In a Land Where You Cannot Flip a Coin

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In a Land Where You Cannot Flip a Coin

 

Copyright 2016 by Bill Russo

Published by CCA Media at Shakespir

 

 

 

Shakespir Edition License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your enjoyment only, then please return to Shakespir.com or your favorite retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

 

 

 

 

Table of Contents

 

Prologue

Chapter One: The Lady From Boston

Chapter Two: The Dutchman’s Gold

Chapter Three: In Old Mexico

Epilogue

Prologue

My 100 Word Challenge Stories

I dared myself to write three short stories of 100 words each and one of them had to be true! I came in just slightly above 300 words for the trio. I hope you enjoy them.

The first tale takes you to the affluent Beacon Hill section of Boston where it costs more to park your car than most people pay for a house mortgage.

: The Lady from Boston

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The narrow gaslit byways of Beacon Hill

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Maria arrived home at 5:30 p.m. Her car was safely nestled in the Central Parking Garage, one minute from her home on Bowdoin Street in Beacon Hill. She always felt safe in Boston’s finest neighborhood, with its brick sidewalks, narrow gaslit streets and beautiful Federal-style rowhouses.

Opening her door, Maria noticed that the house was bare. Nothing remained, not a stick of furniture; not even toilet paper in the bathroom. When she had left for work, everything had been in its place as usual.

“The moving company did a great job – and so fast. Bye old house, I’m off for a new life in the suburbs.”

: The Dutchman’s Gold

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It’s off to Arizona for the second flash tale. The location is the high desert, 40 miles from Prescott.

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They found the prospector face down in a dry gulch, near Dutchman’s Road. His lifeless fingers had stiffened around a chunk of raw gold as big as a baseball.

A nest of snakes shaking their rattles were protecting an outcropping of rock where the old man’s shovel was sunk in the sandy soil.

One of their number was dead, his crushed head still in the mouth of the gold seeker’s dog who gave his life trying to save his master’s.

Chunks of raw gold as big as baseballs were piled up behind the vipers.

: In Old Mexico

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Beyond Las Palmas (the palms) Lies a Land of Want and Need

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He was a stranger in a place where they warned him against flipping his shiny 20 peso piece in the air to play catch with it.

“It’s only two dollars!”

“You are in a land where many people don’t see 20 pesos (two dollars) in a whole week,” said a man under a huge sombrero.

A white building with a crucifix above its door was just to his left and as the tourist’s flipped coin settled into his palm, four hard-cases emerged and stood in front of him, their hands thrust out in an unspoken command.

“Es un amigo. Desparace!” commanded the senor in the sombrero.

The thugs skulked away.

The stranger did not know what the man in the wide sombrero said; but he gave him both the coin and his thanks.

Epilogue

Moving day in Boston’s Beacon Hill certainly happens frequently, but it is not the true story of the three.

Probably hundreds of dusty old gold seekers lost their lives in pursuit of the Arizona glitter, but that story is also not the true one in this collection.

The third flash story is true and happened to me on a Mexican adventure shortly after the turn of the century. Luckily, in the State of Sonora I met a man from Agua Prieta who save me from the infamous gangs of the city and taught me much about his native land.

 

 

Other books by Bill Russo

 

 

The Creature From the Bridgewater Triangle

Bill’s riveting account of meeting a puckwudgie

His story is featured in the films, America’s Bermuda Triangle and The Bridgewater Triangle, as well as on Monsters and Mysteries in America.

 

Swamp Tales and Jimmy Catfish

Two fictional thrillers set in the Hockomock Swamp (The Place of Evil Spirits) and an eerie Cape Cod Lake

 

 

Crossing the Musical Color Line

Stories of iconic singers and musicians known or interviewed by the author during a long career in radio and as a newspaper editor.

Connect with Bill Russo

 

I really appreciate you reading my book! Here are my social media coordinates:

 

Friend me on Facebook: www.facebook.com/bill.russo.73

 

Subscribe to my blog- Adventures in Type and Space : http://billrrrrr.blogspot.com/

 

Email me anytime at [email protected]

 

 

Other books by Bill Russo

 

 

The Creature From the Bridgewater Triangle

Bill’s riveting account of meeting a puckwudgie

His story is featured in the films, America’s Bermuda Triangle and The Bridgewater Triangle, as well as on Monsters and Mysteries in America.

 

Swamp Tales and Jimmy Catfish

Two fictional thrillers set in the Hockomock Swamp (The Place of Evil Spirits) and an eerie Cape Cod Lake

 

 

Crossing the Musical Color Line

Stories of iconic singers and musicians known or interviewed by the author during a long career in radio and as a newspaper editor.

Connect with Bill Russo

 

I really appreciate you reading my book! Here are my social media coordinates:

 

Friend me on Facebook: www.facebook.com/bill.russo.73

 

Subscribe to my blog- Adventures in Type and Space : http://billrrrrr.blogspot.com/

 

Email me anytime at [email protected]

 

 

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