mary's life

8/18/2019 Mary's life

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Flávio Monteiro

Mary’s Life


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2 • MARY’S LIFE


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THE BLACK CAT AND OTHER STORIES • 1

1

Hello, I’m Mary. I’m Canadian. I’m from Whistler, a nice city in Canada. It is nearVancouver and there are many mountains and parks there. I love my hometown!

My last name is Peart and I am 22 years old. I’m single and I am a student at agreat university. The university’s name is University of Calgary. Calgary is a city in theprovince of Alberta, Canada. I live in Calgary. I study English. I want to be a teacher!

I like books. My favorite writers are Stephanie Meyer and Nicholas Sparks. TheHost and Dear John are fantasc works!

I have two brothers and one sister. My brother’s names are Alex and Jim, and mysister’s name is Kate.

Alex is 16 years old. He’s a student and his favorite free me acvity is drawing.He draws animals, especially dogs. His dogs are very beauful!

Jim is 30 and he is married. His wife’s name is Jill. She is 32. Jim is a doctor andJill is an architect. They have a kid. His name is Michael and he is 4 years old. They are ahappy family!

My sister Kate is a musician. She’s 23. She plays two musical instruments: theguitar and the bass. She likes jazz music. Kate is single.

My parents are Robert and Suzy. My father is 58 and my mother is 60. Dad is a

police ocer and Mom is an actress.

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It’s lunch break at the University now. I am with Julia. She is a good friend. She’s23 and she’s Mexican. She’s from Mexico City. Julia is an intelligent girl and she’s in theEnglish program. We are in the cafeteria.

We are happy and red. It’s the end of the semester. Everybody is making plans

for the summer now.

I’m going to travel. I’m going to drive up to Whitehorse, in the state of Yukon.Whitehorse is the capital. There are big museums and nice rivers there.

In Whitehorse, I’m going to visit my boyfriend. His name is Neil. He’s 28 and he’sa cook. He’s a chef at a very famous restaurant. He’s a nice man!

It’s possible that I will live in Whitehorse with Neil in the future and that we willget married. I’m so excited! I love him and he loves me!

It’s one o’clock p.m. We’ll go to class now.


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2 • MARY’S LIFE

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On my way to the classroom, I see Mr. Carson’s oce. Mr. Carson is an AmericanLiterature professor here. He’s a nice man. He is reading a book. I look at him and say hi.He is very glad to see me. I’m a good student.

Mr. Carson says: “May I speak to you for a minute, Mary?”

I stop and listen.

Mr. Carson says: “There is a literature event downtown tonight. Dan Brown isgoing to talk about his books and his career. Can you go there and write a report aboutit?”

I say yes and go to the classroom.

4

Now I’m at home. It’s two p.m. and it’s a beauful aernoon. I’m in my bedroom.There are nice things here: a computer, a television, a video game system and manybooks, of course. There is a big photograph too: my boyfriend and I together and veryhappy.

I’ll play a video game now. I love adventure games! I have a good me when I playthem!

Aer playing, it’s me to go to the gym. I’m going to work out.

5

Now I’m back from the gym. My dad is reading the newspaper and my mom is

washing the dishes. My brother Alex is drawing and my sister Kate is playing the guitar.I’m very red and I’ll take a shower.

Aer the shower, I get my cell phone and call Neil, my boyfriend. We start ourconversaon:

- Hello, Neil!

- Hello, babe, how are you doing?

- Fine, dear. What about you?

- I’m excited! Your visit is coming!


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MARY’S LIFE • 3

- That’s right. I’m so glad! I’m leaving for Whitehorse on the 4th next month. I’mgoing to spend two weeks with you.

- I’m sure we’ll have a ball here, sweee!

- For sure. There’s an important event I’m going to parcipate in tonight. I’ve gotto go now, honey. Bye!

- Take care, Mary.

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Aer I say goodbye to Neil, the phone rings. It’s Julia, my friend from the university:

- Hello, Julia. How are you?

- I’m ne, Mary. Are you going downtown tonight?

- Yes, I am. There’s a literature event and I’ve got to write a report about it. I’mgoing to meet Dan Brown! It’s incredible!

- Oh, really? Can I go with you?

- Of course, Julia.

- Are you going on foot?

- No, I’m not. I’m driving. Are you coming to my house so we can go together?

- Yeap. I’ll be there at 8 p.m.

