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Love in 1860: Part 6

Love in 1860 (An Easy English Story): Part 6

March 28, 1861

Dear reader,

Yesterday, I told David and Elizabeth, “I am going to pick berries in the woods.” I hid rice and meat jerky in my skirt. I began walking. I was going to walk to New York.

I walked for 45 minutes. Then, I heard tree branches cracking. Something was running. It was chasing me.

I found a large bush, and I hid under it. I prayed to God, “Don’t let me die.” Two strong arms pulled back the branches. It was David.

“You’re leaving us?” David asked sadly. His saw the rice that spilled out of my skirt. He looked at me with soft eyes. “You’re leaving us,” he repeated. He took off his shoe. Inside his shoe, there was money. “I have $92,” he said. “I was going to give it to you when I got $100.”

David held my hand and helped me stand up. “Grace, it’s dangerous for you here. I want to help you go north. Mother and I are saving money for you. I want to take you on a train to the north. If you walk, you might get lost. Or you might get hurt.”

I was thankful, but I was also confused. “But I’m black. Can I ride the train from Virginia?”

David sighed. “If I tell them that you are my slave.”

I look up at him angrily.

“But I want you to be my wife.” David’s green eyes looked deeply into mine. “And then we can live together in the north.”

I started to argue, but David stopped me. He said, “I know that some people will hate us. I know that Mother will have to move north with us. I know that the trip will be long. But I want to live my life with you.”

Finally. Finally I have a family. Finally I have a home. Finally I have David. My body shook with happiness. My legs became weak, and I sat on the ground. David sat next to me. He held me close to his chest.

“So?” he asked.

“Yes,” I said. “Let’s get married.”

The future is dangerous. We don’t know who will marry us. We don’t know where we will live.

But we will protect each other.

Yours truly,
Grace Miller

Part 7>

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Love in 1860: Part 3

Love in 1860 (An Easy English Story): Part 3

October 3, 1860

Dear reader,

I might like it here. It is so calm. So peaceful.

David, Elizabeth, and I work in the garden and in the barn all day. I feed the chickens, and I take water from the river for the plants. The birds sing in the trees around us. Elizabeth bakes fresh bread for dinner every night. David buys sugar, flour, and butter from the market every week. He makes money by selling furniture.

Last month, I told David, “I want to help you make furniture. You and Elizabeth are so kind. Let me help.” Now, David is teaching me to make a table out of wood. We work together in the barn every night.

Yesterday, David and I were carving flowers into the table. The night was cold. My hand started shaking. David put his hand on mine. His hand was warm and rough.

David asked quietly, “Can I hold you?”

I looked up at him. David looked away. His cheeks were red.

“Yes,” I said.

David pulled me to his chest. He rubbed my back and my arms. “Are you warm yet?” he asked.

I was very warm. My heart was beating fast. But I said, “I’m still cold.” David laughed and hugged me tight.

I felt safe in his arms. I feel safe here. If this is a dream, I don’t want to wake up.

Yours truly,
Grace Miller

Part 4>

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Love in 1860: Part 2

Love in 1860 (An Easy English Story): Part 2

July 20, 1860

Dear reader,

I miss my home. I miss my cat, Stripes. I miss my apartment in Boston. I miss riding the subway. I miss my friends. I miss drinking a hot cup of coffee every morning.

The names of the woman and her son are Elizabeth and David. They are very kind. I can’t go back to 2025. Elizabeth asked me, “Where are you from?” I couldn’t explain.

I told her, “I can’t remember.” It was a lie, but I cannot say “from Boston in 2025.”

Elizabeth gave me a hug. She smelled like fresh bread. She said, “You can stay with us in our house. You hit your head, right? Maybe you will remember soon.”

Elizabeth is like a mother. But I miss my own mother. I miss Mom’s big smile. I miss her Jollof rice and fufu. I miss watching America’s Got Talent with her.

Yesterday, David saw me crying behind the barn. I was thinking about home. David walked in, stopped, and left. He came back five minutes later. He was holding a piece of bread and jam. David put the bread in my hands. He opened his mouth. I thought he wanted to say something. But then he left.

How will I get back home?

Yours truly,
Grace Miller

Part 3>

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Love in 1860: Part 1

Love in 1860 (An Easy English Story): Part 1

July 15, 1860

Dear reader,

My name is Grace. I am 28 years old. You may not believe me, but I am from the year 2025.

