The Park Bench Stories

By Kumaran RN

This book showcases three stories inspired by true-life encounters and reads.Three people who sat on a concrete bench under a large mango tree in a neighbourhood park at different times, reflected upon their lives and left with hopes for some solutions to their challenges and sorrows.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Mar 16, 2019
• ISBN: 9780359516193

Book preview

The Park Bench Stories

The Park Bench Stories

Thank You

My heartfelt thank you to all who made this book a possibility especially the sharing of experiences, knowledge and literature from various books, articles, online and media sources.

Thank you once again to all my avid readers, supporters and motivators for the continued blessings and support for my writings.

Introduction

A concrete bench under a large mango tree in a neighbourhood park meets many people who sit on it, especially those with their own personal challenges and sufferings. The tree and the bench provide a lonely, breezy and cozy, though not as inviting, corner for these people to reflect upon their lives and hope for a solace or solution for their challenges and sufferings. I like to share three such stories inspired by true-life encounters and reads. These three stories still stay as deep imprints in my mind all these years. These stories are reminders that life is not a bed of roses for many among us and for some, their paths are filled with thorns after thorns that were originally roses that were taken for granted.

Enjoy reading.

Do feel free to forward your comments related to this book and my other books to me at [e-mail].

Yours truly

Kumaran RN

Disclaimer

The characters and events described in this story are fictional inspired by true events, reads and experiences. Any similarity to actual persons, living or dead, and events that might had happened are purely coincidental.

1.     Presenting: The Bench

There are just three concrete benches in the park situated in the neighbourhood along Hougang Street 92, among the other metal benches placed at various locations in the park. The park is flanked by blocks of flats at one side and a stretch of quiet one-lane-two-way road at the other side. The park has some basic facilities spread around it for the residents to use and enjoy be it alone, in pairs or groups. Three exercise corners, a long stretch of jogging track, two futsal hardcourts, a roofed community hall, a small marquee and three barbeque pits. The well-maintained trees and other fauna are spread all over the park making it look green and fresh, rain or shine. The park is quiet in the mid-afternoons and after 9pm.

At one part of the park there is an old-looking large mango tree. Its branches are wide-spread and thick. Below the tree, under its branches, there is a concrete bench that faces the road and the futsal hardcourts. Sometimes there are individuals, mostly elderly who would sit on that particular bench in the quiet afternoons or late evenings hoping the mango tree can enlighten them