The Amazons and Other Stories

Richard Dyer

Description

From a fantasy of three women who become the avengers of Central Park at its darkest moment in time to the personal recollections of a childhood in Europe and the women he loved, Richard Dyer weaves a tale of romance and hope out of difficult and violent times, real and imagined.
From a fantasy adventure about three unique women in New York City who take on the roles of moral avengers as The Amazons in Central Park, to personal reminiscence of other women who have influenced and inspired his real life, Richard Dyer takes readers on a journey of personal discovery and insight into who we are and who we hope to be.

Sujets

• Nueva York
• New York City
• Memoir
• Romance
• Central Park
• Fiction
• New York

Informations

• Publié par: Archway Publishing
• Date de parution: 17 juillet 2023
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781665744195
• Langue: English

Extrait

The Amazons and Other Stories
Richard Dyer


 
Copyright © 2023 Richard Dyer.
 
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
 
 
 
Archway Publishing
1663 Liberty Drive
Bloomington, IN 47403
www.archwaypublishing.com
844-669-3957
 
Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.
 
Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.
Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.
 
ISBN: 978-1-6657-4421-8 (sc)
ISBN: 978-1-6657-4420-1 (hc)
ISBN: 978-1-6657-4419-5 (e)
 
Library of Congress Control Number: 2023908981
 
 
 
 
Archway Publishing rev. date: 06/23/2023
Contents
The Amazons
Chapter 1Lindy
Chapter 2Renee
Chapter 3Jenny
Chapter 4Central Park
Chapter 5Burt
Chapter 6Poetry
Chapter 7Sunshine
Chapter 8The Work
Chapter 9The Judge
Chapter 10Aftermath
Other Stories
A Woman’s Love
Roses
Refugees
Le Bout du Monde
Me and Myself
Yoohoo
 
