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    Leonardo's Revenge and Other Stories
    Leonardo's Revenge and Other Stories
    Leonardo's Revenge and Other Stories
    Ebook82 pages1 hour

    Leonardo's Revenge and Other Stories

    By Aysha Griffin

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    About this ebook

    Leonardo's Revenge is the almost-true story of Leonardo Loma, an anarchist whose outrageous worldview and turn of phrase leads to a surprising decision.

    The Writer's Friend is the twisted tale of how youthful talent, loyalty and plagiarism follow Nicky, Fred, Shawna and Janu into adulthood.

    Future Shop's Trudy and Josh are saved from the tedium of their work as professional shoppers by a new drug.

    Good Morning Café inspires faith in small miracles.

    Turning 12 arouses appreciation in the wake of a young woman's tragedy.

    In The Darkness of Light you meet Ella Walker, a famous artist who pays the ultimate price for love.

    In Natural Power, Eva and Adam find the courage to be shaken to their core.

    Leaving San Miguel relates the impressions of a young traveler.

    Fiery Heart of Hawaii explodes in a dramatic encounter with Madam Pele.

    In A Warped Proposal, the past and present are woven into a tapestry of hope.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherAysha Griffin
    Release dateJan 25, 2012
    ISBN9781465751744
    Leonardo's Revenge and Other Stories
    Author

    Aysha Griffin

    Aysha Griffin is a serial entrepreneur, perennial traveler, occupational optimist, and author or editor of more than a dozen books and 400 articles. You can order 'Leonardo's Revenge and Other Stories" and receive your very own FREE Guilt-Free Certificate (you'll understand after reading the first story) at www.InhabitYourDreams.com Born in Florida and raised in Massapequa, NY, she studied painting at the Brooklyn Museum Art School, comparative religion at the University of New Mexico and Sustainable Ethical Enterprise Design through Goddard College. She has lived in England, Australia, Alaska, Hawaii, many parts of the American West and Mexico, where she occasionally aspires to fluency in Spanish. As a certified relationship coach and faculty member of the Hendricks Institute/Foundation for 21st Century Leadership, marketing and communications professional, journalist/editor, and desktop publishing pioneer, she has helped to shape the vision of businesses, organizations and professionals, and designed and led workshops for corporations, civic leaders, and creative individuals. Aysha has leveraged her passion for human relations, travel, ecology, writing, architecture and the arts to create businesses that prosper, educate, and empower. A lifelong student of philosophy and mind-body-spirit awareness, Aysha's workshops and coaching integrate the practical, visionary, and artistic to foster healthy, joyful relationships to Self, Others and Work. Presenting on "Self-Publishing Success" at the San Miguel Writers' Conference (2011 through 2014), Aysha published her first book of short stories, 'Leonardo's Revenge and Other Stories' in January 2012. She currently leads journeys to Cuba (www.CubaForWriters.com) and is available to write, promote, coach, counsel, facilitate and otherwise be useful, anywhere on planet Earth, with travel expenses paid. She can be reached via her website: www.AyshaGriffin.com or blog: www.InhabitYourDreams.com

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      Book preview

      Leonardo's Revenge and Other Stories - Aysha Griffin

      Leonardo’s Revenge

      and Other Stories

      Aysha Griffin

      Smashwords Edition

      Copyright © 2012 by Aysha Griffin

      Inhabit Your Dreams Publishing

      www.InhabitYourDreams.com

      ISBN-13: 978-1468143553

      ISBN-10: 1468143557

      All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the written permission of the author, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review.

      Disclaimer: Any resemblance to real people is coincidental.

      Cover design and photo by Aysha Griffin

      DEDICATION

      Every human story has, at its core, a uniquely individual character or manifestation of the Divine in vulnerable, complex, impermanent and imperfect temporal form.

      These stories are dedicated to the remarkable characters who have graced my life and accompanied me on my journey, adding love, joy, wisdom and encouragement to creating the stories that make life worth living.

      CONTENTS

      Acknowledgments

      1 Leonardo’s Revenge

      2 The Writer’s Friend

      3 Future Shop

      4 Good Morning Café

      5 Turning 12

      6 In The Darkness of Light

      7 Natural Power

      8 Leaving San Miguel

      9 Fiery Heart of Hawaii

      10 A Warped Proposal

      ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

      To DLH who shared these

      and many other stories with me.

