cuddled up with him every night as they slept. When Barry reached the age of twenty three he was still young, but his cat’s life was old. She started to drag her back feet and finally couldn’t walk anymore. His beloved pet would stop eating and drinking as her breathing slowed down. Barry picked her up and held Tina Louise in his arms as he knew she was about to pass away. He kissed her one last time and she meowed a goodbye which he understood. They exchanged tears which love often brings. Somewhere in heaven a deal was made which became the unexpected event to follow. A young lady approached him at a high school reunion and asked him for this slow dance. She didn’t look familiar to him but he danced with her anyway. My name is Tina Louise, what’s yours? My name is Barry, he replied. They cuddled up together soon afterwards as no questions were asked as none needed to be answered….

Mirror Reflections…

Harry looked in his bathroom mirror one morning as usual. His full beard from yesterday was no longer there and he was clean shaven. Maybe he was still half asleep and imagined it, so back to the kitchen he went to fix breakfast. The calendar on his refrigerator read over 2 months before the date he last woke up. Something was going on here very unusual and unexpected. The following morning he looked in the bathroom mirror and the bald spots on his head were replaced by once youthful hair. The calendar read 15 years ago as the car in his driveway changed from what he drove now to a car he once owned. Harry was traveling back in time little by little and accepted this weird unexpected event as something to deal with and just waited to see what the final results would be. He looked forward to the next morning for his trip to the bathroom would bring a new adventure as he looked in the mirror. Harry saw a gold chain around his neck which happened to be a gift from an old high school girlfriend. Susie flooded his memories of a time long gone by as he smiled to himself at a possible second chance. He hopped into an older car which sat in his driveway now from 1963. Susie went through the same experiences in her bathroom from a mirror of reflections. The unexpected followed the same path as his. Harry remembered her finger and a ring size she told him way back when. He knocked on her door and she held out her hand as if she knew he was coming to visit once again. In 1964 they got married but continued on to college in order to complete their goals and education. The bathroom mirror on their honeymoon showed the present time as he hugged her from behind….

Coming Into Focus…

Harriet went into an antique shop with no idea what to buy. It was just a matter of browsing around until she saw something that caught her eye. The furniture and other stuff were of no interest until she saw one item in a display case that made her stare. It was a pair of sunglasses that looked very old but might fit her. It was worn by the great grandfather of a magician who left it here many years ago for someone else to use and enjoy, the owner said to her. Harriet paid for the antique and left the store as she tried them on. It was a sunny day so the timing was good to protect her eyes from the bright July sun. It was very unexpected to see what she saw next. Harriet watched a speeding car go through a red light as she saw herself crossing the street and being run over. She took off the sunglasses and shook her head in disbelief at this frightening vision of what was to take place in a few moments. The cautious young lady approached the curb but didn’t walk any further as a car sped through a red light. The magic sunglasses saw events ahead of time as the longer you wore them, the more of the future would be revealed. She put them on occasionally from time to time just out of curiosity to see what was supposed to happen next. The glasses revealed one day her walking into a bar and meeting a young man. She left them on for quite a while to see how this event would turn out and was pleased by the results. Harriet returned to the antique store and said to the owner, take this back and save it for the next lucky customer. She went back to the bar and talked to the young man as eventfully he did what she saw through those magic sunglasses. A whole year of dating, and then a marriage took place which made her smile. One thing that wasn’t seen was the owner of an antique shop