—Hello, Allen. This is Collin speaking.

　　—

　　—Fine. How about you?

　　—

　　—Good. And how's Bob feeling after his holiday?

　　—

　　—I see. I've got quite a lot to tell you.

　　—

　　—I've just got engaged!

　　—

　　—Yes! No. We haven't fixed the date yet.

　　—

　　—What's she like?

　　—

　　—Lovely girl! We met on a bus, believe it or not.

　　—

　　—Yes. We just happened to be sitting together and got into the conversation. And we made a date for the same evening, and discovered we've got a lot in common, you know, same interests and, we laugh at the same things.

　　—

　　—No. You don't know her. Hmm. At least she doesn't know you or Bob.

　　—

　　—Oh, about three weeks now.

　　—

　　—Well, yes. It was quite a sudden decision, but I feel really happy. I'd like you both to meet her. Now, how about a meal together one evening soon?

　　—

　　—Would you ask Bob to ring me?

　　—

　　—Oh, I must go now. My boss has just come into the office. Bye.

　　—

　　—Oh, thanks. Bye.

　　Everyone knows him as Old Arthur. He lives in a little hut in the middle of a small wood, about a mile from the village. He visits the village store twice a week to buy food and paraffin, and occasionally he collects letters and his pension from the post office. A few weeks ago, a reporter from the local newspaper interviewed him. This is what he said:

　　I get up every morning with the birds. There is a stream near my hut and I fetch water from there. It's good, clear, fresh water, better than you get in the city. Occasionally, in the winter, I have to break the ice. I cook simple food on my old paraffin stove, mostly stews and things like that. Sometimes I go to the pub and have a drink, but I don't see many people. I don't feel lonely. I know this wood very well, you see. I know all the little birds and animals that live here and they know me. I don't have much money, but I don't need much. I think I'm a lucky man.

　　James wrote a play for television, about an immigrant family who came to England from Pakistan, and the problems they had settling down in England. The play was surprisingly successful, and it was bought by an American TV company.

　　James was invited to go to New York to help with the production. He lived in Dulwich, which is an hour's journey away from Heathrow. The flight was due to leave at 8:30 am, so he had to be at the airport about 7:30 in the morning. He ordered a mini-cab for 6:30, set his alarm for 5:45, and went to sleep. Unfortunately he forgot to wind the clock, and it stopped shortly after midnight. Also the driver of the mini-cab had to work very late that night and overslept.

　　James woke with that awful feeling that something was wrong. He looked at his alarm clock. It stood there silently, with the hands pointing to ten past twelve. He turned on the radio and discovered that it was, in fact, ten to nine. He swore quietly and switched on the electric kettle.

　　He was just pouring the boiling water into the teapot when the nine o'clock pips sounded on the radio. The announcer began to read the news: "... reports are coming in of a crash near Heathrow Airport. A Boeing 707 bound for New York crashed shortly after taking off this morning. Flight number 2234 ..." James turned pale.

　　"My flight," he said out loud. "If I hadn't overslept, I'd have been on that plane."

　　Interviewer: Do you mind if I ask you why you've never got married?

　　Dennis: Uh ... well, that isn't easy to answer.

　　Interviewer: Is it that you've never met the right woman? Is that it?

　　Dennis: I don't know. Several times I have met a woman who seemed right, as you say. But for some reason it's never worked out.

　　Interviewer: No? Why not?

　　Dennis: Hmm. I'm not really sure.

　　Interviewer: Well, could you perhaps describe what happened with one of these women?

　　Dennis: Uh ... yes, there was Cynthia, for example.

　　Interviewer: And what kind of woman was she?

　　Dennis: Intelligent. Beautiful. She came from the right social background, as well. I felt I really loved her. But then something happened.

　　Interviewer: What?

　　Dennis: I found out that she was still seeing an old boyfriend of hers.

　　Interviewer: Was that so bad? I mean, why did you ... why did you feel that ...

　　Dennis: She had told me that her relationship was all over, which ... uh ... which was a lie.

　　Interviewer: Are you saying that it was because she had lied to you that you decided to break off the relationship?

　　Dennis: Yes, yes, exactly ... Obviously, when I found out that she had lied to me, I simply couldn't ... uh ... well, I simply couldn't trust her any more. And of course that meant that we couldn't possibly get married.

　　Interviewer: Uh, huh. I see. At least, I think I do. But ... you said there were several women who seemed 'right.'

　　Dennis: Yes.

　　Interviewer: Well, ... what happened the other times?

　　Dennis: Well, once I met someone who I think I loved very deeply but ... unfortunately she didn't share my religious views.

　　Interviewer: Your religious views?

　　Dennis: Yes, I expect the woman I finally marry to agree with me on such ... such basic things as that.

　　Interviewer: I see.

　　Dennis: Does that sound old-fashioned?

　　Interviewer: Uh ... no. Not necessarily. What was her name, by the way?

　　Dennis: Sarah.

　　Interviewer: Do you think you'll ever meet someone who meets ... uh ... how shall I say it ... who meets all your ... requirements?

　　Dennis: I don't know. How can I? But I do feel it's important not to ... not to just drift into ... a relationship, simply because I might be lonely.

　　Interviewer: Are you lonely?

　　Dennis: Sometimes. Aren't we all? But I know that I can live alone, if necessary. And I think I would far prefer to do that ... to live alone ... rather than to marry somebody who isn't really ... uh ... well, really what I'm looking for ... what I really want.

　　Every color has a meaning. And as you choose a color, you might like to remember that it's saying something. We've said that red is lovable. Green, on the other hand, stands for hope; it is tranquil. Pink is romantic, while brown is serious. White is an easy one—white is pure. Orange is generous. Violet is mysterious, turquoise is strong and blue is definitely feminine