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Question
| Write a fictional short story. Consider the following elements: 1) Setting: Where does your story take place? When? 2) Characters: Who is important in your story? What are they like and what actions do they take? How do they interact with other characters? How are your characters different from each other? 3) Problem/Conflict or Activity: What happens? This can be a challenge the main character faces, a journey, a difficult choice a character must make, a tragedy, or any other suitable conflict you can think of. 4) Resolution: How does the story end? Is the problem solved or not? 5) Point of view: whose story is it? Who is your narrator? What information does your narrator have access to? What can’t they see? 6) Scenes: Is your story shown through scenes? What scenes take place? Use standard MLA formatting (12pt font, double spaced). |
| No need of any sources. It is a fictional story Discipline: Short Story |
Answer
Name of Student
Name of Professor
English 101 Paper
23 November 2016.
Luke’s Second Chance
It is an unusually chilly summer morning in Madeira Island and the streets of the capital Napata are deserted and lifeless. The day’s sunshine is only an hour old and it looks like the town will remain lifeless at least for another hour or so. Manor Street boasts a boulevard status and is the only street endowed with that luxury at least within the 4-kilometer radius. On the left side of this sidewalk of this boulevard as you head northwards is an odd-looking litterbin. Around town, you will hear dwellers refer to the litterbin, as “Luke Villa” for this is Luke’s abode. In fact, Luke turns over sluggishly just as a fully fed python would in its hiding place. He formed a habit of sneaking into the bin exactly a month ago citing homelessness, and after a week of doing so, he realized that no one really cared and so he got comfortable. Today, the chill delayed his usual early rise because he did not expect the town to kick into life so early.
To the South of Napata, the parochial snobbery folk of the Lamington Estates woke up to the chilly day. In particular, Alpha or the Commodore, as he is fondly known, puts down his e-book reader after his three-hour reading marathon, and picks up his phone to make some business enquiries with his business development manager. He then goes downstairs and takes a turn to the left into Jill’s room. Alpha fell ill three months ago and at the hospital he was diagnosed with a rare heart condition which, despite being taken to the best cardiologist around, refuses to go away. He suffers silently and immerses himself in his business expecting the eventuality that he may die in a not-very-distant future. In fact, the cardiologist suggested bed rest because he thinks Alpha has only three more months to live. That was two months ago.
Beginning today, he has exactly a month to live and he is mourning privately. Today, he had an appointment with the divorce lawyer. During the meeting, he was bound to hand over some of the property to his ex-wife. At his son’s bedside, he knelt down and prayed in earnest for about ten minutes. He would have gone on for a while were it not for his son who woke him up. By the time he was aged five, Jill was already a big fan of his dad and he told everyone that when he grew up he wanted to be like his dad. He was sure that his dad was the strongest man on earth. In the divorce legal battle, Jill was put under his mother’s custody. Nonetheless, that was just in writing. In practice, Jill could not spend the night away from his dad, and he caused enough trouble during that sole night he spent at Clay Cottage with mama. Just as Jill realized his dad’s presence, Julia, his nanny, walked in with the boy’s breakfast. Alpha kissed his boy good morning and walked out.
Luke looked mad to all but Lorenzo, the pharmacist. Lorenzo knew Luke during their days at medical school back in India and he knew that he was a reservoir of information. Luke on the other hand knew Lorenzo was the only kind soul in town. He was always guaranteed the three daily meals at Lorenzo’s. Today, he dusted himself up and headed for Lorenzo’s shop.
On seeing him, the same old salutations recur.
“Hi coolie”, Lorenzo starts.
“Yep, coolie”, Luke answers.
“Still at Luke Villa?”
“Yeah, at least the cruel souls don’t live you know”
Unlike the other days of the week when Lorenzo is too busy, today he has a time to talk to Luke.
He realizes that he has this rash on his skin and he gets concerned.
“Hey Coolie, you look terrible. Please leave the Villa and come live in my garage as I always tell you. For God’s sake look yourself in the mirror you freak!”
Luke ignores the statement and mumbles inaudibly. Lorenzo slides some bulk of papers across the desk and Luke starts perusing them. It is clear he likes to read. He was an A-student right from the start. Through determination and sheer academic brilliance, he earned his place at Oxford University Medical School as a medicine and surgery major. He excelled, but in his final year, he got into trouble with the school authorities, which earned him an expulsion. He found his way to Sikkim Manipal University where he completed his education. During his internship, Luke surpassed expectations and within three short years after his graduation, he already had about 15 major cardiac surgeries under his belt. He then decided to move to England to start private practice and research. The British government received complaints from the Surgeons Association about the daring cardiac surgeries being done at Luke’s clinic and they canceled his license before slapping him with 7-year jail term. He had just come out of prison when he requested the government to take bring him to Madeira Island, where his mother was born. Because he could not trace his relatives upon coming here, he became homeless.
Alpha was not very sure whether he should meet the persistent caller named Lorenzo. He knew he was to meet his lawyer at eleven and so he made one final decision to meet Lorenzo before the lawyer’s scheduled meeting. All his other callers overpromised but they did not deliver a cure. However, there is something different about this caller Lorenzo.
At exactly nine in the morning, Alpha boards his Limousine and instructs the driver to take him to Lorenzo’s Pharmacy on Manor Street in Napata. On arrival, he calls Lorenzo on his cellphone and he comes over to receive him. After shaking hands, Alpha goes straight to the point.
“So you said you know something about this?”
“Yes”
“Tell me about it”
“Follow me, sir”
He leads him towards Luke. He stretches out the hand to Luke but Luke ignores it. Alpha asks him why he looks shabby and surprisingly, he gives a detailed explanation. Alpha immediately recognizes Luke as his old friend from his Oxford days. Back then, Alpha knew Luke as a very gifted student and he always knew he would become a successful person in future. After losing contact with him and later quitting medical school, he ventured into business and forgot about him. So, here he is, humbly asking Luke to help him with his Ischemic Heart Disease. Luke, on the other hand, asks Alpha for help with his current problem: homelessness. For this, Alpha says, “Luke, I always told to punch life and punch it hard. Remember? You are the best cardiologist in the business but you have failed to manage to fight. You had your chance but you squandered it. I will only help you get your license, get you a session in hospital and you will fix this heart condition of mine. For that I will pay you a million pounds!”
After saying this, Alpha stands up and sets for the door. Before he gets halfway to the door, he hears Luke clear his throat and Alpha expectedly stops mid-step.
“I am the doctor here!”
“So?” Alpha asks rather sternly.
“You pay 5 million pounds or go punch life for a cure to that heart condition you got there”
“Double that old doctor”, Alpha says as he gets to the door.
“I will need a shave, and that will cost you a million”
“Round it off to 13! I hate bargaining, Luke!” he retorts as he bangs the door behind him.
Luke and Lorenzo smile at the same moment as if by clockwork.
