My favourite story, by Kitosdad.

[Kitosdad]

The quayside pub was packed as usual and I had to elbow my way to the bar to order a drink.
The air was thick with smoke, but mingled within the dense blanket of exhaled smoke was the unmistakable, pungent aroma, of "his" pipe.

"He" sat in his usual window seat. All the better to watch the ships that sailed slowly past on their way out to sea, or back to a safe berth in the harbour.
Everyone called him Captain, but truth be known, he had never captained a single vessel in his entire life.

He was seventy years old and long since retired from seafaring, but he was the most interesting of men.
His tales were the stuff of legend, and his glass was never allowed to go empty whilst he was in full-flow with one of his many tales.

He'd manned whaling ships, tramp steamers and tugs, and each tale he told was the absolute truth, therefore everyone wished it to continue to its climax.
He was a wonderful storyteller and never ever seemed to run out of new adventures to relate.

Every man in the bar admired, and secretly feared him, for he had a violent temper, and it was well known that he had walked away unscathed from a multiple of dockside brawls.
Definitely a man to be wary of.

He feared only one person in the world.
That was his wife Sarah.

Sarah and he had been married for fifty years, and he loved her with all of his heart. They had never once quarrelled in all of those years, because he knew, above all other things, that she loved him deeply in return, and he would never say a word to hurt her in any way.

He had had an unhappy childhood and he recognised love when it came his way.
His Sarah was a beauty, and he would wonder until his dying day just what she had seen in him as a young man. He wasn't good-looking.
In fact some, behind his back, would say he was really ugly and dumb.

But his Sarah, she had recognised immediately that here was a man on whom she would be able to depend for the whole of her life, and she'd loved him from the very first moment of their meeting.

They had no children, more is the pity, so they had just accepted that that was the way it would be, and had loved each other even more deeply.
His only other love was the ocean, but this would never be a contender for his love of Sarah.

Every day he walked slowly to the quayside tavern and "his" seat by the window was always vacant.
No-one cared, or dared, to occupy it, even if he was late in arriving and the tavern was packed, "his" seat was always vacant.

Each evening at 9.00 p.m. promptly the door of the tavern would open, and Sarah would be standing there in the doorway.
She would glare at him demandingly, and he would stare back defiantly, but in each pair of eyes there was the sparkle of love and respect.

He would down his drink, stand slowly and stretch his arms to the heavens.
"Well me'boys, time I was in me' hammock," he would bellow, and an avenue would be made for him through the crowded bar.
Sarah would allow him to pass through the open doorway, and then she would deliver a broad wink to the assembled mariners drinking there.

That was the night he died in his sleep, and Sarah came to the tavern to inform everyone there. She never cried or showed any sign of grief, but the light had gone from her eyes.
Things would never be the same for her, nor for the crowd in the bar.

To this very day "his" chair has never been sat in by a single soul. Everyone knows he is sitting there still, looking out of the window, watching the ships go by.

Kitos.
_________________
Keep it simple ... Keep it interesting.

[Apple0]

that's really nice sir.

[Kati Svaby]

Hello Kytos,

At the end I believe this old captain with his wife, Sarah lived really and not only in your imagination.
It's very moving story. And you revealed to us more details.
Many thanks for it.

Take care:
Kati Svaby
_________________
We always deceive ourselves twice about the people we love - first to their advantage, then to their disadvantage.

[Katty2010]

Hi Mr.Kitos!
Hope you are doing good. Great Story, I enjoyed reading it. :)
_________________
Just a confused kid... trying to live through twists & turns of life!
------
Everything Is Temporary!

[Kitosdad]

"At the end I believe this old captain with his wife, Sarah lived really and not only in your imagination."

You got me Kati ... These two characters were my grand-parents, both long gone.
God bless them.

Kitos.
_________________
Keep it simple ... Keep it interesting.

[Alan]

Please activate Javascript in your browser to listen to this audio recording

9 Listened

Download mp3	Click to listen

Hi Bill,

How is the world treating you these days? As you can see, the forums have the usual ups and downs. The older I get, I realise that nothing really changes.

Best wishes,

Alan
_________________
English as a Second Language
You can read my ESL story Present Simple

[Kati Svaby]

Dear Kitos,

God bless them.

I am very moved. I like the Old captain and his wife Sarah. I could imagine the pub where he liked to spend his day, his empty chair after his death, the house where they lived, and his wife who loved him very much.

I can't say anything because I don't know how I imagined that you had known this couple so well.

