Category: Chartan fast fiction
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The Adventures of Chartan: Squeeze
(Last Sunday: Chartan doubts himself.) Brazil leveled his M16 and prepared to squeeze the trigger at the dark shadows creeping slowly towards him some 50 feet away. This was that moment that had haunted him for 50 years, only now he was in Kyiv. Crouched by him about five feet away an American veteran…
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The Adventures of Chartan: the Meltdown
(Last week: Chartan rejects the overtures from a young female student.) Chartan opened the apartment door slowly, anticipating a glare from Gina seated at the kitchen table. He was returning from his class an hour later than usual. No one was at the table. He called his wife’s name. No response. It only…
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The Adventures of Chartan: After Class Confrontation
(Last week Chartan resumes teaching life restoration class but is upended by a student who wants love advice.) Chartan smiled at the woman before telling her in a monotone voice that he had another appointment and could not talk to her. “That’s not helpful,” she replied. “If you come early to the…
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The Adventures of Chartan: Back in Class
(Last week: Julie and Gina talk about Brazil’s decision to go overseas; Brazil’s return to combat haunts him; and Chartan decides to teach a life restoration class again.) Chartan drew a deep breath and looked around the classroom crammed with 32 people who had paid to hear him talk for the last hour…
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The Adventures of Chartan: Doubts
(Last Sunday: Brazil is about to cross the Polish border into the Ukraine while Chartan drives four tipsy twenty-somethings.) Julie and Gina are seated across from each other at a coffee house table. Although they had talked nonstop for a good five minutes, an awkward silence had set in with both women staring…
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The Adventures of Chartan: Thinking While Driving
(Last Sunday: Chartan is upended by Brazil’s decision to go to Ukraine to fight the Russians.) Chartan gripped the limo’s steering wheel hard while trying to block out the conversation of the four young people he was driving. They were talking to each other at once and although he had the glass window up,…
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The Adventures of Chartan: Off to War!
(Last week: Chartan and Brazil renew their friendship over coffee.) As expected Gina was seated at the kitchen table when Chartan opened the door to their apartment. They smiled in unison. “How was coffee? she asked. “We promised to work on our friendship.” “Good. Any mention of Julie?” Chartan sat…
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The Adventures of Chartan: Coffee Talk
(Last Sunday: The story transitions to the present where Chartan regrets neglecting his relationship with Brazil.) Chartan and Brazil sat across from each other at a wood table in the center of their favorite coffee shop featuring, as always, “The Chartan,” a 72-bean French roast intended to jolt the sleepy. Each man gripped…
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The Adventures of Chartan: Transition to the Present
(Last Sunday: Brazil fails to follow up on a clandestine offer for combat veterans.) With the spur of the moment decision to get married safely in the past, Chartan and Gina settled into a routine of work and discussions about their baby due in three months. The name will be either Jake or…
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