Door on High Friar

N. Naml B.

Description

The world is experiencing unprecedented advances in technology and science, testament to the ingenuity of the human mind. Paradoxically, we seem unable to grasp the fundamentals of social interactions, our nations and institutions of government struggle to appease their own citizens as well as co-exist harmoniously. We have not learned what history has tried to teach us. It's easy for us to blame the politicians but, in the end, we elect them. Perhaps it is us that hold the key? Is there another way?

Informations

• Publié par: Austin Macauley Publishers
• Date de parution: 31 mai 2019
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781528965064
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

The Door on High Friar
B. N. Naml
Austin Macauley Publishers
2019-05-31
The Door on High Friar About the Author About the Book Dedication Copyright Information Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22
About the Author
B. N. Naml has spent all of his professional life working in education, initially as a teacher of science in schools in the UK and the Middle East, and then as a trainer and training manager in the fields of education and oil and gas in the Middle East. He is now retired and enjoys playing golf (badly) and watching sports. He is married with three grown-up children.
About the Book
The world is experiencing unprecedented advances in technology and science, testament to the ingenuity of the human mind. Paradoxically, we seem unable to grasp the fundamentals of social interactions, our nations and institutions of government struggle to appease their own citizens as well as co-exist harmoniously. We have not learned what history has tried to teach us. It’s easy for us to blame the politicians but, in the end, we elect them. Perhaps it is us that hold the key? Is there another way?
Dedication
To my family
Copyright Information
Copyright © B. N. Naml (2019)
The right of B. N. Naml to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with section 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers.
Any person who commits any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.
A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library.
ISBN 9781528927420 (Paperback)
ISBN 9781528965064 (ePub e-book)
www.austinmacauley.com
First Published (2019)
Austin Macauley Publishers Ltd
25 Canada Square
Canary Wharf
London
E14 5LQ
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Chapter 1
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Kevin and Brian sat sipping soup in one of the many healthy fast food outlets on Northumberland Street. It was late in the afternoon on a cold and miserable Tuesday in the third week of October, and they were now into their third week at university. The first couple of weeks had been a struggle, apart from short holidays, both were away from home for the first time. Homesickness had replaced the initial elation they had experienced on attaining “freedom”, and they still hadn’t mastered the art of doing laundry, cleaning rooms and keeping up with their studies, which seemed a lot harder than when they were at school. On top of that, they hadn’t foreseen the language difficulties they would face or rather hadn’t taken seriously the warnings from various family members. Kevin’s grandfather had related his wartime experiences with his comrades from this locale, remarking that he wasn’t sure why he was fighting with, and for, these people against an enemy who he had a far better chance of understanding. His visit to the local B&Q DIY store to buy a small can of paint to brighten up a second-hand bicycle he had bought had led to much confusion.
‘I’m looking for paint,’ he told the greeter at the entrance.
‘Pint I what?’ was the reply.
‘Paint,’ said Kevin.
‘Aye, but what of?’ said the greeter, quickly passing Kevin on to a supervisor. A similar conversation took place before Kevin cottoned on, asked for “Pea’int” and was promptly directed to the paint aisle. Brian had got into some trouble when trying to embrace the local culture. It seemed that everyone called each other “pet”. The cashier’s ‘Thanks pet, here’s ya receipt,’ as he passed goods and change to the lady in front of him in Marks and Spencer, the “Ta pet” to the driver from the old lady as she alighted from the bus and the ‘Be careful, pet,’ of the mother to her son in the playground had given Brian the inspiration to try it out. He was lucky to escape with only verbal abuse when he stopped two local lads and asked, ‘How do I get to the station, pet?’
Kevin and Brian were geeks. They had met at freshers’ week when they realised they were studying the same subject, physics. Both had been accepted by the prestigious universities in their hometowns, Oxford and Cambridge, respectively, but had opted to study their bachelor degrees at less esteemed institutions in the hope of guaranteeing first class honours and moving home for graduate studies.