Last week, I went hiking in the mountains. I fell down. When I woke up, my head hurt. I could not find my phone. It was evening, and the sun was going down. I needed to leave the mountains.

Then I smelled smoke. Maybe someone had a fire. I walked to the smell. I saw a small house in the woods. I knocked on the door. A woman looked out the window. She was surprised, but she opened the door.

“Please help me,” I said. “I fell and hurt my head. I don’t know where the road is. Can I sleep here? Can I use your phone in the morning?”

The woman said, “We don’t have a… phone. But you can sleep here tonight.” She looked around the forest and pulled me inside.

The woman was about 50 years old. She lived with her son. He was about 30 years old. They gave me some bread and a blanket. I slept on the floor. I was tired and went to sleep.

In the morning, I woke up. I looked around. The house had a wood stove. There were blankets on the windows. There were no lights—only candles. The woman and her son were outside in the garden.

I asked, “What is today’s date?”

The son laughed. “It’s July 15, 1860.”

Am I dreaming?

Yours truly,
Grace Miller

Part 2>

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See the World: Part 10

See the World (An Easy English Story): Part 10 (Final Part)

After the surgery, like always, Neil throws up. He doesn’t have time to take out the lenses, so he vomits with his eyes closed. If he sees the cells in his stomach, he will definitely throw up again.

Neil slowly stands up, takes out the lenses, and walks out of his office. The hospital’s hallways look orange in the sunset. Dr. Umar stands in front of a big window. She is crying and smiling. And talking to a news reporter. A cameraman points a large camera at them.

Dr. Umar notices Neil and waves to him. “Neil!” she calls. The cameraman turns toward Neil, and Dr. Umar tells the reporter, “This is Dr. Neil Kalkan. He just finished the cancer surgery with me.”

The reporter waves her hand, asking Neil to come closer. She holds up a microphone. “How does it feel to use such an amazing piece of technology? The lenses, I just…” she sighs excitedly, “can’t believe this is possible!”

The reporter pushes the microphone closer to Neil’s face. Neil is not wearing the lenses, but he imagines the germs on the microphone. Neon pink slime might cover the top of the microphone, even brighter than the reporter’s lipstick. Green spikes might swirl around the handle. Some of the reporter’s yellow breath might float toward Neil’s head. Dr. Umar’s shirt sleeve, covered in tears, might drip with purple and gray germs.

Dr. Umar’s tears flow down to the corners of her mouth. They might be filled with disease. But they are filled with joy. They are filled with life.

Neil breathes in deeply.

The world will never be the same. It will always be filled with spiky, slimy, moldy germs. People will always be weak, always be followed by sickness. But there will always be joy and hope.

Neil grabs the reporter’s microphone, stepping closer to her. “Using the lenses feels…” Neil cannot finish his thought. He grabs the microphone tightly as his eyes fill with tears. Through his tears, the orange sunset, Dr. Umar’s white coat, the reporter’s worried smile, the blue hallway tiles, the green patient chairs, his gray shoes–they all blur together.

-THE END-

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The Cold: Part 9

The Cold (An Easy English Story): Part 9

Priya holds my hand with one of hers while she drives. The streets are as silent as ice.

After we arrive at the mall, I tell Priya, “Wait here. If I don’t come back in an hour, call the police.”

“What are you talking about?” she asks. “I’m coming with you.”

My eyes fill with tears. They sting. “Thank you,” I whisper.

Priya and I walk up to the mall’s main entrance. Of course, the mall is locked at 2 a.m., but we wanted to try. “Let’s try the back entrance,” Priya says. We walk around to the back of the cafe, near the trash. That door is of course locked, too.

I begin to shiver with worry. What if Dad is in the freezer in that cafe? What if he is slowly dying, and I can’t get through the door?

I walk around the mall, trying every door to see if someone forgot to lock it. Priya stays by the cafe, pressing different numbers on the lock. Maybe she can guess the password.

We try to get in the mall for an hour, and it does not work. My fingers are frozen, and my heart is heavy. I begin to say, “Let’s go home,” but hear an engine. It’s getting louder. Priya and I hide behind the bushes next to the cafe entrance. A red light shines through the leaves and gets brighter.

A large, white truck is backing up right next to the cafe.

