Prometheus by Marieta Maglas (i can read book club txt) 📕

her book. After that she said: ''Look, we have to learn about the goals of the liberation struggle and the effects of the war on individuals.''

''It will be interesting to read.'' said Mary.

''I think so. But I am a peaceful person. I don't like the war.''

''Tell me, do you still love Tom?''

''Yes, I do, why do you ask me?'' said Susan.

''Just because I want to know why do you love him.''

''I cannot find the right words to express what I feel for him. I love him because he's the most amazing friend I have ever known. He's charming, smart and he has a great sense of humor. I feel so happy by being with him. He made it through my wall and he threw my mask out. He accepts my imperfections and appreciates me for who I am.''

''He's a great guy. See you tomorrow.''

''Bye.''

Susan went right to the poor households where the families were living in an atmosphere of hurt and tears. There she really experienced what is called four walls, more exactly, her room. All the poor households in this part of the town depended heavily on wood and other biomass fuels for cooking. These families had the stoves and used clean fuels because the prices are relatively low.

The poor parents had a smaller choice of primary schools for their children.The poorest pupils are likely to be accepted by the local schools. The women usually had four children. So they had more mouths to feed than usual. For the impoverished families, having a secure and comfortable home to raise their families meant to find the best way to bridge the gap from poverty to a normal life.

In the working poor families the lack the earnings necessary to meet their basic needs made life to be a struggle exacerbated by soaring prices for food, gas, health and education. These working families were forced to spend more than half of their income on housing, and nearly thirty percent for health insurance. One in four families was headed by a lone parent and they lived in poverty or below the poverty level. Lone mothers frequently borrowed money. Usually, families and their consumption decisions were neglected and they relied on money help from the others, Susan was a poor girl belonging to a poor family.

She knew that the poor people had small pockets and big hearts.She tried to understand the rich people who could be so selfish sometime, thinking of exploiting the poor families, without realizing that they destroy lives. The poor persons were those who battled to survive among the rich and lived their lives to help others who needed help and hope. Sometimes they were not able to rise out of poverty all their lives. And there were some people climbing out of welfare, drug addiction and homelessness. No one really knew them and for the most part didn't care.

Her brother, Sam, never was at high school, he washed cars but did not own one. Their father was not in their life because he was an alcoholic and a drug user. He didn't have a job and he didn't have a steady place to live. Their mother forced him to leave the home because she didn't want a bad influence around her kids.

 

Chapter 6

 

THE DIRECTOR OF THE THEATER HOSTED A CHARITY BALL IN AID OF THE AIDS PATIENTS

Mary entered the house. She looked very nervous.

"Where have you been?" Michael asked her. "It's late."

"I don't want my problems to be a part of your life."

"You don't have a real problem. You are only pretending to have one."

"I can do anything I want."

"Maybe there is just one real problem. You don't know what you want."

"I know exactly what I want, but I just can't stay focused in anything is important because of you."

"Do you still wait for someone to take care of you?"

"Don't look too much into the mirror of irony. You can get sick."

"What 's the matter? Are you afraid to risk to take your life in your own hands?"

"No, I feel paralyzed by some forces and I am unable to control them."

"But I'm unable to harness your inner strength."

"You cannot do everything you want. The world of the free people doesn't exist for you."

"I know exactly who I am and what I want."

"Yes, but you cannot do everything you want."

"Maybe, but I accept my resignation."

When people are in the hospital, they love to see their friends coming to visit them. The flowers are nice and the personal contact is very meaningful. Sometimes, people don't visit anyone in the hospital. They are nervous when they think of what they have to do and say.

"I admire your strength in all you're going through your whole life. Is there anything I can do for you? I know that you suffer. Can I say a little prayer for you to ease your pain?" Ella tried to be gentle.

Alexander's mother closed her eyes and breathed in. She knew exactly what Ella was talking about. Her shaking hands stopped only for a second before reaching the Ella's coat. She touched Ella's arms with her hands. She turned her head and she could whisper to be heard. "Your words are always picking me up. I always pray for you. Let me introduce you to Claire. She's my room mate. She's waiting for a liver transplant. She's a good friend. I always feel good being around her."