Author’s Note

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
I dedicate this book to my dear wife for her endless patience. The Amazons is dedicated to all women of the world with respect and appreciation.
The Amazons
Chapter One
Lindy
She was a no-nonsense nurse, strict but fair. She kept her staff on their toes. Now, as she walked to her car after a hard night, she wanted only a shower and off to bed. As she eased herself into her car, she felt a strong arm grab her from behind, by her throat, and a low voice warned her not to shout.
“Quiet, lady, if you want to live. Do as I say and nothing bad will happen to you. But if you shout, I’ll .…” He gave her a light squeeze.
“Okay,” she managed to say, trying not to sound afraid. “There’s money in my bag.”
“Fine, fine, that’s for later, but first a little ride. Let’s go. Start the car.”
She did as he ordered right away. “He’s going to rape me,” she knew, and she stifled the growing fear, and kept it under control. He seemed to know the city and they drove straight to the sprawling park a mile away. He chose a dark spot with trees clustered together, surrounded by patches of green bushes.
They got out while he still had her in a stranglehold. Without any preliminary, he pushed her brutally to the ground. The fall stunned her and it was over before she could regain her senses. Her mind had frozen. It was as if it had happened to someone else. She didn’t scream. She held herself stiff as a statue. He was already standing above her, breathing hard, struggling with his pants.
“Where’s your bag?”
In a toneless voice, she replied, “In the car.”
She heard the car open and close and then he was gone, swallowed by the early morning. She stared at the sky for a moment. The nightmare had ended. She got up, keeping herself under control, and arranged her clothes. She thought, “I’ve got to report this.”
She fixed her hair and looked at herself in the rearview mirror. Except for her eyes, no one would guess what she had gone through. She entered the precinct and blurted out to the first policeman she saw, “I’ve been raped.” She could hardly believe her own words. She used to read about things like this in the newspapers. This happened to other women.
The policeman looked at her, commiserating, and guided her to an office with a policewoman inside.
“Here, that’s number three and the day is still young,” he said. He wasn’t being facetious, just stating a fact. As Lindy sat down, facing the policewoman, it hit her, and only then, she allowed herself to break down and cry.
Chapter Two
Renee
Lindy sat in a courtroom, looking around her. It was her first time in a court and she was curious to see what a trial would be like when it was her turn to take the stand against her attacker. Two officers led a handcuffed man between them. His family and friends greeted him with smiles and encouraging shouts. “It’ll be okay. Don’t worry.”
The victim was a small young woman of about twenty. She sat with her head lowered, hiding her face. She was all alone except for the prosecutor next to her. The shouts continued. “Remember, Bob, she asked for it.” The man turned around with a big smile, making the V for victory sign. The victim rose from her chair in a fury and shouted, trembling with rage, facing down all of them with a sweep of her gaze. “You are the scum of the world.” The jeering and taunts redoubled. The prosecutor asked her to sit down and gave her a glass of water as the judge entered the courtroom and faced the public.
“If there’s no quiet, I’ll clear the court.”
He sat down and motioned to the defense attorney to come to him. Lindy noticed that, besides the man’s family and friends, there were only herself and a few spectators in the courtroom. Rape was so common that it did not interest anyone unless the rapist or the victim was famous.
It was his second offense. He was given three years. The verdict was received with shouts of abuse. The judge left swiftly. Friends and family of the accused turned to the victim and threatened revenge. The victim was ushered out through a back door. Lindy followed her.
A warm sun and the bustle of a busy street greeted them outside. Lindy approached the disoriented young woman and introduced herself.
“I’m Lindy,” she said, and held out her hand. The young woman only stared at her.
“I was in the courtroom. I saw it all.”
“Ah, I’m Renee.” They shook hands in silence.
“Look, I’ve got my car. Let’s have a cup of coffee. I see you have no one with you?”
“I’m from France, “Renee said. “I’ve been here only about six months.” Her voice trembled.
Lindy hugged her. “Poor kid.”
Renee started to cry, then stopped. “Thank you. You’re very kind.”
They got into Lindy’s car and passed the crowd of friends waiting for the victim to come out.
“See, they were waiting for you. You were right. They are the scum of this earth. Three years! They should have let him rot in jail for the rest of his life.”
Over a cup of coffee, in a little Greenwich Village coffee shop, Renee told Lindy her story.
Last year, she graduated from university and came to the United States for a vacation. She had studied literature. She decided to stay for a few years and began exploring neighborhoods she did not know to see where she might like to rent a place to live. She liked the vitality of the country compared to the slower rhythm of Europe. A few days earlier, she took a stroll and got lost. It was late. She saw a young man leaning against a car. He started to give her directions and then said, “Why don’t I just give you a lift? It’s only a few minutes away by car?” She was naïve enough to agree, but then she shook her head. “How foolish I’ve been.”
Lindy took Renee’s hand. “Cities can be a jungle, but its most dangerous animals walk on two feet. Come on, let’s take a walk and talk some more.”
They left the coffee shop. Summer was in the air. The city felt peaceful.
Chapter Three
Jenny
A few days later, Lindy and Renee sat in the same courtroom. Despite two large air conditioners, it was hot. People were perspiring. For Lindy, the scene was becoming familiar: the judge in his flowing black robes behind the long, dark bench; the gavel within reach; the two attorneys with their large folders, now and then exchanging a word with their respective clients. It was a rerun with new players. This time, the victim was young, chubby, and dark-skinned. The rapist was also black. He exchanged loud comments with his friends. He seemed totally at ease, never looking at the victim. The judge banged repeatedly with the gavel for silence. He looked at the back row in annoyance.
“Silence. The court is now in session.” Then the judge looked at the victim.
“Now, you’re sure this is the man?”
“Yes, sir,” the embarrassed woman replied. “I mean, your honor.”
“But you said it was night. How can you tell for sure?”
“I know it’s him.”
The judge turned to the man. “Well, what do you say?”
The man smiled. “Like you said, judge, the night was black, I’m black, how can she be sure?” He grinned. “Anyway, what’s she doing at night alone in an area like that? Asking for trouble if you ask me.” Someone in the back row began to laugh.
“Silence,” the judge said to the courtroom. “And what were you doing there?”
“A man’s different,” he said. “You know that.”
“Why different?” the judge asked.
The man chuckled. “Between you and me, judge, you know it’s different for a man. Nothing wrong in looking for a little opportunity.”
The judge stared at him.
“What if the little opportunity was your daughter?” the victim shouted from her seat, standing up and facing the room. She turned to the judge. “What would you say then, your honor?”
For a moment, the courtroom was silent. The judge turned to the victim and said, “Please sit down. Don’t make me cite you for contempt of court.”
A well-dressed older woman stood up in the back of the courtroom and faced the victim and the bench. She looked at the judge intently. “She’s right, Joe,” she said to the judge. You know she’s right.”