Dream of Senegal and Other Stories

By Ali Anthony Bell

Short Story collection
Genre: Adult Creative Non-Fiction and Fiction, Romance
Synopsis: An American expat in his late forties goes through his mid-life crisis in Paris, France, just after shutting his company down and separating with his French wife after 24 years together. This is a collection of short stories in chronological order over a period of 33 months, all with the same main character and different women in each story. Based on real events in the author's life.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ali Anthony Bell
• Release date: Jun 12, 2021
• ISBN: 9781005538941

Ali Anthony Bell

"I believe in every person's potential to develop in any field, and I believe in Morocco's ambition to become the link between Africa and the rest of the world. To do this, Morocco needs the English language, and this has become my reason and purpose: to help individuals to improve their communication skills in English, and in this way, to also help Morocco."Ali Anthony BellAli Anthony Bell has been teaching English in Morocco since 2010. An American expat, he left the USA in 1983 for Paris. He discovered his passion and vocation as a teacher at 50 years of age in Morocco, after having spent more than 20 years in Sales and Marketing in France. He taught English to High-Intermediate and Advanced level students at EHTP in 2013/2014, as well as at HEM and The American University of Leadership, where he also taught Sales and Marketing.

Book preview

Dream of

Senegal

and other stories

Ali Anthony

BELL

Copyright © 2020 Ali Anthony Bell.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the author at the address below.

This is a short story collection consisting of Creative Non-Fiction and Fiction. Most of the fictitious events in these stories are based on real events in the author’s life. Some names and identifying features have been changed to protect the identity of certain parties. References to real people or real places are used fictitiously. Some names, characters, and events are products of the author’s imagination.

Originally published as separate short stories at Reedsy Prompts: 1) "Dream of Senegal", Submitted for Contest #56 in response to: Write a story about two people meeting during unusual circumstances and becoming fast friends.... 2) "Different Feathers Make Feathers Fly" Submitted for #96: Xenia in response to: Write about someone welcoming a stranger into their home. 3) "Fall, Fell, Fallen" Submitted for #63: Autumnal, in response to: Set your story in a coffee shop that’s just introduced a new line of autumnal drinks. 4) "The Web" Submitted for #89: The More Things Change..., in response to: Write a story that spans a month during which everything changes. 5) "Ruby Slippers" Submitted for #85: City Living, in response to: Set your story in a major city that your character has a love-hate relationship with. 6) Harmony and Discord Submitted for #96: Xenia in response to: Write a story about strangers becoming friends, or friends becoming strangers. 7) "Behind the Veil" Submitted for #92: Chiaroscuro in response to: Write a story that begins in the light and ends in darkness, or the other way around. 8) "Kon Bon Wa" Submitted for #81: Candy Hearts, in response to: Write about a first date that surprises both people, but in different ways.

9) "Too Sweet to be True" Submitted for #85: City Living, in response to: Start your story with the line, That’s the thing about this city…. 10) "Before the Point of No Return" Submitted for #95: Decision Time in response to: Write a story about someone who’s extremely impulsive — or extremely indecisive.

Acknowledgement to Reedsy.com for providing the prompts that inspired the stories.

Book design by Ali Anthony Bell.

First e-book edition 2021 Published by Ali Anthony Bell at Smashwords Inc.

ISBN: 9781005538941 (e-book edition)

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Ali Anthony Bell

Casablanca, Morocco

[e-mail]

Stories

Dream of Senegal

Different Feathers Make Feathers Fly

Fall, Fell, Fallen

The WEB

Ruby Slippers

Harmony and Discord

Behind the Veil

Kon Bon Wa

Too Sweet to be True

Before the Point of No Return

Dream of Senegal

Friday, January 26, 2007, Fatoumata, a 23-year-old Senegalese woman is sitting across from Alexander, a 47-year-old American of Scots-Irish and English descent, just two strangers sitting across from each other in a crowded metro train in Paris, line No. 5, direction Bobigny/Pablo Picasso, both are just daily commuters. This day is like any other in any bustling city full of unfamiliar faces, and yet fate is about to come into play.

Alexander, struck by the uncommon beauty of Fatoumata’s face, is studying every line and curve, trying to imprint every detail in his memory to put on canvas afterwards. Certain that he will never see her again, he has only the unknown length of the ride to try to memorize this stunning face. Fatoumata can’t help but notice the scrutinizing regard of his cool blue eyes, and wonders What’s he staring at me like that for? At the same time, she’s studying him. He seems to have stepped out of another time, far in the past. Dark grey suit, immaculate white shirt and slim red and black paisley tie, an anthracite Borsellino felt hat, black leather trench coat, and slender black Italian shoes. A very simple silver wedding ring adorns his left hand and he’s wearing another simple silver and onyx ring on his right ring finger. The polished stone is small and uncut, with the silverwork grasping it like fingers. It looks like African craftwork. He seems to be in his late 30’s and is carrying a small black leather portfolio. She thinks to herself He looks really elegant; it doesn’t matter though. I’ll probably never see him again.

As Alex is going up the escalator to the street level at the Hoche station he notices that the subject of his next painting isn’t far behind him, and his heart soars as his mind ponders… "Maybe she’ll accept to pose?" He waits for her to arrive and approaches her without the slightest hesitation; he’s never been shy with women, politely reserved sometimes, but never shy when he has a purpose. He delights in her appearance now. During the time sitting across from her he had been so taken with her face that he had hardly paid any attention to anything else. Now, everything about her pleases him. Not only her face, but her entire self, her style, her assured way of walking, her defiant way of looking at him like ‘Yeah, I know I’m beautiful…don’t even try to make me!’ Red over-the-knee high-heeled boots run all the way up to where they’re met by a white turtle-necked mini-length sweater dress that accentuates the beauty of her deep brown skin. The visible part of her thighs between the top of her boots and the bottom of her dress is bare. Her face radiates with warm undertones of copper and tender shades of pink highlight her dark gazelle’s eyes. Her night black hair, partly braided and partly loose, falls around her face freely.

Hi, I’m Alex. Your face is incredibly inspiring, it’s really different. I’d like to paint your portrait. He goes straight to the point, pulling out an embossed chrome metal business card case marked A.B., and offering her his card. She looks at the card skeptically. Alexander Blackwell – Painter - Portraits, Landscapes, Nudes she reads, pondering. When he opened the card case she had noticed that there were two different cards, in equal quantities.

And what’s the other card? How many professions do you have anyway? She asks with