- Ok, Julia.

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It’s evening. I’ve got to get ready for the event. I’m by my bedroom window andI see the trees in the backyard. They’re tall and beauful, and I remember Neil. He’s nothere with me. I’m sad…

Julia arrives and tells me about her day. Her life here is very nice.

We enter my car and listen to music. Now Adele is singing with her marvelousvoice!

On our way to the event, we observe Calgary. There are monuments, restaurants,shopping malls and many other things. It’s a great place!

There are a lot of people downtown. Many of them are here to see Dan Brown.


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He’s a very famous celebrity in Canada.

Julia and I are thirsty and hungry. Before the event starts, we decide to go toGeddy’s, a nice pizza place here!

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Now we’re having pepperoni pizza and chang. Some of our friends are atGeddy’s too. Everybody is having a good me!

Julia is telling me about Mexico…in Spanish! I’m glad I can understand a wordhere and there. I’ve got to pracce. Spanish is a beauful language.

Then I see Mr. Carson. He’s eang alone. He sees me and smiles. There’s a bookon his table. Probably one of Dan Brown’s works. I think my professor will ask for anautograph.

I observe Mr. Carson. He nishes his pizza and starts reading. He’s so serious! Hereads and reads and then… he screams! There’s a large mouse under his table! No, inreality there are two mice! The professor is desperate!

Julia and I are perplexed and everybody is laughing! I look at my professor andsay: “Don’t panic!”, but Mr. Carson ignores me and leaves the place.

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It’s me to meet Dan Brown! We leave Geddy’s and go to the auditorium wherethe famous writer is going to be.

There are many people in the auditorium. I can see students, teachers, reportersand dozens of Dan’s fans! Everybody is so excited!

Dan appears and greets the audience. He is thankful that we’re all there to seehim. He says that he’s going to speak about his books and career, and also that everybody

can parcipate and ask quesons.

Aer some me, I see Mr. Carson entering the room. He’s serious again.

I ask the writer:

- Mr. Brown, what is your favorite book in American literature?

He stops, thinks for a second and says:

- It’s a John Steinbeck book. The tle is Of Mice and Men.

Everybody looks at Mr. Carson and laughs. He’s so embarrassed!


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MARY’S LIFE • 5

The event is nice. The audience and the writer have fun.

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Saturday morning. It’s a new day! I get up, take a long shower and have breakfast.The pancakes my mother prepares are delicious!

I’ve got to write the report for Mr. Carson, but I feel lazy this morning… So, Idecide to surf the net. First, I check my e-mail. Next, I watch funny videos.

I’m using a social network now. I’m chang with friends from all over the world.They’re Brazilian, Japanese, Italian, American, etc.

My boyfriend is a social network friend too. He says hello and we chat for threehours. I tell him all about last night. He loves Mr. Carson’s mice episode! He laughs a lot!

Aer the chat with Neil I call Julia and we talk for some minutes. She feels lazytoo…

Today is Julia’s mother’s birthday. Now I remember it. The party is going to betonight at Julia’s house. I’m red, but I’ve got to go! I’m sure it will be good.

I´ll stay home all day long. No reports today…

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At the party, I have soda and nachos. Nachos is a Mexican dish of torlla chipscovered with cheese or cheese-based sauce, served as a snack. It is delicious!

We’re having a good me, and everybody is happy tonight.

Julia introduces me to Gina, her cousin:

- This is Gina. - says Julia.

- Nice to meet you, Gina! - I say.

- Nice to meet you too, Mary! - Gina replies with a smile.

We start talking and Gina tells me about her roune:

- I’m a waitress at a fast food restaurant downtown. I work there in the morningand in the aernoon. I’m an actress too. I’m in drama school at night. One day, I wantto be very famous, like Jennifer Lawrence! On weekends, I go to the cinema with myfriends.


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6 • MARY’S LIFE

Wow, Gina is an actress, and that is so nice! She goes on:

- My dad has a house on the mountains. It’s a cabin. I go there to pracce for thepresentaons at the drama school. It’s very important to get ready for them. Hey, girls,it’s a good idea if we go there right now!

I look at Julia. I can see in her eyes that she likes her cousin’s suggeson. It’smidnight. We decide to go to the cabin.

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We’re in Gina’s car. She’s driving and the three of us are singing. Lady Gaga isplaying on the radio.

