Passage G2d

 11

**An American Mother**

“Ma?”

My heart almost stopped beating when I heard my daughter's voice on the phone. One short word and I knew that Linda had been taking dope again. Her voice was usually soft and sweet, but now it was hoarse.

"Linda, where are you?" I tried my best not to show my anger. "Are you at a friend's place?"

"Yes, I'm with a friend of mine."

"Are you sure you're all right? You don't sound well at all. Hadn't you better come home?"

"I haven't got any money."

"Can you tell me where you are? I'll come and bring you home."

"No! This is no place for you."

"Then why did you call me? Just to make me suffer?" I was really angry now. "You promised you wouldn't take pills any more!" I shouted at her. "Do you still remember your promise?"

There was no reply—just a click at the other end of the line.

It was a cold rainy Saturday morning in April. I was worried. "Where is she? Will she get home safely?" I wasn't angry any more. My heart went out to my child.

An hour later the phone rang again. I was afraid to answer it, "Something terrible must have happened," I thought. I was right. It was the hospital.

"Is this Linda Harper's mother?"

"Yes. What's happened to my daughter?"

"Linda had a bad fall in the street and was brought to our hospital. She passed out while the doctor was taking care of her. We think she's been taking dope. Would you come to the hospital?"

My husband was away. I didn't want to ask anyone to go with me to the hospital. I felt I was to blame too. Every time Linda took those pills I felt as if I had handed them to her.

It was now raining heavily. I went to the hospital by myself. I was led to a small room. Linda lay sleeping quietly on a table.

This wasn't the first time Linda had taken too many pills. I knew she would sleep deeply for about twelve hours until the poison had stopped doing its harm.

I sat down by Linda's side and watched her sleep. The room was still. I looked around. The room seemed familiar. "Have I been here before?" I wondered. I looked around again." I'm sure I've been in this room," I told myself. Then I remembered. It was in this very room that I gave birth to Linda seventeen years ago. How happy I was then!

Linda used to be such a bright, healthy child. "What has turned her into a dope-taker?" I asked myself. "And why are millions of young people like her taking dope to destroy themselves? There must be something seriously wrong with our society. What is it?"

12

Mathematics Is Fun

Mathematics is fun. Long sums are often boring, but problems and puzzles are often interesting. Here is a problem for you. Three men had a meal in a small restaurant. After the meal, the waiter brought them a bill for thirty dollars. Each man gave the waiter a ten-dollar note. The waiter took the thirty dollars to the cash-desk. At the cash-desk, however, he found that there was a mistake. The bill was only twenty-five dollars, so he took five dollars back to the men. But the three men could not divide the five dollars among them.

"Let's give the waiter two of the five dollars," one of the men said. "Then he can give us one dollar each."

The other two agreed to this, and so each man received only one dollar from the waiter. This means that each man paid nine dollars for his meal. The waiter kept two dollars. Three times nine is twenty-seven, plus two is twenty-nine. Where is the other dollar?

Revision 3

**Lost in the Fog**

It's been quite some time **since** I was last in London, but something happened during that visit **that** I'll remember as long as I live.

London is well-known for its terrible fogs. During my visit, it was terribly foggy. You could hardly see your hands in front of your face. Cars and buses moved slowly, their lights on and their horns blowing wildly. **When** evening fell, the weather got worse. All traffic came to a stop. I had an important meeting on the other side of town. I was to be there at six o'clock. It was impossible to find a taxi, so I decided to walk and set out at once.

Minutes later I was completely lost. I couldn't even find a street sign to know **where** I was. Then I heard a voice coming out of the fog. "I suppose you are lost. Can I help you?" I could hardly see the young woman **who** had spoken to me, but was glad to find someone in the fog. I explained **where** I wanted to go, and she said she knew exactly how to get there. I was puzzled for a moment, then I followed her through the dark streets.

The city seemed as quiet as a cemetery and I remembered thinking the woman could be leading me to a lonely place **where** she and her friends would rob me. But nothing happened. The woman led me right to the place **where** I wanted to go.

I was greatly surprised at how well she had found her way through the fog.

"I know this part of town quite well," she said.  

"But the fog - this terrible fog - made it impossible to see anything," I said.

"It makes no difference to me **whether** it's foggy or clear. You see, I'm blind," she said.

**Who Has Disappeared?**

Mum: Have you seen the dog, Peter?

Peter: No, Mum, I've been upstairs all evening.

Mum: Have you seen him, Joe?

Joe: No, Mum.

Mum: Have you, Alice?

Alice: No, Mum. I've shouted for him and I've tried all the neighbours. None of them have seen him.

Mum: Oh well, dear, you've done everything.

Ah! Your father has just come in. Perhaps he has seen Bob.

Alice: Dad, have you found Bob?

Dad: No. Why? Has he disappeared?

Joe: Yes, we haven't seen him for three hours.

Peter: We must search all the streets, Dad. 

Joe: Take the car, Dad.

Alice: Please, Dad. Perhaps he has ...

Dad: All right, all right! Just a minute! Let me get the car out first.

*(One minute later)*

Dad: Joan, we've found Bob! He's been in the garage all evening. Silly old dog. And he hasn't barked once!

Mum: Oh good. But where has Peter gone?

Joe: He's gone out on his bike.

Mum: What! At this time of night? He might get lost or have an accident.

Dad: Don't be silly, Joan. Of course he won't.

Mum: Well, do something! Don't just stand there. Telephone the police. Ask the neighbours. Oh, dear! *(One minute later)*

Peter: No luck, Mum.

Mum: Peter! Where have you been? We've been looking for you everywhere.

Peter: Well, I've been searching for Bob. But I haven't found him.

Mum: Well, your father has found him in the garage.

Peter: Oh good. But where's Dad?

Mum: Where has ...? Oh no! Now Dad has disappeared.

**Seventeen Camels**

Once upon a time there was an old man who had three sons. Calling them together, he said, "Sons, my end is near. To my oldest son I will give half my camels, to my second one-third, and to my youngest one-ninth." The next day he died. 

Now, the old man had seventeen camels, and the three brothers were puzzled to know how to share them as their father said. They thought a long time about the problem and it seemed that they must either kill some of the camels and cut them into pieces, or disobey their father. At last they went to an old friend of their father's and asked his advice. As soon as he heard their story, he said, "I will help you. I am old. I have only one camel, but take it. It is yours." With many thanks the three sons took the old man's camel, finding that it was now easy to divide the camels as their father wished. The oldest took half, which was nine camels; the second took one-third, which was six; and the youngest took one-ninth, which was two. Only when each received his share of camels did they discover that there was one camel to spare. So, out of gratitude to their father's friend, they returned the camel.