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- Herausgeber: Youcanprint
- Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
- Sprache: Englisch
- Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2013
AUTHOR:RITA B. half English half Italian lives in Romagna Italy with her husband Umberto since 1980.DARK GAMES PEOPLE PLAY is the second volume of six short stories. Volumes 3 and 4 to follow.Stories that reveal the dark side of human behaviour... leading up to an unexpected outcome.
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RITA BONDI-BATES
DARK GAMES PEOPLE PLAY Vol. II
Youcanprint
Copyright © 2013 Youcanprint Self-Publishing
Title | DARK GAMES PEOPLE PLAY - Vol. II Author | RITA BONDI-BATES Cover by author ISBN | 9788891108746 First digital Edition 2013
This eBook can not be traded, trade, loan and resale and may not be distributed in any way without the prior written consent of the author. Any unauthorized use or distribution is a violation of the rights of the publisher and the author and will be sanctioned civil and criminal penalties as provided by law 633/1941.
MR. LUKE.
“Are you awake Mr. Luke?”
Mr. Luke stirred slowly and opened one eye, then closed it again, “That’s a bloody stupid question to ask, of course I’m awake, you woke me didn’t you, stupid good for nothing woman.” Melanie shushed him before he got too rude, “Now now Mr. Luke, I know you love me, remember I’m your favourite.”
“Piss off, ain’t got any favourites in this fucking place.”
Melanie sighed, she felt deeply for Mr. Luke, he was difficult most of the time, with good reason it seemed, nobody ever came to visit him, his sister had brought him in a couple of months earlier, saying that her family had given her an ultimatum, either he left or they would leave him with her FOR GOOD!
His life in the hospice was not going to be easy.
Nothing pleased Mr. Luke, he hated the food, as well as the other guests, not to mention all the assistants, Melanie included, his behaviour was arrogant always drawing attention to himself, no wonder his sister’s family wanted to be rid of him.
Yet Mr. Luke had had a life, he had been young and in love, he felt he’d had a raw deal from life, but that was all in the past, what was lost could no longer be.
A life sentence, thirty years in jail had turned him into an angry bitter, frustrated man.
It was the end of the second world war, 1945, Mr. Luke returned home after five years fighting in the second world war, brutal, cruel devastating years, both mentally and physically which had turned him from a happy 18 year old adolescent into a twenty three year old embittered man.
His family welcomed him back home with open arms, grateful that he had been spared injuries and death, unlike so many other young soldiers.
Coming back home hadn’t been easy, his younger sisters and parents fussed over him. Luke just wanted to be left alone, to get on with his life, go back to work, and most of all he wanted his independence. How could he explain the torment, the everyday anxiety of knowing that every hour could be his last, witnessing death of his comrades. Nightmares, the sound of bombs invaded his sleep.
The war had made him morose and pessimistic, he spent every day in a tireless search for a job, anything at all as long as he could regain his dignity and self respect.
One cold wet Friday evening, he decided to catch a bus instead of walking home, every penny saved by walking was an extra penny in his pocket, that’s when fate took his hand…… he met Christine while waiting at the bus stop, she smiled and offered to share her umbrella with him, they both got off at the same stop, he heard himself say, “Do you fancy sharing a drink with me at my local pub, it’s opening time and still too early for dinner? Christine smiled, her dimpled cheeks and rosy lips made his heart leap, if he hadn’t been so shy he would have kissed her there and then. Fridays became their special day in the local pub, the regulars smiled and often shared a drink with the two love birds. To see a young couple so in love could only radiate good feelings, they all waited for the day when Luke and Christine would finally name their wedding day.
Weeks, months passed, he felt he was in seventh heaven, he had kept quiet about his friendship with Christine, he didn’t want anything or anyone to spoil his happiness, he knew that his family would ask to meet her, it was His love, His life. He wanted to prolong this special love a while longer.
They never spoke about their families, their time together was far too precious and brief to talk about family and relatives, the war had scarred Luke deeply, he had learnt to keep himself to himself, he preferred listening to talking, or just lying in Christine’s arms in complete silence, savouring the peace that surrounded them. The past was still so present in their lives.
Friday evening Christine didn’t turn up at their usual appointment in the pub, he waited for her in their corner by the window looking out for her arrival, envisaging her smiling face apologizing for being late.
In his pocket a gold ring with a solitaire, he would ask her to marry him, he had a job, nothing pretentious considering that the war was barely over, but it meant that they could find a little flat of their own and talk about marriage, children, a family to begin a new generation. No one had seen her, Luke asked the landlord for some change to make a phone call, he dialled Christine’s number, a few seconds and a male voice answered, No Chris hadn’t come in yet, “I can take a message if you like, I’m Christine’s husband, I’ve just been demobbed, tonight we are celebrating”.
Luke hung up, grasping his stomach, feeling faint and sick he dashed out into the street, he ran as if chased by a wild animal, cold sweat pouring from his forehead, his eyes blurred with tears, anger arising in his breast. The sound of wartime bombs filled his head, vision of a deathly battlefield poisoning his senses.
He saw her just as she was about to turn the corner into her home, he called, she turned and paled, in a second he caught up with her.
“Please let me explain,” she cried..
“My dear your husband will be celebrating on his own this evening”.