" I listen spiritual tapes and spiritual music and this keeps me occupied. I spent months waiting my death. The disease makes me lonely enough. It says that the agony is a whisper in the roar of hurrying existence". Claire was incredibly nice and she could make you feel comfortable. She used to answer all your questions and to communicate without rushing you. She was super knowledgeable and she could be a great friend.

"We don't ever get bored here," said Martha, another patient. "Claire is a very merry yarn and a caring person, despite her illness."

"Why are you here?" Ella became curious.

"I received a spleen transplant. I ripped my stitches a bit and I had a lot of pain."

"You're just having a bad day as everyone of us," said Claire.

"If my husband had been here, he would have helped me the most. When I was in pain, my daughter was here by my side, patting me and showing me her love." Martha said that their pastor had been tremendously helpful by reaching out to her family. She said that the pastor was generally working to create a peaceful atmosphere within their homes and within the congregation for the persons who are ill. She described how her priest had helped this to happen in her congregation.

"My husband is looking for me, but he cannot enter the hospital. Ella, can you tell me what to do?" Claire said, after receiving a call from her husband.

"He must mention your name or the room number. I was interned in another hospital and I remember that the visitors weren't allowed to go into the patient's room, unless they were given the permission by the nurse." Ella wanted to be useful.

Martha told them that her mother died having the same disease. She complained that she had excessive perspiration in the groin area, palms and soles. She used to drink large quantities of water. She also told them that she was unmarried and she had been having no sexual desire since a very long time. She described herself as a loner and a very sensitive woman. When she was younger, she loved so much to travel. She hated the routine of work, but she had to earn for her living. She has always had a fear of being robbed or raped. Her most painful memories could describe her breaking up relationships.

Alexander's mother was waiting for a heart transplant. Otherwise, the doctors told her she would die of heart failure. She knew that other patients had waited for three months in the hospital before they received their heart transplants. She didn't wait a person to die for receiving the heart, but she hoped that a miracle would save her. She knew that one death can allow one life, even there is no guarantee of restoration of health and life. Alexander's mother chose a private hospital. She was aware that the operation would cost a lot of money, far too much than she could afford to pay. She had a bank deposit. Alexander decided to make a bank loan by mortgaging the house. Ella told Alexander's mother that he had achieved the financial loan. Ella also told her that she was two months pregnant.

In the morning, Ella left the hospital and went home again. Alexander told her that Michael had reconciled with Nora and they had been invited to a ball, on Saturday night. This house party was hosted by the local theater, having a purpose to organize a fund-raising for AIDS patients.

"It is very hard to host a house party for three hundred people. Our director must be very busy," said Alexander.

Nora and some of her friends, who have belonged to a women organization, have decided to assist the director in having a successful party. They have chosen the date for the house party. They provided as much support as possible. They have chosen specialized people to organize the party, based on their fund-raising experience. They started planning the party twelve weeks before this event. This gave them the plenty of time to put together the guest list, to choose the basic donors, to send the invitations, to make the calls and to get the necessary food. After sending the invitations, they knew exactly the people they would expect. They requested a sum donation in the invitations. They thought that they would make an additional pitch for funds during the party by using a speech. They sent the invitations four weeks before that moment. They spent a lot of time calling and answering the phone.

"This is the most important thing you can do to ensure that everything turns out good. People may be able to ignore an invitation, but they will respond to the call. The most important idea about these calls is that you can mirror what's in the invitation and you can tell the prospective guests that their attendance matters to you." Nora became very critical. She said that her father was a very critical man and she grew up acquiring this same trait. She remembered that she used to hear a wonderful concert, but when the soloist missed a note, she could remember the mistake, not the beautiful music that surrounded it. She related to people in a similar fashion. The quality of her life reflected her focus. Because she focused on the negative, what she saw inside herself and all around her were the flaws and the problems.

"Should I ask them to have a checkbook or credit card with them?" Laura wanted to change and to improve the organization of the party.

"It is essential to know when your guests are prepared to make a significant financial contribution," said Nora.

"The party is not for the ill people. They benefit from it, but the party is for the healthy persons. We must think that they love being able to have dinner with other people around them, to have a couple of drinks and to hear other people laughing," said Lisa. She needed to learn how to get out of that situation. She didn't want to come, but she couldn't refuse Laura, because Laura was her friend. She used to build her masked ivory tower and put herself in there. She tried to learn all her life how to deal with it.

"We have had a tough year, but we had