Robert Austin
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Stories (3)
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One lonely sail
As I sit here on this beautiful October day on the beach in Puerto Vallarta, I see a single lonely sailboat on the horizon. It is mesmerizing to watch. Sails have always been hypnotic to me. I grew up in a small town in Ohio but early on I learned to love the ocean. It started with family trips to Florida. The love affair has continued to this day. I am a beach bum at heart. It is the same with sailing. I have always been fascinated with sailboats. I love watching sailboats on the water. They transport me to thoughts of high adventure and romance. They also cause me to reflect on decisions I have made. And decisions I’ve yet to make. Sipping on my beer, on this Mexican beach, all I can think when I see that single sail is that could be me. I laughed as I motioned to the bartender to bring me another round. I have a story to tell, and it will go better with beer.
By Robert Austin5 years ago in Wander
Is this a trick question?
I was walking down the hall to my apartment and there she was. Staring at a newly delivered case of Bright Cellar wine. “Would you like a glass of merlot?” she asked as she showed me her bandaged hand. I need some help getting this case into my apartment. All I could think to say was “is this a trick question?” It was a stupid thing to say. I had been trying to get up the nerve to meet her since I moved into my new apartment. We would exchange hellos while passing in the hall, but the time never seemed right. Ok. I’m lying. She’s beautiful and I’m a chicken. But here she was. With a case of wine. Asking for help and that’s all I could come up with. I felt like an idiot. I figured I had blown my chances forever, but she got the joke. As we both had a laugh, the ice was broken. She had a great smile and a good sense of humor. We were off to a good start. The bandage was new, so I asked her what happened. She shrugged and said only “I cut it at work.” Next thing I knew I was carrying a case of wine into her apartment. “You must really like wine if you buy it by the case” “I do. Plus, I need to try out new vintages for my job.”
By Robert Austin5 years ago in Humans
A favor for a friend
It wasn’t unusual for Billy to show up at 3 in the morning. That was the sort of thing he did all the time. It wasn’t even strange for him to show up beaten and bloody. Billy had a bad habit of getting into fights. It was a normal night for Billy. When he said I was the only one he could trust, that’s when things got weird. He handed me a little black notebook and whispered, “in case anything happens to me…you’ll know what to do with it.” As he turned to leave, he stopped in his tracks just long enough to say, “it’s a sure thing.” And then he was gone. I was still thinking about what he said the next morning when a mutual friend called to tell me that Billy was dead. Murdered. Floating in the river. I didn’t need any coffee to wake me up that morning. A million thoughts were going through my head as I took my first look at the notebook.
By Robert Austin5 years ago in Humans