It’s a cold night. We’re on the road to Gina’s father’s cabin. We are going up themountain.

There are no people here. It’s very silent. It’s so dierent from the party!

Aer some minutes, we see the cabin. There’s a black cat in front of it…

Gina parks her car and we walk to the cabin’s front door. Gina unlocks it andopens it. It’s a quiet and dark atmosphere.

Gina says there’s an electric lamp they use to light the place. Where is the lamp?We can’t nd it!

We hear a sound outside: it’s the car. Someone is driving it in circles around the


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MARY’S LIFE • 7

cabin!

The door closes. We try to open it, but it is locked! We’re all desperate!

The sound of the car stops. We have no idea of what’s happening…

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It is dark, but the moonlight helps us see parts of the room.

Now we’re quiet. Then Julia says:

- Mary, are you there?

- Yes, I am. We’re in an insane situaon!

- That’s right, my friend! What are we going to do?

- I don’t know… Wait a second, we can phone our parents!

- Oh, yeah! I’ll get my cell phone!

- Me too! Wait… I can´t nd my cell phone!

- And I can´t nd mine, Mary! Oh, my!

- Gina, what about your phone? Is it there with you? Gina? Gina?!? Where areyou?!?

Gina isn’t in the cabin with us! Where is she?!?

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Julia and I stop. We are quiet now. We sit down and noce it’s raining outside.

There’s thunder and lightning, and it’s probably over one a.m….

My friend is sleeping. I think she’s very red. I’m anxious and nervous, and I can’tsleep.

Aer one or two hours, the car is back. It is surrounding the cabin again. This methere’s music coming from the car. It’s a strange instrumental song. The music is veryloud. Wow, it’s an incredible guitar sound!

Julia wakes up and tells me she’s afraid. I’m afraid too, but Julia is completelydesperate! She’s screaming!

The car and the music stop. There are footsteps outside. Someone is walking inthe cabin’s direcon, in our direcon! Who is that person?!?


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The door opens... Julia and I are terried!

A strange man appears at the door. He’s wearing a black jacket and his face… It’sso dark, we can´t see it…

- What are you girls doing here at this me of night? –the strange man asks witha peculiar voice.

We’re afraid and silent. He connues:

- It’s so dangerous here! You don’t understand the risks! I’m sure your parents

always tell you that. Now I’ll teach you a lesson you’ll never forget. I will punish you,disobedient girls!

The strange man approaches us. He takes an object out of his jacket pocket…

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We look at the object. It isn’t large. The man moves it from one hand to the other.

Then the object becomes big. It is…an umbrella!

The music starts to play again. It’s jazz now. Is the strange man… dancing?

Now the lights are on. Julia holds the electric lamp. She is laughing!

I look at the strange man. It’s Gina, Julia’s cousin! Now I remember: she’s anactress!

Julia and Gina are laughing a lot. They are having a ball!

I’m furious, and then I see Kate, my sister, entering the cabin.

- Hello, sis! - Kate says. – I’m sorry about the instrumental music. That’s a recordingof me playing the guitar in my bedroom.

I’m not ok, and I ask my sister and my two friends:

- Why, you stupid girls?

- Because we have a surprise for you! – they answer in chorus.


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MARY’S LIFE • 9

The author Flávio Monteiro

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The music is dierent now. It’s a romanc Celine Dion song. She’s a Canadiansinger who sings the famous song My Heart will Go On from the Titanic movie.

Again, there are footsteps outside, but this me we aren’t tense.

I look at the open door. Can you imagine who enters the cabin?

It’s Neil! My boyfriend is here to see me! He’s got a nice smile on his face! I’m sohappy! I give him a hug and a big kiss!

- What a surprise, dear!- I say to my boyfriend.

- It’s good to be here, babe. - he replies.

Now we’re all happy and dancing.


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10 • MARY’S LIFE

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It’s Sunday and I’m with Neil. We’re walking hand in hand at a beauful park herein Calgary. It’s a wonderful sunny day!

There are many birds singing and lots of tall trees. There’s also a river here, andthe water is nice and clean.

We can see a group of kids playing soccer, and also couples walking together, justlike Neil and me.

We’re making lots of plans; every word we say is a word of aecon.

The fact that Neil is here is marvelous. It’s perfect! I want this day to be eternal!

I’m daydreaming…

The author Flávio Monteiro


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mary's life

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