The driver steps down from the truck and throws open the back door. Three more men climb out. They are wearing medical masks and gloves. The driver drops his keys, and another man picks it up and throws it gently toward the driver. They laugh.

Priya and I crouch lower. The men begin unlocking the door. But it is not the cafe door. It is the door next to the cafe.

After a few minutes, the men come out, pushing a large metal box on a cart. They lift it into the truck. They go back inside and get another box. And another. And another. They stack the boxes on top of each other, like coffins. One of the men sits down on the back of the truck, tired and breathing heavily. He says, “I wish I were them now,” and the other men laugh.

The three men climb into the back of the truck, the same as before, and the driver shuts the door. Priya and I look at each other and nod. It looks like they have ice bodies. We have to follow them.

When the truck begins driving away, Priya and I run to the other side of the mall and jump in her car. The truck goes down a long road around the mall. Priya keeps her car’s headlights off and follows them. When the truck gets on the highway, Priya turns on her lights and slows down. “I want to get farther from them,” she says. “They can’t know we’re following them.”

There are sadly a lot of trucks on the road in the early morning. Priya changes lanes on the highway. The white truck is always a quarter mile ahead. After 20 minutes, the truck turns off the highway. Priya and I follow.

We drive for 30 more minutes. The rushing sound of the highway grows quiet. We drive past cow fields. Their eyes shine under our car light.

Finally, we reach a large building. It is gray and has no windows. There is one entrance for people and one entrance for trucks. Neither entrance has a sign. The truck parks next to the big entrance. The driver gets out, opens the door, and drives the truck inside. The door closes with a loud bang behind them. Priya and I drive past the building. We don’t want them to think that we are following them. We stop the car down the road, behind a wall.

Priya and I sit quietly. Then Priya claps her hands together. “I don’t care if we get in trouble. It’s time to call the police.”

I nod and take out my phone. My hand shakes. A woman with a calm voice answers. “911, what’s your emergency?” I tell her about the truck and the metal boxes. I even tell her about the ice that I saw in the old cafe. I hear the woman typing my report down. She then says, “Ma’am, I’m sorry, but fifteen people called us today. They all said that they can help find the ice bodies. I know you want to help, but our police are so busy.” She sighs. “But I’ll send a police officer to see you. He’ll be there in about half an hour. You’re pretty far away from the station.”

In half an hour, Dad could be dead. If he is still alive…

I turn to Priya. “I don’t want you to get hurt, and this is about my dad, so it’s my responsibility. I’m going to that building before the police get here.”

“Ari,” Priya grabs my hand. She is adventurous, but I know that she is scared now. Her cold fingers squeeze my palm. “Those boxes… I think they’re coffins. If your dad is in there…” She shivers.

“I might see his dead body.” I finish Priya’s sentence.

“Why don’t we wait for the police? They have guns, and they can ask them to open the boxes. They can save your dad better than you can,” Priya whispers, “If he’s alive.”

I put my head in my hands and wait to hear the police sirens.

Part 10>

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How I Passed the Hardest Level of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test without Studying

Read this blog post in Easy English or Advanced English below.

Easy English

I hate studying.

I am a teacher, but I hate studying. I think that textbooks and flashcards are boring.

This was a problem when I started studying Japanese. I used some helpful sites to study for the JLPT, a Japanese language test. These sites were JLPT Sensei and Nihongo no Mori, and they were great. But I was still bored.

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I wanted to find a fun way to study.

I am always looking for fun study materials for my students. I want to use books that real English speakers wrote. These fun materials can:

  • Teach about culture
  • Teach vocabulary and grammar
  • Be interesting to read!
  • Help students have fun

I want fun materials for my students. Why don’t I use fun materials to study Japanese?

I asked my Japanese friends to tell me their favorite books, and I started reading. And I stopped using textbooks.

My dream was to read a science fiction book. Sadly, there weren’t science fiction books in easy Japanese. So I started by reading books for elementary students about daily life.

I had so much fun! And I took notes on the vocabulary and grammar in the books. My Japanese got better and better.

Slowly, I read books from different genres: historical fiction, fantasy, and mystery.

One day, I found a science fiction book for adults. And I could read it! Reading for fun helped me so much. I started reading easy books for elementary students, but soon I could read my favorite type of book. I reached my goal!

