The Story: Remembering of No who is the Photo of your Girlfriend After a Time.

Take Your Pick

Por: Shamir Galvá

A friend of mine, Karl, was in the army. Unfortunately, he had to serve overseas for six months. At first, his girlfriend, to whom he had been engaged for almost a year, wrote lovingly every two days. Karl waited eagerly for every letter and read them secretly under his blankets every night. After about a month, the letters arrived less frequently and Karl seemed less interested in reading them.

Finally, after about four months, his girlfriend wrote to inform him that she was breaking off their engagement and asked him to return her photo immediately.

Karl went out and collected all the unwanted photos of wives, fiancées, and girlfriends from the other soldiers and carefully put them in an envelope with a note saying:

 “Regret I cannot remember which one is you. Please keep your photo and return the others!”

My sister had a similar problem. Her boyfriend, who got on very well with our father, broke off their engagement after a bitter argument. The next day he came around to ask Dad for some advice.

My sister opened the door. Her former boyfriend asked stiffly, “Is your father in? I have business to discuss with him.”

My sister replied equally coldly, “Unfortunately, my father is away until Thursday.”

“Thank you,” replied the young man, and turned to leave without another word. This was too much for my sister.

“Who shall I say called?” she shouted. 

From: SUCCESS Communicating in English Michael Walker ADDISON-WESLEY PUBLISHING COMPANY 1995

The History: A Bad News Letter

A Near Miss

Por: Shamir Galvá

O

ne day, Peter Lenz, a young German from Berlin, was upset when he received some bad news in the mail. It was his call-up papers. He did not have any desire to spend the next two years doing military service somewhere miles away from his home and family, but he could not think of any good excuse. 

He did not suffer from any disability or sickness. He did not know anybody with “influence” who could help him in some way. He and his wife of three months did not have any children, so he could not refer to any special family circumstances.

As soon as he opened the letter, his wife Claudia knew there was something wrong. Peter explained the problem. They had to do something. Anything was better than two years away from home.

Fortunately, Claudia had an idea. She was a diabetic. At the examination, Peter could switch a specimen of her urine for his own and fool the doctors. They would excuse him on medical grounds!

After the examination two days later, peter returned home confident that their trick had worked. He was astonished a week later to receive orders to report for duty in a town 200 miles from home.

An officer explained, “We would have believed that you were diabetic, but not that you were pregnant, too!”

From: SUCCESS Communicating in English Michael Walker ADDISON-WESLEY PUBLISHING COMPANY 1995