Last August I had a wonderful time with wonderful people in a hostel in Palermo. This gathering has brought a lot of memories and a few good friends. One of them was Anne Hendler, a wonderful teacher with fabulous ideas. Anne's idea about story writing was fantastic and I thought I should use that with my students. And it actually worked - we have lots of great stories with really strange titles, which make them unique.
I don't know why, but today I have decided to write my own story about a suitcase. Like the one I suggested to Anne.
So let's call my character Bob. Bob is a black suitcase. Not too big, not too small, perfect for small trips. But Bob just stands in the basement. His owner doesn't travel much. He just keeps Bob in the dark, damp basement.
Bob is there waiting to go out in the sun. Bob does not complain. It's not like he's alone in the basement. There are a lot of objects there. Bob doesn't like everybody, but he tries to be polite to everyone. Bob didn't like the books so much. They were snobs. They thought they knew everything. They were always saying that they were important. But if they were so important why were they kept in the dark, damp basement?
Bob liked the furniture. Especially the couch had really interesting stories to tell. Bob and Dean, the couch talked and talked for hours.
Suddenly, the basement door opened.
He came in, took Bob with him and brought him out!
His little wheels started rolling, he saw light, the sun, cars and people!
Bob was ecstatic! Where was Bob going? He didn't know. He didn't care. He could breathe fresh air!
Bob and his owner met a woman. He gave Bob to her. Bob was a little bit sad, because he was leaving his owner, but he was also excited because he was going somewhere.
She was nice, not beautiful, but with her own unique style and personality.
She cleaned Bob inside out. Bob smiled the whole time. He loved being taken care of.
She put her things inside Bob's belly. Bob loved her clothes and her other stuff. She was going on holiday. She had a bathing suit and sunglasses and lots of T-shirts. Bob was full.
The next day she took Bob and put him in the trunk of a taxi. Bob was really curious.
They arrived at a big building. Bob had never seen anything like this before. Lots of people, lights and noise.
Was it... an airport? Bob was about to cry from his excitement! He had never been at an airport before! Before Bob knew it, he was in the luggage room of an airplane! They were taking off! He was sitting there, along with hundreds of other suitcases. They had all been to so many places and their colours were bright and shiny!
The trip continued with a different airplane and Bob met more suitcases and heard a lot of stories. Unfortunately, Bod didn't have much to say. He was just listening to the other suitcases talking. He was happy though. He liked his adventure so far.
They arrived at a place near the sea. The other suitcases spoke foreign languages but Bob as a miracle understood everything.
She took her things out of Bob and she tidied everything up in the closet. In her room there was another green shiny suitcase. The green suitcase was Kristy. Bob and Kristy had much fun together. The woman and Kristy's owner took them out, washed them and let them dry in the sun. Bob liked his bath and the sunbathing. Kristy was very beautiful and she spoke French. They talked and talked for hours. Bob became fluent in French. Nights were great too. Bob and Kristy looked at the sky and the stars...
Unfortunately the day came and the woman started filling Bob again with her things. It was time to go. Bob was very sad to let Kristy, but that's the life of a suitcase. Going places. Usually alone. Bob and the woman got into a small plane, then into a bigger plane. Then they had to wait at a big airport. Bob and the woman had coffee there, wandered around, went to the shops and Bod saw wonderful new things again.
The night passed and they got into an new plane. This time they arrived home. The woman brought Bob back to his owner.
Bob was a bit sad, he didn't want to go to the basement again.
The woman thanked his owner and gave him chocolates and presents. She was happy that she had a new friend. She believed that they were going to be good friends supporting and helping each other.
So the next day, she brought him a new present, a pillow, named Poo. Bob liked Poo, he was very funny. Bob was still in the living room. Bob wanted the woman to be a friend of his owner for a long time. Maybe she could take Bob again on a new trip.
But he misunderstood her. He thought that she wanted more, he thought that she was too much. So he told her that he wouldn't lend Bob to her anymore or help her again. She left.