After reading many books, I took the most difficult Japanese language test: the JLPT N1. And I passed without studying. No textbooks. No grammar worksheets.

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This is the power of reading for fun.

Studying with textbooks is helpful, but the most meaningful learning is fun learning.

This is why I created Fun for Fluency. There are not many easy English stories that are fun to read. Most adults who learn English have to use children’s picture books. But Fun for Fluency has interesting stories in easy English.

You can read different English stories here. There are new stories every week!

Advanced English

I hate studying.

I’m a teacher, but it’s so hard to focus on studying vocabulary flashcards and doing reading practice exercises.

I’ve been teaching myself Japanese for years, and around the time that I was studying for the intermediate Japanese proficiency test, the JLPT N3, I used textbooks and study sites, like JLPT Sensei and Nihongo no Mori. They were useful and I recommend them to anyone studying for the JLPT.

But I wanted to learn with fun materials written by native speakers.

As an ESL teacher, I know the benefits of authentic materials. They help language learners:

  • Understand the target language culture
  • Acquire natural vocabulary and grammar in context
  • Access interesting content
  • Feel motivated

So why wasn’t I studying with authentic materials myself?

When I began studying for the JLPT N1, the most difficult Japanese proficiency test, I decided to do away with study sites for the time being and looked instead for Japanese books that sparked my interest.

I am a HUGE science fiction lover, but unfortunately there weren’t any science fiction novels that were at my level when I started studying for the N1. (This is one of the reasons I created Fun for Fluency, so that English learners can have more access to interesting stories at a comprehensible level.)

I started by reading novels for upper elementary and middle school students that featured topics of daily life. These were much more interesting than practice JLPT articles I had been reading, and I was able to take notes on the vocabulary and grammar I was encountering in the novels and learn them naturally.

As my reading progressed, I began branching out into different genres. I read historical fiction, fantasy, and mystery.

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And finally, the day came when I was able to read a science fiction novel written for adults. I couldn’t believe that I had gone from reading an elementary-level book about school friends to a classic novel satirizing the public’s belief in aliens.

And after being able to read even novels for adults, I passed the JLPT N1 on my first try. No studying.

Reading for fun is what got me there.

There is no problem with studying, and it is at times necessary to learn a new concept. But I 100% believe that the best kind of language learning is learner-initiated and authentic.

This is why Fun for Fluency is so effective. There is such a shortage of interesting materials for beginning learners of English. Fun for Fluency is a growing database of engaging, easy English stories for adolescent and adult learners. It is the gateway to being able to read authentic materials while having fun.

Check out our different English learning stories here. Stories are updated and added frequently, so visit again for more resources!

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The Cold: Part 8

The Cold (An Easy English Story): Part 8

I found Dad’s note two days ago, and I cannot stop thinking about it.

We still can’t find him. Every day I watch the news. Will they find a new ice body? Will this one be Dad?

While I am watching the news, Ms. Sato calls me. “Ari,” she says with a gentle voice. “Are you doing okay?”

“We can’t find my Dad.” I want to cry.

Ms. Sato is quiet on the other end. She finally says, “Well, I have some information that might help you know where he is. Some of our journalists interviewed the police. Yesterday, the police found something the same about all of the ice bodies. About a month before each person died, they all took out $50,000 from their bank accounts. It was cash, and they took it out in small amounts. About $5,000 ten times. Because they didn’t use a credit card or do a bank transfer, we don’t know who they paid the money to.”

My chest feels cold. I know what Ms. Sato wants me to do.

“Ari, if you check your Dad’s bank account, you can see if he took out $50,000 recently.”

I can’t speak. If Dad really took out $50,000, then I know he is an ice body.

Ms. Sato adds, “Don’t worry about work this week. And I hope you can find your dad.”

She doesn’t say, “I’m sure he’s fine.” We both know the possibility.

Mom is still sleeping, so I wake her up. With her eyes closed, she whispers, “Did they find him?”

“Maybe we can find him, Mom. I need you to check your bank account.”

“Why?” Mom sits up and reaches for her glasses beside her bed. Before I can answer, she turns on her phone and opens her bank app.

“I need to see if Dad took out money from the bank recently.”

“Oh, Dad keeps most of his money in his own account.” Mom looks worried. “But I can try to find his login info.” Mom walks to Dad’s desk and begins searching through a stack of papers. She never asks why I need to check his bank account, and I don’t want to tell her.

