ABC Discovers Useless Aptitude and Talent

Andrew Bysshe Cole (known to all as ABC) sat at the boardroom table with the rest of the council. He was supremely bored.
Michael Shelley (known to all as Shelly), a stickler for detail and process, was going line-by-line, item-by-item through the yearly report. He was making sure that the "approved by the board" stamp meant what it said.
Andrew was very familiar with the document. His team wrote it, and he edited it, so he just sat there playing with his pen. It was beautiful, 14 karat gold, had come with a free custom inscription (made it Andrew B. Cole), a lifetime warranty, and complimentary refills for as long as you own it. These days, he mostly typed or tapped; so he didn't use the pen so much, but he always carried it

Out of boredom, Andrew started sketching Shelly on his legal pad. He was struck by how realistic his drawing looked after just a few strokes. He added some shading and suddenly stared at a perfect portrait. Wow! As Shelly wrapped up "Planned v. Actual" and started "Forward Looking and Profit Projection", Andrew tried another drawing. He picked Appolonia Curtiz (known to all as Poppy), sitting at the front. He was amazed at how quickly and easily he captured not only a good likeness but also the VP for corporate HR's shifty-eyed expression and menacing look.

He realized that he had a talent hidden from him for all these years. He worked hard to get into Uni, graduated well, got a job, worked harder, and got ahead in the company. He was making 350k a year plus bonuses of twice or three times that much. His condo was paid off, and he had money in the bank. Andrew was very satisfied with his life. At family gatherings, he was the center of attention, admiration and envy

His cousin Gwen Cole (known to all as Gecko) was a talented painter. She worked hard, graduated, tops, was well regarded by critics and fellow artists, had shows and exhibitions, and was represented by a good gallery, but sold few pieces. Gwen was always broke and relied on teaching art classes and on her partner for rent and expenses. Andrew had a couple of her paintings, which he really liked, Gwen thought them as pitty purchases.

Andrew was suddenly horrified by the realisation that his life would have been so much different had he discovered and pursued his artistic talent. He quickly tore up the two drawings.

Shelly stopped reading and asked, "ABC, alright?"

Andrew smiled, nodded, "All cool, Shelly, no worries," and he put away the pen.

Aoife Hits Back and Something Bad Happens to Simon

Simon Palm was tall, athletic, with dark brown wavy hair and light brown eyes, a gorgeous young man by any measure. He often boasted that he could get "any chick anytime" he wanted and that "nothing bad could happen to him". Simon was on the track team, running the 800m, and captained the college Lacrosse team.

Aoife O'Graidy, Simon's girlfriend, was the typical Irish beauty. Slender and delicate, she had auburn hair and emerald green eyes to go with her glowing milk-white complexion. She moved with the easy grace of a fairy gliding over the waters. Wherever the pair went, they became the center of attention and attracted (envious) admiration.

Luca Brazzi* was Simon's best friend; he called him Brother Luke. He was big, frightfully muscular, and exuded physical strength. Luca was an assistant captain of the wrestling team. He had numerous relationships with girls from the campus that rarely lasted longer than a few months. His breakups were friendly and he sometimes returned to past girlfriends.

Simon cheated on Aoife constantly. It was casual hook-ups just for sex, limited to a few trysts. He had had waitresses, girls from his classes, and almost all of Aoife's girlfriends. Aoife was aware of his indiscretions, and he knew she knew, and she knew he knew she knew, but she was fine with it as he was always polite and thoughtful, bought her gifts, took her to parties, and on vacations.

This one evening, Simon dropped by Aoife's place and found her naked in bed and Luca in the shower. He went white and then red in the face, and couldn't speak for a moment, babbling, "You horrible, horrible whore, how could you do this to me?" Aoife pulled up the sheet to her neck and replied, "You cheated many times", to which he shouted, "But you fucked Brother Luke," and stormed out. Simon, in fury, drove to the Liquor store, bought a quart of Bourbon, and stopped in the parking lot behind the stadium. He sat wailing and drinking, crying and slapping his head with his fists. After a while, very drunk, he started to drive home. The car hit a post exiting the parking lot, but Simon accelerated down the street. At 4th and Oak, in front of the Community Foundation Building, he missed the turn and drove head-on into the wall. When the police arrived, they pronounced him dead at the scene at nine-oh-two PM.

I guess something bad can happen to anyone.

