Contemporary story
On

To Sit in the Sun

Don't ask me, dearie. I wouldn't know about that. As I said, I'm just a neighbour of theirs - that's right, that little white house there on the corner, the one with the fig tree next to it. And yes, I saw it all. Not that I was watching - I believe in keeping myself to myself - but a body couldn't help noticing. First all the coming and going with him being ill, then the weeping and wailing when he died - of course I went to pay my respects, that's only right - and I saw them carry the poor lamb from the village, lay him out proper and wall up the tomb. I did feel sorry for the two girls, I must say.

What? Yes, that's right, dearie. Four days later it was - just as things were getting back to normal. Some sort of preacher. The girls must have sent for him - with never a word to anyone - and up he walked, bold as anything, with a bunch of followers too. You can imagine the talk. And then to go on up to the tomb, with near enough the whole village hard on their heels. No, I didn't go - not decent, I thought, stirring people up, giving them false hopes, but I was wrong, wasn't I? The preacher did it - got them to open the tomb and called out, so they say, and that was that. Back they all came, the two girls crying and hugging their brother, half the crowd jabbering with excitement and the other half - you know, looking sideways and not really sure. I wasn't sure myself, come to that.

Afterwards? Well, when the preacher left and all the fuss had died down, I asked his sisters if they needed any help to keep an eye on him. They couldn't thank me enough. First it was just for a few hours, then they started bringing him over in the morning and taking him home at night, then they asked me if I could .... you know, have him permanent. Like I said, I'm a widow, and they ... well, dearie, let's just say I'm not too proud to accept a little something for having him.

Mind? Bless you, no, of course I don't mind. Well, you can see for yourself, dearie. He just sits there mostly. I talk to him, of course - well, a body needs some company - but if I don't ..... No, he's no trouble at all. He just likes to sit in the sun.

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Comments

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lazarus yes?

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Man! This piece is definitely intriguing! I thought it was well-written and really enjoyed the one-sided dialogue and the texture of the voice. I have a love/hate relationship with the openness of the story. My insatiable curiosity HAS to know, but at the same time that unappeased desire adds volume to the story. The questions and speculations become part of the story itself. The reader is invited to be part of the discussion. But all the while the story smiles down like the sphinx, accepting all conjectures as possibilities but never offering the answer.

Could the story be symbolic in that it reflects the real qualities of life? The comments I wrote above could just as easily be said about life in general. Is it a sort of commentary on the intrinsic mysteries of life and how we react to them?

Great story Joanna. A real head-scratcher! I look forward to checking back here to see what the rest of you thought about this.

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This work is compelling with an eerie atmosphere to it. I dont know what to expect for the ending of the story...

Either hes dead or alive. What makes me believe hes dead, is the way you restricted to write much about his actions and personality. very smart.

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The "hook" in the last paragraph was beautiful! "-well, a body needs some company-". Which body?

And then,"-but if I dont...." What? Tie him to the bed or he walks off? Wash him once in a while, he gets kinda funky?

This lovely story keeps coming back; comedy, tragedy? I cant help but continue it in my own mind and I guess that qualifies it as a work of literature. If you keep thinking about it, it must be good.

Thanks, Joanna.

Christopher

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i liked the story, but she needs to give some more information about the characters, like what their names are and what is wrong with the man that the sisters just give to the widow.

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I enjoyed the eerie atmosphere and Joannas word choice, which helped the storys progress. This story reminds be of the bible story of Lazarus resurection. In that story he had sisters, as in this story. My favorite part of the story is the ending. It leaves you wondering the ressurected brothers actions. He was quiet, almost gohst like. He just sat in the sun. This makes me question that the brother has changed and leaves me with an eerie feeling.

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the story is good
and the story helps me creating my project.
Joanna Leyland is a good author.
I hope she will continue her success
and she will write a more story......
good luck and aim high....

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Its Lazarus and his sisters, of course, and Jesus is the preacher. Lazarus might not be happy about being brought back to life. I read the book Ninety Minutes in Heaven, and he wasnt happy about it either.

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not bad!!!!!

