Eileen
Mother Love
I saw this picture on TV and I thought it one of the most beautiful pictures I had ever seen. White snow is all around. Dark blue and pale blue sky, it looks very clean and very cold. The camera zooms in on something very big and very white; it could be a snow drift but I don't think so.
Suddenly and very slowly the big white bundle moves and looks up into the camera. It is a big white Polar Bear. It stares intently into the camera then it slowly brings its head up and puts its front paws around another smaller white bundle, as it protectively cuddles its little cub.
Mother and child are so complete together, a tender story of the love of a mother and her offspring. Looking at them you would never think that this mum is one of the wildest animals you would find and it wouldn't think twice about strangling the life out of anyone who threatened them.
Come to think of it, the human mother would react the same if her child were threatened. In this world, humans and animals are not so different after all.
Twilight Time
It was twilight time and I was in the park watching all the people there. There were young couples walking hand in hand and families playing with their children. Some were flying kites, some were playing football while some mums and dads were just sitting on the grass watching their children play.
Old men and women were sitting on the park benches happily chatting. I was happy to sit there watching all the activity, but I started to feel a little anxious. I like the twilight, but when those dark shadows start to come in I get very frightened.
Not too long ago I had been locked in a dark room after I had been beaten and kicked. I was left without food and water for what seemed a very long time.
As the shadows lengthened and the mist came in, I started to tremble, then suddenly I felt a hand stroking my head and a soft voice said, "Come, old Blue, let's get ourselves home. It's Wednesday and you'll be having a big marrow bone tonight."
My fears were gone; I got up and trotted happily off with my new kind master.
Roy
The very first time I saw my kitten, I knew he was the one for me.We had gone to the Cat Shelter to pick out a kitten, and when we got there they told us we could look at them but couldn't take one home that day. We would have to go back another time.
Okay, we said and went in to where they were, and a few other people were there looking for a kitten as well. My daughter was with me and our eyes were drawn to a little black and grey tabby. The kitten was staring at the two of us with big eyes and a look as if to say, 'I'm yours.'
We went back out to the reception area and said, "Please don't let anyone have the grey tabby. We will be here on Monday for him." We were hoping all weekend that nobody else would get there before us and take him.
Monday morning we were there as early as possible. They took us through to the kittens again. There were quite a few people there and we hoped that no one had taken the grey tabby.
Happily there he was sitting staring at us again. We asked to hold him and he settled into my arms right away. A lady looked at us and said, "He was meant to be yours." And that was the start of our relationship with our beautiful cat.
He is also the inspiration for a children's book called The Adventures of Roy, a Lollabout Cat.
Forty Two in a Dinghy
This is the forty second week we have been in this dinghy.The ship we were on was damaged. So we had to abandon it, and go over the side into the sea in the dinghy.
I was travelling with my husband and he was in the dinghy with me. There was also a lady with a ten year old son and two men who were travelling together. We had some water and dry biscuits, and the little boy had a large bar of chocolate. This he greedily ate all by himself as soon as he got into the dinghy.
I said to him, "You should save most of that. You might need to share it later on." He looked at me as if I had gone off my head.
"Not likely!" he said and chomped the lot.
We went on for days and days, with a sip of water only and a bite of a dry biscuit. The naughty boy was moaning all the time that he was hungry.
"Serves you right!" I said. "You were so greedy." His mum looked as though she wanted to slap me for talking to her darling child like that.
The men kept arguing with each other. I felt like throwing them both over the side.
My husband tried to keep us happy by telling the most stupid jokes; I would have liked to have thrown him over as well.
Days are going by and we are all very hungry and thirsty and I don't think we will see a forty third week.
Just as things were getting really bad, I woke up in my beautiful cabin on the ship, with my dear husband snoring happily beside me.
Danielle
It is early Monday morning. Ellen is woken by her husband, bringing her a cup of tea and the morning paper.She stretches and yawns; she is finding it hard to keep her eyes open.
She sits up, and stares sleepily at the paper. What has happened in the world while I have been sleeping, she wonders to herself?
Her husband Al comes back into the bedroom. Right, he says, I'm off, giving her a kiss. It is 6 a.m. and he is going to work.
Ellen read her paper as she drinks her tea. She hears pitter patter. She looks up from her paper and her little puppy is there enquiringly. All right, she says, we will go for our walk.
She dresses quickly and makes the bed. The puppy sits and waits obediently while she puts his lead on then off they go. It is a beautiful morning and many others are out walking their dogs.
Ellen has to hurry, she has a lot to do this morning. When they get home Ellen gives the puppy a treat and his breakfast, and then heads out again to the gym. When she gets home she showers and has a quick breakfast. She tidies the house and washes the dishes.
She grabs her bag and is ready to go out again.
It is 9.45. She drives to a friend's place, she knocks on the door.
Come in, calls a voice. Ellen opens the door and enters into another world.
She sees four ladies in the room. They are all dressed in sparkling flowing skirts and sequinned tops. Bright sashes are round their hips, jingling and jangling as they move.
One has a beautiful beaded headdress and necklace. She moves sensuously to the music. This is Aida, the teacher.
Another is dancing and spinning round and around, her skirts billowing around her. She has a sparkling tiara in her hair. She is completely lost in her dance. She is Sumara.
There is a small dark lady with a beautiful smile and she is making lovely hand movements as she moves to the music. This is Yolande.
The fourth lady is dressed in a beautiful bright skirt and top and shimmering hip sash. She is swaying gracefully to the music. This is Mystique.
Ellen quickly puts on her flowing skirt and bright red sequinned top and gold sash. She is now Danielle.
They all pick up their beautiful veils and begin to dance, twisting and turning, their veils above their heads, flowing out behind them.
They have changed from their everyday lives and for a little while they have become Kismet, and they are Belly Dancers.
First Memories of School
I can't remember getting ready to go to nursery school or getting there, I can only remember sitting on the teacher's knee and sobbing and sobbing. I must have been trying to get away from her because I remember her holding me very tight.I looked over to the door and there was a little window in it and I could see my Mam's face peering through it. (Many years later I knew how she must have felt, when my own child started school for the first time.)
I think I must have soon settled in because I can't remember crying again.
We had a lovely playground with a sand pit and rockers that two could sit in, and lots of other things we could play on. In the mornings we were given a spoonful of cod liver oil and then we would have a small bottle of milk and a straw to drink it through. Then we were given a teaspoon of orange juice which we would all stand in line for. Most of us would save a little bit of milk in our bottle and the teacher would put the orange juice in that. We would swirl it around to mix it with the milk and it was one of the best tastes I have ever had. Needless to say, not wanting to spoil the memory of it, I have never tried to taste it since growing up.
In the afternoon we would have a nap. The teachers would put folding beds down for us and anyone who had a nice clean hanky could choose a cuddly toy to have a nap with. It was a lovely feeling being warm and snug with the cuddly toy I had chosen.
One of my last memories of nursery school was all of us children sitting cross legged on the floor waiting to be picked up to go home. I was very upset because my elder brother was sat on a chair at the front of the class. He was crying and he had a big lump of cotton wool held to his chin. He had fallen from the top of the jungle gym and had split open his chin.
I don't remember how I got home or who took my brother to the hospital, but I do remember him having three or four stitches in his chin.
I think I enjoyed nursery school and I remember feeling quite grown up when, aged four or five, I went up into the Infants' School.