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* sometimes spelt Brasi

Daria's Poem "Of Whom I Often Think but Rarely See"

I met Nancy* in a pub in Wuppertal, we had shots of Korn and pints of  Wuppertaler Malz and she told me her remarkable story. She was born in Cadiz. Her mother, Sister Allegra, was a nun of the Daughters of Charity (DC) of St. Vincent de Paul in Jerusalem. At an inter-faith event she met Father Ara Melikian, a priest at the Armenian Patriarchate of Saint James. It may have been the Devil, may have been the Lord, but they fell instantly, permanently and violently in love and started an intense and passionate sexual relationship. Armenian Orthodox priests marry but DC nuns are sworn to purity. They broke their vows of marriage and chastity (respectively). They could not fight the physical urge and serpentine temptation and, had sex with passion most unbridled several times a week. It was not long before Sister Allegra noticed changes in her body and suspected that she was with child. Saying that she wanted to be closer to her Spanish roots, she requested transfer to the Cadiz DC monastery where her aunt, Mother Catalina was the abbes. She confessed of her sins and condition. The monastery had an orphanage, a hospice, a library, a soup-kitchen and a soccer team. The abbess said that she will be protected until she gave birth, and then she can decide what to do. 

A year and a half later, Sister Allegra returned to Jerusalem with a beautiful baby girl that she said kept for her sister. Father Ara knew the truth and demanded his daughter. He threatened to destroy her, so Allegra relented. The baby was baptized Daria Darianian as a member of the Armenian Apostolic Church.

Nancy said "I was that child". She grew up in spirituality and did so well in school that she was admitted to study Languages and Literature at the University of Wuppertal. She was already fluent in Armenian, Hebrew, Arabic, Spanish, French and English, so German came naturally. To support herself, she became a exotic dancer (she hated to say "stripper"). She said she was an "Hija del pecado**" and hated her parents with fierce passion: hypocrites, blind guides, snakes, and a brood of vipers, she called them. 

She became a poet, and her first book, ”Sad Leaves, Happy Trees" was an huge critical success. It drew  on her night-time experience. The opening poem, "Of Whom I Often Think but Rarely See", was nominated by the Deutsche Mittelwestliche Literaturgesellschaft*** for the annual prize of debut poem by young poet (Nancy won a diploma and  €150).

I was fascinated by her story. Nancy borrowed a pen from a waitress and wrote me a Haiku on a napkin:

                                            Who/when/where sees you naked,

                                            Doctor, nurse, girlfriends, boyfriends, cool,

                                            Des todos modos.

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* her name was Magill, she called herself Lil, but everybody knew her as Nancy

** a child (daughter) of sin

*** German Mid-West Literary Society

The cleverer of you will identify texts from the Beatles, Bob Dylan and the Bible (Matthew 23.33)

Food Adventures in Toledo

In November of 1995 I went to Toledo to see "The Burial of the Count of Orgaz" in the Iglesia de Santo Tomé and the Museo El Greco. 

After the visits I walked the quiet, narrow streets with small houses, peaceful atmosphere away from the tourist area. I was happy. Happy and hungry, that is. I decided to turn left at the next corner and then turn left again at the next corner and go into the first eating place I see. There it was, El Peñón, a tavern for locals with a menu only in Spanish. I managed "una copa de vino tinto, por favor" and looked at the six items on the list. The second from the bottom read "Codornices a la Toledana". I thought it must be a local specialty. When the waiter came, I pointed to it "Este, por favor, señor.". He seemed pleased and said something at the supersonic speed Spaniards use in normal conversation. I smiled "Si, claro, muchisimas gracias".

It didn't take long and I was staring at a plate with two beautiful, plump, juicy birds in a fragrant sauce. That is how I learned that codornices is Spanish for quails. They were delicious. I had more wine and crusty bread and was even more happy (and hungry no more). I carved out the two wishbones* for keepsakes.

 . 

Outside, back on the cobbled streets trying to figure the way to the bus station, I happened upon a nice English couple studying the city map. Always happy to share a good experience, I said to them: "If you want a really good lunch go to that place over there and order the quail, want me to write it down for you?". They smiled gratefully and said ”Cheers, mate, our Spanish is proper, codorniz, right?” ”Yeah, that's the one."

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* furcula (from Latin) is a forked bone formed by fused clavicles in birds. It is known popularly as wishbone,