      With enormous appreciation and love for my support team of extraordinary and creative friends whose own truth, compassion and chutzpah helped me survive the Dark Night of the Soul that preceded publication of this book:

      Richard Hughes Seager, Judith Fein, Anne Clark, Kitty Miller, Patricia Barakat, Karen Wight, Mark Beaver, Karen Strickholm, Stefany Burrowes, Carolyn Erickson, Alexanna Johnson, Mark Rich, David Wagner, Tree Elven, Nancy Hon, Rachel Seed, Jan Helling Croteau, Mina Anguiano, Susan J. Cobb, Jan Baross, Lonnie Rankin, Fran and Carl Hyman, Laila and Ion Ionescu and CA Boyer. And to Linda Post who encouraged me with her love of short stories.

      Special thanks to Susan Page and the San Miguel International Writers' Conference for the opportunity to be part of that illustrious faculty and spectacular event.

      Join The Guilt-Free Society!

      See details at the end of this book.

      CHAPTER 1

      LEONARDO’S REVENGE

      The True Story of the Beloved Founder of the

      Guilt-Free Society

      The knock came early one spring morning at the door of my cabin. Before my first cup of coffee I came face-to-face with a gray-suited, terse and pallid middle-aged man who flatly asked, Do you know where Mr. Leonardo Loma can be found?

      No. Isn’t he home next door?

      No sign of him.

      As the official-looking man was not the regular sort who visited the property, I thought to ask Is there something I can do for you? whereupon he presented his card, formally engraved with the words Internal Revenue Service.

      You tell Mr. Loma it is imperative he contact me immediately.

      I knew Leo wasn’t going to like this, but agreed I’d relay the message when next I saw him.

      Okey-dokey, I replied, trying to keep from snorting in his somber flatfish face. I took the card and firmly closed the door. As is often said in hindsight, ‘If I knew then what I know now,’ I don’t think I would have agreed to involve myself at all.

      ***

      Leo was a rebel, an anarchist by his own admission. We met only six months before when I returned to the States after many years of traveling overseas (or, as some might say, wandering aimlessly). I was looking for a quiet place to rent, with the idea of cloistering myself to write of my adventures, and chanced upon a referral to Leo Loma. His outlandishness, I was told, was legend, so I was not surprised to see a large, crudely hand-painted sign at the foot of his driveway which read: Enter at your own risk!

      I eased my old Fiat slowly through the broken wooden gate that lay askew on either side of the dirt road. Numerous large American-made cars and trucks in varying states of disrepair, piles of wood and mounds of rusting unidentifiable metal objects lined the way to the rather majestic, though somewhat decrepit, three-story pink stucco house on the hillside. Several ramshackle outbuildings dotted the immediate dirt-covered acre or two. But, in the background of this strange scene, I beheld a breathtaking view of neatly arranged hill upon rolling hill of tall pine, golden aspen and snow-capped peaks caressing the sky.

      Pulling in next to a 1967 Marquis with a peeling black vinyl roof, I chuckled to myself that my rusty beater of a car would fit right in, unnoticed, among the other junkers.

      Anyone home? I shouted, stepping out. As no one readily appeared, I began to amble about. Rounding a corner, I heard a man yell, O.K... we’re ready...get back!

      Two rather large men – an older fellow in a straw hat and sunglasses and a younger wild-haired one, both in dirt-smeared work clothes – came bounding toward me.

      This way! The elder shouted, motioning frantically for me to follow them to the opposite side of the house. They stood breathlessly looking skyward in great anticipation, and I did likewise, wondering for a moment just what in the world we were doing, until the earth’s vibration tickled the bottom of my feet. Suddenly I felt a deep rumbling and trembling and heard the booming sound of rock being blown asunder and falling back on itself.

      I stood transfixed, gaping in amazement, arms over head to protect it from chunks of granite as they soared and fell upon the roof, like someone had just taken the lid off a giant popcorn popper on full tilt.

      The two men smiled with obvious satisfaction at one another and me. I forced a smile in return and the older man stepped over and patted me on the back.

      Now, young lady, is there something I can do for you? he asked kindly, without any self-consciousness about the ordeal I’d just witnessed.

      I heard you might have a place for rent, I stammered, my mouth dry

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