The test

The board of examiners was sitting in front. He saluted them and his sword according to the protocol. Then, he started his “kata”. Once he finished he sat on a seat of the stands. He then realized it had been his body which had done the test, not his mind. 

The death row

The “units” crossed the barrier. They were taken into a room. They were slit ruthlessly, the floor full of fresh blood. They carried the bodies out of the room. Then, they were placed carefully in a row in the large oven. “I’d like a roast chicken, please” said a customer.

The Japanese interpreter

160 people were listening to him. Nobody could understand a single word, except the interpreter. She admired him, his teachings and his effort coming to Spain two or three times per year. Tears of emotion and love blurred her sight when she publicly acknowledged how much those kendoka appreciated him.

A life

He got married, had two daughters, and worked hard. After lunch, he had a cigarette and a cup of ice-cream. Afterwards, he got asleep in the sofa, while his wife watched South American soap operas. In the evening, they usually went for a walk. And so, until he passed away.

Burning love

She remembered that time they were making love. Both of them burning with desire, wishing to melt in the other’s body. Her hands slid slowly along his back, while his softly caressed her pearled skin. They were rhythmically sinking in a sea of desire, when their baby said: “Mom, piss!”

The swimmer

It was irrelevant whether it was cold or hot, winter or summer. His palms were always wet with sweat. He knew people didn’t want to shake hands or be touched by his hands. His pockets were full of tissues to dry his hands. He was only happy in the swimming-pool.

Charlie

Charlie was eleven. One day he got up while his science teacher was teaching and began to walk amongst the desks. The teacher asked him to sit down. Charlie went on walking and miming as he really believed he had the power of becoming invisible to people when he wanted.

A writing skills teacher

He always did his best, teaching his students what to do and how to start when they were asked to write a composition. Back at home, he sat at his desk and, as always, he threw the blank sheet of paper into the wastepaper bin after an hour of frustration.

The candidate

Eventually, the smiling candidate became elected president of the country. Soon, experts warned him of a coming financial crisis. He said they were alarming people. Meanwhile, he continued smiling. Millions of people lost their jobs and the trade unions organized a general strike. And yet, the president kept on smiling.