COL·LABORACIONS One Man’s Loss is Another Man’s Gain

Some months ago, I came across a pile of books on my way to work. They were next to a house with a note which said: ‘Take me and read me!’. At first, I ignored them, but seeing that they were always there, I decided to take one of them. It was awesome! So, the following day I took another one. In this way, I started to read those books which had mysteriously appeared on the street.

One day, I decided to knock on the door of the house where the books were. An old lady opened the door and explained to me that his husband had kicked the bucket recently and she was cleaning up her home. His husband was a big reader, so the house was full of books. She didn’t want to throw them away, therefore she decided to let them in the street and give them a second life. As she said: One man’s loss is another man’s gain.

Since that moment, I changed from taking the street books to spending time with the lady. At our meetings, we would read their husband’s books and comment on them together. That was the beginning of a lifelong friendship.

Lidia Carreras Anglès, B2.2-A

Waiting For a Call

It was a cold morning in late November and she was really tired because she couldn’t sleep during the night. That was all related to the last two stressful weeks. Mary had quit her job and moved to the other side of the country. She wanted a new fresh start, but she was penniless, she only had enough money for one more month. Today she is waiting for a call. That call will decide her future, whether she stays and starts to work for one of the biggest companies in the country or whether she has to go back to her parents’ home.

Mary put her sporty clothes on and went for a run. That always relaxed her and kept her mind sharp, it was her own form of meditation. The road was empty, normally it was full of other runners but today she only saw one in the distance. She liked it here, the landscape, the fresh air and all the green mountains. She took a deep breath, started to run and decided that today would be a fantastic day. Forty-five minutes later, when she was coming back to her new house, not yet home, she suddenly saw a twenty-pound note on the ground. Maybe today was her lucky day? She thought that one man’s loss is another man’s gain. She also hoped that this luck would continue during the day.

Half an hour later, when she was ready to eat her breakfast after her long shower, the telephone rang. After a brief conversation, she hung up and started to jump and scream all over her house. This was her lucky day indeed!

Gema Pérez Anglès, B2.2-A

“From every mountainside, let freedom ring.”