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Id assumed it to be Lazarius or a the very least a character with an interntion on bringing to mind Lazarius..., but the only one who can be sure of that is the author herself. The story was so interesting and simple. I loved it. The whole concept of someone brought back from the dead not being happy - well, lets just say it rocked my world. It never occured to me that Lazarius may not want to be back, seeing how it was heaven ans all, it really made me think. Awesome! Really.

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I agree with some of the other comments - I think it was too open for my taste - I picked it because it was really short - but for me its too short, just a fragment of something longer perhaps? & i couldnt engage with it. Im not sure whether it was the tone of the narrator that I couldnt connect with, or the content. But that doesnt mean its not good - just not for me ;)

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This piece wasnt very interesting. It was
sort of boring and unenjoyable to me and
probably other people my age (13). The
only this I really actually liked about it
was that it was short and didnt take too
long to read. Other wise it was a horrible
sad little story with absolutely no point
at all.
-Laila

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I did not exactly understand what the story was about. The only thing I understood was that someone was dead. I did not like anything about the story and I would not recommend it to anyone else I know.
Fatima

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This story was very intrestng to me even though its only one page I liked it because of the way the he wrote it. It felt as if he was talking to me and answering my questions. I may have not understood some things but overall a good story its different. I do recomend it to people who would like to read something different.
Farah

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The first time I read it it confused me, but now I understand its when Lazerus rose from the tomb. I think its a good story even though its only a page. Length doesnt matter the words do.

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I had to read it a few times and take a glance at the comments before I really got it, but I must say, its intriguing.

The use of a nosy neighbor type to give ~just enough information was a great touch, and I LOVE how it suddenly shifted from a curious little monologue to such heavy themes as the cycle of life and death. The guys sisters wept for days when he died, and were overjoyed when he came back.

He wasnt particularly happy about it, though. The speaker doesnt explicitly say so, but the guy (Lazarus?) seems to want to go back. ..Though she just sees it as him being "no trouble at all."

And, of course, it didnt take his sisters very long to decide they didnt want him anymore, and, when the speaker took him, they "couldnt thank [her] enough."

To me, it says they should have grieved naturally instead of meddling in life and death, and if they had that everyone would have been happier. It puts that darker spin on the biblical tale and portrays "the preacher" as a reckless worker of miracles with no regard for the consequences of his actions, who left town victorious and likely never learned of what happened afterward.

I think its brilliant, and the people who are commenting that it needs to define the characters, or to be longer, or what have you, are missing the point. Sure, its a fragment of a larger tale, but all stories are, and in this case we have everything we need to explore some pretty heavy themes, and those themes seem to be more the point than plots and characters, in this piece. It just might mean reading it a few times and really thinking about it.

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Perhaps I am reading this to literally, but what is the point? It is well presented as through the view point of a third party observer, but still, I think the author could have expounded on a theme or made a point. Without that it is just a jumble of words.

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At the beggining of this story I was like, what is this person doing, this doesnt make any sence and then it dawned on me that this is a spectators view of Lasarus being raised from the dead. I thought it was brillant.

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I enjoyed a lot your comments which made enjoy even more the story. I felt the connection with Jesus from the very first read but didnt understand the detail about being bald.

What I think of the "guy"? well, I dont think it was him anymore, as the speaker clearly put it he was just a "body", an empty carcass without the spark of life. I guess The preacher could only set a body in motion but the personality had been lost; therefore, sitting in the sun or whatever monotonous activity would be ok for a lifeless body...

Eleazar

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The selling point is, of course, "body" at the end of the story. Otherwise,its just another take on something already done.
I rather like the possibility that the "body" is just a corpse and that the priest is a phony--Joanna never reveals whether there is life in the body.
The story is of just the right length to keep the possibilities alive.

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The question shes being asked in the beginning I think is - Why does he just sit in the sun? or If you were a nosey reporter, Whyd they bring him back just to pawn him off on someone else?

I liked this story, this is very entertaining. Its short, it gives you just enough to form your own questions, your own thoughts and your own feelings about it at the end.

I think the author did what she set out to do...assuming she wanted us to think. She has definitely done that.

KUDOS!

Dechelle

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