Many thanks.
Best regards:
Kati Svaby
_________________
We always deceive ourselves twice about the people we love - first to their advantage, then to their disadvantage.

[Minhajquazi]

[quote="Kitosdad"To this very day "his" chair has never been sat in by a single soul. Everyone knows he is sitting there still, looking out of the window, watching the ships go by.
Kitos.[/quote]

Hi dear kitos!

Your story took me ten minutes finishing the whole, but it stirred me for an hour! You know this is the most successful matter for a writer if readers think after reading a topic.

It is almost like the 'Robert Louis Stevenson's' writing tone. Could you remember the character name of 'Captain Bill' at 'Treasure island'?On the other hand,Your grand father's character is positively high rank pot rated.

'Bill' occupied a table beside the window to see the ships go by. Nobody dare to sit his sit if it is rarely empty. Do you have published books like this? I have just traveled now to Treasure Island, like-Hunter, Dr. Livesey, Long Jone Silver,and the boy 'Jim' himself.

I am happy we have some fantastic writers at the forums. I can now read you man!.
_________________
Quazi,(46) a writer, thinker & humanist
since 28 years.

[Kati Svaby]

Hello,

Robert Louis Stevenson's 'Treasure Island' is a the best known children's adventure story.It has nothing to do with Kytos' touchy story except the word 'captain' which figures in this novel also. If I recollect its details, the first thing that comes in my mind - what I liked as a children very much and laughed lot at it:

Yo Ho Ho And A Bottle Of Rum

Fifteen men on a dead man's chest
Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum
Drink and the devil had done for the rest
Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum.
The mate was fixed by the bosun's pike
The bosun brained with a marlinspike
And cookey's throat was marked belike
It had been gripped by fingers ten;
And there they lay, all good dead men
Like break o'day in a boozing ken.
Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum.

This first verse was really written by
Robert Lewis Stevenson for his book
"Treasure Island".

Kati Svaby
_________________
We always deceive ourselves twice about the people we love - first to their advantage, then to their disadvantage.

[Pasban110]

Hi Kitos.
Another story from you. I love it so much...

[Kati Svaby]

I am sorry for my mistake, I would like to correct it:
-what I liked as a child very much and laughed lot at it:
_________________
We always deceive ourselves twice about the people we love - first to their advantage, then to their disadvantage.

[Minhajquazi]

Hi Ms Kati!

If I don't make a mistake, this 'Treasure Island' is a fantastic story not for the children but for the adult for its pure practicality yet.

After reading Mr. Kitos real story, I pulled out this book(This is in English version, I read 4/5 times in Bengali version in my boyhood.)from my bookshelf that I had bought for my son.

There might not have any 'Islands' in the world but all clues are so much real as I can't abdicate all- right now.

Characters are all the country- same.
_________________
Quazi,(46) a writer, thinker & humanist
since 28 years.

[Maryjam]

This is a really beautiful story…and when I read it at first time; I could not write anything…it was so deep, with so deep feelings.
The person, we love really, she/he’ll never die…they’ll live in our heart, soul, and we’ll always remember to them…
I’m looking forward the next story.
Thank you very much!
Have you ever read the “Drei Kameraden” (three friends?) from Rainer Maria Remarque?

[Kati Svaby]

Hello Maryjam,

I am happy that you like Kytos' story. In our taste can be something similar. I wanted to answer your last letter. I won't quit sending Hungarian poems. If I can give pleasure only to one or two people , it is worth it.

However, I have to say there is a Skype session on the Forum. From all parts of the globe there are students in it. We have to present ourself and when I say: 'I'm Hungarian. Do you know Hungary?' - Believe me till now 90% of the students never heard about Hungary. Why I want to show our literature? And to whom?

Another thing what me surprised I had mentioned to somebody Albert Camus, French writer, who is my favourite writer. And the answer was. I have to know who is he? It was so surprising because till now I believed that he is so known than for example Victor Hugo or Goethe etc.

It was a good lesson for me.

I am not nationalist, when I want to show the Hungarian literature my leading principle that it is beautiful. Really the half of my ancestors were not Hungarian than Petőfi's, Attila József's ancestor were not.

József Attila wrote:
"My mother was Cumanian, my father
Half-Szekler, half-Rumanian or whole."

And it is a miracle that I found so many poems translated beautifully.

Have a good day.
Kati
_________________
We always deceive ourselves twice about the people we love - first to their advantage, then to their disadvantage.