Bob was sad. He was taken to the dark, damp basement again.
But this time he had a new friend with him.
The end.
I don't know why, but today I have decided to write my own story about a suitcase. Like the one I suggested to Anne.
So let's call my character Bob. Bob is a black suitcase. Not too big, not too small, perfect for small trips. But Bob just stands in the basement. His owner doesn't travel much. He just keeps Bob in the dark, damp basement.
Bob is there waiting to go out in the sun. Bob does not complain. It's not like he's alone in the basement. There are a lot of objects there. Bob doesn't like everybody, but he tries to be polite to everyone. Bob didn't like the books so much. They were snobs. They thought they knew everything. They were always saying that they were important. But if they were so important why were they kept in the dark, damp basement?
Bob liked the furniture. Especially the couch had really interesting stories to tell. Bob and Dean, the couch talked and talked for hours.
Suddenly, the basement door opened.
He came in, took Bob with him and brought him out!
His little wheels started rolling, he saw light, the sun, cars and people!
Bob was ecstatic! Where was Bob going? He didn't know. He didn't care. He could breathe fresh air!
Bob and his owner met a woman. He gave Bob to her. Bob was a little bit sad, because he was leaving his owner, but he was also excited because he was going somewhere.
She was nice, not beautiful, but with her own unique style and personality.
She cleaned Bob inside out. Bob smiled the whole time. He loved being taken care of.
She put her things inside Bob's belly. Bob loved her clothes and her other stuff. She was going on holiday. She had a bathing suit and sunglasses and lots of T-shirts. Bob was full.
The next day she took Bob and put him in the trunk of a taxi. Bob was really curious.
They arrived at a big building. Bob had never seen anything like this before. Lots of people, lights and noise.
Was it... an airport? Bob was about to cry from his excitement! He had never been at an airport before! Before Bob knew it, he was in the luggage room of an airplane! They were taking off! He was sitting there, along with hundreds of other suitcases. They had all been to so many places and their colours were bright and shiny!
The trip continued with a different airplane and Bob met more suitcases and heard a lot of stories. Unfortunately, Bod didn't have much to say. He was just listening to the other suitcases talking. He was happy though. He liked his adventure so far.
They arrived at a place near the sea. The other suitcases spoke foreign languages but Bob as a miracle understood everything.
She took her things out of Bob and she tidied everything up in the closet. In her room there was another green shiny suitcase. The green suitcase was Kristy. Bob and Kristy had much fun together. The woman and Kristy's owner took them out, washed them and let them dry in the sun. Bob liked his bath and the sunbathing. Kristy was very beautiful and she spoke French. They talked and talked for hours. Bob became fluent in French. Nights were great too. Bob and Kristy looked at the sky and the stars...
Unfortunately the day came and the woman started filling Bob again with her things. It was time to go. Bob was very sad to let Kristy, but that's the life of a suitcase. Going places. Usually alone. Bob and the woman got into a small plane, then into a bigger plane. Then they had to wait at a big airport. Bob and the woman had coffee there, wandered around, went to the shops and Bod saw wonderful new things again.
The night passed and they got into an new plane. This time they arrived home. The woman brought Bob back to his owner.
Bob was a bit sad, he didn't want to go to the basement again.
The woman thanked his owner and gave him chocolates and presents. She was happy that she had a new friend. She believed that they were going to be good friends supporting and helping each other.
So the next day, she brought him a new present, a pillow, named Poo. Bob liked Poo, he was very funny. Bob was still in the living room. Bob wanted the woman to be a friend of his owner for a long time. Maybe she could take Bob again on a new trip.
But he misunderstood her. He thought that she wanted more, he thought that she was too much. So he told her that he wouldn't lend Bob to her anymore or help her again. She left.
Bob was sad. He was taken to the dark, damp basement again.
But this time he had a new friend with him.
The end.