We look through Dad’s notes for an hour. Finally, Mom cries, “Here it is!” She opens Dad’s banking site on her laptop and types in the login and password with shaking fingers. My heart sinks when I see the screen.

December 22, 2023 -$5,000
December 29, 2023 -$8,000
December 30, 2023 -$6,000
January 5, 2024 -$7,000
January 11, 2024 -$3,000
January 15, 2024 -$8,000
January 22, 2024 -$8,000
January 25, 2024 -$5,000

That’s $50,000.

I tell Mom about Ms. Sato’s phone call. She closes the laptop and calls the police.

When Mom called the police, they said sadly that Dad is probably an ice body. They told Mom to keep checking the bank account. If Dad takes out more money, then they know he is still alive.

So far, the police have found 755 ice bodies. And now there are 82 missing people. Now, banks will have to call the police when any customers take out a large amount of money, but this won’t help people like Dad who already took out the money. The ice bodies were only found in or near Clayton. Local hotels are filled with scientists, FBI agents, and news reporters. They all hope to find more information about a disease, a killer, or a war. But no one has an answer.

I call Priya. I don’t know what to say to her. When she picks up the phone, singing “Ari Brooooooks!” in her usual way, I start to cry. I cry for several minutes, and Priya waits patiently on the phone. When I finally whisper the words “ice body,” Priya says, “My dad is asleep now. I’m coming over.”

Priya, who lives five minutes away from my house, runs through the front door and hugs me. We stand in the front hallway for a long time, just hugging. Priya’s shoulder is soaked with my tears. Priya holds my hand as we go upstairs to my bedroom. She says quietly, “I noticed your Dad’s car isn’t in the driveway. Is it your Dad?”

I nod.

“Did they find his body?”

I shake my head, crying more.

“Then there’s still time. He might be okay.” Priya grabs the tissue box from my desk and wipes my face. “How do you know that he died?”

I slowly tell Priya about the $50,000. She squeezes my hand tighter.

“Ari, Carlos told me that you found ice in the mall, right? At the cafe that closed?”

I nod.

“Then let’s go! The police aren’t being helpful. We can do more.”

I look outside at Mom’s car.

“I know your mom will worry,” Priya says, understanding the problem with her plan. “So let’s sneak out tonight.” She whispers, “I’ll pick you up at 2:00 a.m. We’ll come back before 5:00.”

I sigh. I couldn’t save Alex. But maybe I can save Dad.

Part 9>

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See the World: Part 8

See the World (An Easy English Story): Part 8

Neil sits down in the brown leather chair next to Dr. Chen’s desk. He can’t stop looking at the red-spiked germs spilling out of Dr. Chen’s mouth as she talks.

“Neil, you know that today’s patient has a very serious disease.”

“Yes, cancer,” Neil whispers.

Dr. Chen nods. “The lenses work well on diseases like HIV and Ebola, but they do not work well with cancer. But the patient doesn’t want to do chemotherapy, so the lenses could help him.”  Dr. Chen leans closer to Neil. Neil leans back. “Neil, this is the first brain cancer surgery with the lenses. If the surgery fails, please remember: It’s not your fault.” Dr. Chen smiles and grabs Neil’s hand. Neil and Dr. Chen have been coworkers and friends for ten years, and she often grabs his hand when she knows he is nervous. Neil is nervous about the surgery, but he has a stronger feeling than nervousness. Disgust. A sick feeling in his stomach.  A few of Dr. Chen’s cold cells are on her fingers from when she coughed. When she takes her hand away, Neil looks down at his hand. Neon green and red circles dance on his skin.

Neil quickly pulls his hand back. He wants to wash his hands, but he doesn’t want to be rude.

Dr. Chen continues talking about the cancer surgery, but Neil cannot think.

He feels frozen in his chair.

He tries not to look at his hand, but every time he does, he sees the green cells buried in the hair on his knuckles. He wonders if there are still cells on his face from Dr. Chen’s cough. More cells float around them as Dr. Chen talks.

I’m fine. It’s just a cold. I’m fine. It’s just a cold. Neil repeats these words in his head, but he doesn’t feel better.

“Neil?” Dr. Chen waves her hand in front of his face. “Are you ready for the surgery?”

Part 9>