I have come across many people who want to learn a new language but find it difficult to progress. One of the easiest methods to learn more is to read stories. So, I decided to write a story and hope it will help people who wish to learn the English language.
Remember to pick out the words you do not understand and look them up in a dictionary and try to use them in a sentence so that you catch the meaning.
To make it easier, I will be writing two short stories instead of one.
The hand
She sat there on the bench. It had stopped raining. She looked up at the sky. It was beginning to be dark and there was no sign of the city bus. All the others had left but she could not because the bus meant for her place had not yet come. Her colleague had offered her a lift but she did not want to bother her and had thought that the bus would come sooner but it didn't.
The shops across the road were closed because of the rule that they should open only on alternate days in a bid to contain the pandemic. Strange times, she thought. She had an uneasy feeling as if something untoward would happen when she felt it. It was as if someone had placed a hand on her shoulder. She felt like screaming but turned around to face a man who was smiling at her. She dropped down on the bench in relief. It was her brother who was now trying to hide a laugh. She wanted to hit him but was so relieved on seeing him that she just sat looking at him, helplessly. He had meanwhile brought his bike before the bench and asked her to hop on. They went off. She turned to look back and to her horror saw that she had just escaped a man who was walking fastly toward the very bench she was sitting on. A very shady character.
The train ride
The little boy was walking along the train. He had a huge sling that had a box tied to it. He was selling peanuts. The passengers were sitting comfortably and some were reading books while the children were watching the scenery through the windows. He wore a shabby dress. The other children wore bright clothes and looked healthy. He wished he too could be like them without any worries or care.
He had never known any family. All he remembered was the railway station and the rude man who made him work for a daily packet of food. He used to get leftovers sometimes from kind passengers who saw his eyes filled with sadness. He did not know who his parents were but the people in the station called him Meethu. He knew he had to escape from all of this but did not know how. He saw a couple sitting sadly and observed them for a few minutes. They seemed to have lost interest in life. He knew that such people would have the tendency to jump off the train. He went over to them and asked them if they needed some peanuts to chew on. He even cracked a few jokes and told them that their situation was definitely better than his. The man and woman looked at each other as if by inspiration. They asked him to sit down and told him that they would love to sponsor his education and also provide him the best of facilities if he was okay with it and if he needed to ask someone. Meethu could not believe his ears. He was also a bit wary. He had heard of people abducting children. The couple noticed it and assured him that they were from the child welfare and had been upset over another situation. He threw away the sling and finally looked forward to getting down at the next station without any worries.
Meethu was given clean clothes and a chance to study in a good school. He went on to become a doctor.
I hope you enjoyed reading the stories.