Early Prose
1970's - HOPES AND PREDICTIONS
Several renowned critics predict that the 1970's decade will be one of great achievement and discovery for the people of the world stressing this belief due to the ever increasing growth of knowledge which we attain. I have a firm belief that the 1970's will also be a decade of great achievement and discovery but, stressing my view from memory of the achievements and discoveries of the previous decade, I feel that what I am hoping for may be as futile as sending a baby on a shopping spree.
I hope that the world and its different people could unite and work as one. They should endeavour to rid the world of the hunger problem and the one thing I think is the ill-fated future of the human race - WAR!. With these two things abolished not only we, but generations to come, will be able to live happily and successfully united as one, secure and confident that no harm could come to us except from outside the earth.
People will be able, I feel, to speak out plainly and frankly about what they feel and see of the world around them; its problems, achievements and present day happenings. I hope that I will be able to go through life the way everyone should and not be obsessed by why such a thing happened or how. I hope that people should get a reasonable and profound meaning of humanity, what it stands for, and use it for the benefit of all.
Of course there will be space exploration and other lunar landings but what good is it to us down here, except to satisfy our curiosity. We should strive to make our world the ideal place to live in before attempting to find others where we might be living in. People in general will awaken to the fact of what I have mentioned and realise that something, or rather a lot of things, must be done in order to make this world a better place to live in. This will not be overnight, and if it does happen at all I hope it will come about slowly and surely and not indefinitely for our sake. International relations will improve and show that World Peace can only be achieved by this and not by war.
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A CHARACTER
He liked to associate with all kinds of people and whether they liked him or not he didn't care. He was a fairly young chap about twenty five years of age and seemed to be mature enough for a man twice his age. By the way he talked and expressed his opinions on a certain subject one could notice that this person had gone through many experiences in his past life. He seemed to have been educated to a high degree and yet, one knowing him as I did, this was not so. Possessing a clerical position to support himself, he always dressed neatly and appeared to be one of astounding background. He could adapt himself conventionally in any conversation or situation that arised and was always glad to start up a conversation to express his opinions.
Being of a good looking appearance; skin slightly tanned, his profuse hair dark and wavy was combed back and hung over his collar which rather suited him. He was calm, cool and collected and did not exhibit any habit that would indicate he was disturbed physically or mentally in any way. When he was surrounded by company he would show great charm, grace, kindness and initiative. He was out to please and being of a happy nature tried to make others happy whenever he got the chance to do so. But judging by the way some people looked at him, with an air of hidden contempt and jealousy, their expressions seemed to suggest that this person was highly irrational and accustomed to different moods of character. He seemed to be comfortable with his height, being about five feet eight, and often would be seen dwarfed by people he was being introduced to or those whom he was talking with. He was generally clean shaven and his complexion was smooth and bright. Whenever he was spoken to by someone he would look squarely at the person who addressed him and never at any time show signs of embarassment or mocking unless it was of course to do with some exceptional circumstance.
When alone he seemed to be thinking retrospectfully, possessing a melancholy expression on his face, as if to say that he would rather be elsewhere. And looking straight ahead seemed to imagine himself amongst the right sort of people, in other words his friends, for where would he be in a world contrary to his own?.
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One Christmas Holiday
One of my next door neighbours had gone away for Christmas one year and I had nothing to do on a particular day of that period. Without much deliberation I decided to break in or rather to find a way to get in the State school, which was only two doors away, now left deserted by the caretaker - our next door neighbour. My parents would not know what was going on as everytime I went into the school ground would tell them I was about to go and play handball on the far right end wall of the school. As our house was on the left side of the school two doors away, the school grounds happened to pass along the right rear and far back fence of our backyard which meant that within a few seconds I was in the schoolyard. Everytime before going into the schoolyard I would peep over the backfence and look in through the caretaker's back window, their house being directly adjacent to ours, to see if they were watching. This being a necessary precaution because I was getting a bad name by making a habit of playing in the schoolground without their permission. However this time, as I climbed over the fence, my eyes were fixed on that somewhat familiar yet mysterious looking building known as the State School.
After examining the back entrance of the school and trying the door handle which was locked I climbed up the back stairs of the building to the sixth's grade classroom back exit and found it to be locked also. On the way back down the stairs I tried a few of the windows within reach that let sunlight in down upon the classroom directly below but without any luck either. This was getting hopeless I thought and began to doubt that whatever determination I had, to find a way to get in, would not have to make me resort to extreme measures. From the half way platform of the stairs I lowered myself down over the railing and onto the taps below against the wall and tried several windows that were just above them. To my somewhat unexpected yet pleasant surprise I found an unlocked window. So, after quickly looking about me to see if there were any onlookers, which there weren't, I opened and climbed in through the window landing on the hard concrete floor. The noise made by my shoes echoed loudly through that part of the building and caused me to stay low for a few moments before getting up with caution to close the opened window behind.
Re-assured by the fact that the caretaker was away and as long as no damage were done, I began walking around inside towards the flight of concrete stairs leading up to the first floor. While going up the cold hard steps it seemed as if the tapping noise made by my shoes on the stairs was setting off a series of creaking sounds above and below me. I was getting scared. When I reached the first floor it seemed to have an eery effect on me as it was also becoming dark outside. My heart stopped beating I thought and started beating again much faster when suddenly hearing, what seemed at first a series of, unintelligible voices coming from above. After bracing myself and listening intently again at the sounds realised that they were being made by pigeons which had built a home in the now unused tower at the front of the school. Having consoled myself somewhat I tried a few of the classroom doors but to no avail. Then I came across the woodwork room and tried its door also. Apparently it opened a little but not wide enough to let me in because of the rusty hinges. Thinking that a little push might do the job, gripping the door handle with my left hand and with the right grasping the doorway side beam for support, I forced the old door open and stepped inside the darkened room.
"Ahhh!" I yelled, "what the bloody hell!". I had apparently moved straight into a rather large spider's web hanging just inside the doorway and my whole head and shoulders were covered with it. Horrified at the thought of being entangled and the fact that for a few moments of having lost my sight, quickly tried to remove the web from my eyes and face.
Then, I was further startled, when the door shut behind me as a draft of air rushed past my ears. I quickly opened my eyes and blinking looked around but saw nobody and nothing except some of the web still hanging from my forehead. Almost becoming frantic I turned around and rushed at the door, fumbling with the handle, found that it was stuck and wouldn't turn. I started kicking and pulling at the door but couldn't get it to open. Then I heard what seemed to be a flutter of wings coming from the other side of the door and imagined they were footsteps quickly yelling "let me out, let me out!" but all was quiet. Trying the door once again, though this time more calmly, found that it gave way and opened easily. Taking this as an opportunity to clear out of the place I started to run then something landed right in my face making me stop abruptly. By the flutter of wings, feel of feathers and close glimpse, noticed it was a pigeon which was also frightened, going by the fuss it was making. Regaining my composure somewhat I began walking quickly towards the stairs and nervously descending reached the ground floor. Not realising exactly how much time had passed but judging by the darkness shrouding the place, my heart was also still pounding a little from the ordeal upstairs, decided that I had better get out of the school altogether.
After getting to the window and opening it, using a wall ledge as boost, I scrambled through placing my left foot down on the taps first. Then, while holding onto the window sill for support and balance, placed my right foot on the long water trough just below the taps and with both hands closed the window. Thinking that I had gotten out unobserved and without further hesitation jumped down off the trough to the school ground. Straightening up though was nearly frightened to death when looking forward came face to face with my mother. With this encounter I hardly recognised her at first but did so later when picked up by ear in the same usual manner by the authoritative strength of her hard and familiar hand.
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