Like Father, Like Son

A few years ago Mary Taylor had gone to London with her son to see the Chinese Exhibition then at the British Museum.

Her son, then aged 19, had not seen his father since he was 18 months old. In the exhibition, he and his mother became separated. ‘He returned to me, ashen white, and said, “Don’t think me silly, but I have just met my father. I know it is him. We just came face to face and I knew”. I went across with my and realized that it was indeed my one-time lover, and that he, too, from the expression of shock on his face, had recognized my son. (They are actually very similar in appearance, and were even wearing identical spectacle-frames.)

‘ We all went for a drink, and he told us that he had been in London for a meeting and had suddenly had a compulsive urge to leave it and go to the exhibition, taking a taxi to reach it.’

(from ‘Coincidence’ by Brian Inglis)

b) Referring back to the stories, prove that:

1. In some situations encounters may not be considered as coincidence.

2. Like begets like.

3. There is no escape from love.

Provide these statements with some episodes or situations based on your own experience.

3. A) Read the following story and answer the questions: Another Time, Another Place

When Nuala Walshe was introduced to Des, a tall handsome Australian who was visiting her remote village in the west of Ireland, she was delighted to meet the newcomer and their friendship swiftly blossomed into a closer relationship. Nuala, who had been brought up by an aunt after her mother died, was excitedly looking forward to her engagement day.

‘On the day, Des had been invited by my aunt to have tea, I produced a letter of congratulations from my father who was living in England. I got the shock of my life when Des snatched the letter out of my hand and, in a fearful rage, tore it to pieces.

‘Suddenly the room grew cold and I felt a strange cold draught. As I looked over at Des, I became terrified, because standing behind his chair was the figure of a dark-haired young man watching me with concern. I froze with fear and in an instant the man disappeared.

‘Des had gone deathly white. He was staring into space as if he were looking at something behind my chair. Suddenly he passed out and collapsed on the floor.

‘When he’d recovered, he said that a woman had appeared behind my chair. I didn’t dare tell him what I had seen. When my aunt showed Des an old photograph of my mother, he told us it was the same woman.

‘Des left on his own and as he walked to the gate he became aware of the cold atmosphere again, even though it was a beautiful warm August day. He stared in horror as he saw the bolt in the gate opening for him, as if bidding him to leave.

‘As he drove away from the cottage, a woman loomed up in front of the car. He panicked as he recognized my dead mother. She was pointing to the distance, as if telling him to go away.

‘ When he arrived home and got out of the car, to his great relief the woman was nowhere to be seen.

‘The next day Des told me the engagement was off because he was certain my mother was trying to frighten him away.

‘To get over the disappointment, I decided to visit my father and his new wife, Betty, in England. When there was a ring on the doorbell, Betty said it was probably her nephew, Jim.

‘I couldn’t believe my eyes when Jim entered the room. He was the man I had seen standing behind Des in my aunt’s cottage. I was even more amazed when he smiled and said, ‘Haven’t we met before some place?’

- What did Nuala see behind Des’s chair?

- What did Des see behind Nuala’s chair?

- Who was it?

- What happened as he was driving away?

- Who was Jim?

- What do you think happens next?

- Write down all the expressions connected to fear and surprise.

b) 1) How do you feel about ghost stories like this? Do you feel ;

afraid/ sceptical/ amused?