At school, neither Kevin nor Brian had had successful relationships with girls. It was not that they were bad looking or that girls had not shown an interest in them, but rather the ones they were interested in—the pretty ones—were out of their league. Also, they were interested in sports which turned off any of the girls who had shown an interest in them. They had also failed to strike up any relationships since starting university, having opted out of many freshers’ week activities that may have provided opportunities.
And so, it was an emulsion of shock, trepidation and excitement when two girls asked if the two spare seats at their table were free and whether they minded if they sat next to them.
‘Please do,’ said Kevin in the automatic response that comes when anyone would ask the same question.
The girls sat facing each other, just as Brian sat facing Kevin. The boys were gazing at their soup cups, which sat on the table, as though they were reading their bank statements. Gradually, they raised their line of vision until their eyes met and both their eyebrows rose as if to say, ‘Go on then, say something to them.’ Neither had the guts to say anything as their eyes descended once again to the cups and an uncharacteristic silence pervaded their half of the table. Their predicament was resolved when one of the girls turned to them and asked if they were students. Kevin replied affirmatively,
‘And you?’
The girls confirmed that they were and seemed to be waiting expectantly for one of the boys to develop the “conversation”. They didn’t, of course. So the girls asked what they were studying and Brian replied,
‘We’re both studying physics, what about you?’
‘We are both doing research.’
‘Oh,’ said Brian, ‘in what area?’
‘Anthropology,’ came the response.
‘Are you at the new university or the old one?’ asked Kevin, finally finding the pluck to say something.
‘Which one are you at?’ said the taller girl.
‘We’re at the old one,’ replied Kevin.
‘Oh, we’re at the new one,’ replied the shorter girl. ‘When did you start?’
‘This is our first year,’ said Brian.
‘Same here,’ said the girls.
Realising that he had run out of anything to say, Brian indicated that he had to go now and to his surprise, the taller girl asked if they often came to this café. Brian was a bit taken aback as he’d wanted to ask the same question of them but thought it rather cheesy. They said that they came a few times a week.
‘Maybe we’ll see you then.’
‘Sure,’ said Kevin as the boys got up and left.
‘Why did we leave?’ quizzed Kevin as he trailed Brian who was going to catch his bus, tiptoeing to avoid the puddles that had accumulated during their lunch.
‘We should have asked them out or at least got their phone numbers.’
‘So why didn’t you?’ taunted Brian. ‘Did you fancy either of them?’
‘Does it matter? They’re girls and they started talking to us! How often does that happen?’ Kevin then went off to retrieve his bicycle from the university cycle park.
The following day, the two girls entered the same café at about the same time of day, looked around and then left without making a purchase. On Thursday, the scenario was repeated.
Kevin and Brian lived in the same university residences, although, they were in different buildings. On Thursday evening, as usual, they met in the nearby local to discuss the assignments they had been given during the week. Tonight, however, discussion centred on the encounter with the two girls in the café. Kevin sensed that Brian was not too enthusiastic at his suggestion to visit the café on Friday in the hope of seeing the girls again.
‘You don’t seem too keen,’ said Kevin.
‘I don’t know, I can’t put my finger on it but there just seems something strange about those two.’
‘Well, they must be strange, talking to us,’ joked Kevin.
Eventually, Brian relented and agreed to go to the café the following day but on the condition that Kevin took the lead in any conversation. Anyway, he didn’t really think that the girls would turn up but agreed to meet up in the café at two-thirty, the following afternoon. That settled, they were able to get back to their assignments.
And so, at two-thirty, the following day, Brian stood waiting outside the café, watching the shoppers and checking his phone to see if there had been any messages from Kevin. Kevin, eventually, turned up, and they entered the café and placed their orders. Just as they were about to pay, the two girls entered the café and queued behind them.
‘Hi,’ said Kevin boldly to the girls who had pretended not to see them.
‘Hi,’ responded the taller girl enthusiastically. ‘Good to see you.’
Brian was about to pay but hesitated and asked the cashier to take payment for the girls’ order as well as theirs. Brian and Kevin took their trays, found a free table with four chairs, and sat down. The girls came to pay for their food and were told that the boys had taken care of it but had some change. They took the change and walked over to the boys’ table.
‘Thanks very much, you shouldn’t have,’ said the taller girl passing Brian his change.
‘By the way, I’m Brian and this is Kevin.’
‘I’m Diana and this is Jane,’ replied the taller of the girl