The Story Teller

One day while I was walking home I came across a man who, I would say was well into his fiftieth year.

I was about to pass him by when he looked up and said, could you spare a few cents to buy a cup of coffee. Where would you get a cup of coffee out here, I asked, well I don’t really want a coffee but it always sounds better if I say tea rather than a pint of beer.

“So you’re a bit of a drinker are you”? I asked.

“No, not really but the local inn is the only place where I feel wanted. Look at me, would you want to be friendly with a guy like me”?

“I know that even in the bar they don’t want me around, but at least when you can pay for your drink you can join in the talk and share the warmth of the fire on a winters day.”

“ You see Sir, I wasn’t always like I am now”.

“Once I had a good job and a nice new car every year, my wife and children and I travelled for holidays overseas, I had everything a man could wish for. Then the company I worked for sent me to Rumania which in those days was a communist country, for a conference, and that is that’s where all my troubles started.”

“As we went down to dinner on that first night I witnessed one of our directors handing over a large sum of money for favours to be doled out later. This man knew that we were bleeding Eastern Europe dry and if caught we would all be in trouble with the communist authorities.

When I approached him later on in the evening I was told that this was normal business etiquette and I should mind my own business or get another form of employment. Then, later in the evening I got a phone call from our head office to inform me that I had to return to Sydney as there was a crisis in one of my departments and I was to depart on the midnight plane.

When I arrived back in Australia there was a car waiting for me and I was whisked away to my office where I was confronted by our managing director, who told me my resignation was required forth with.

Despite my protestations I found I had not a leg to stand on, and was abruptly shown the door. But at least I had my pride and I knew my wife would understand. I thought that way until I entered my home and found that my so called friends in the office had called her and told her of my stance. She went off her head and accused me of sacrificing my children’s chances in life for a few uncouth foreigners. I tried to explain but to no avail and when we divorced sometime later she took everything, my children disowned me and now I stand here I am with nothing.

My dear fellow, I said, as I felt my eyes fill with tears, if I can I help in any way please do not hesitate to inform me. Here you are, I said, as I gave him fifty dollars. Thank you very much he acknowledged, you may like to come and see me at the local, I do forty different stories but the one I have just told you is one of the best, it always works and he walked off smiling, with my money in his pocket.

The End