The snow is melting. I can hear more birds in the morning.
And I am going to leave this house in the spring.
My plan is simple. I don’t want to stay here anymore.
When the weather is warm, I will tell David and Elizabeth, “I am going to pick berries in the woods.” I will hide food under my skirt. I will leave and never come back.
We are living in Virginia. If I walk north, maybe I can go to New York. I think New York did not have slaves in 1861. In movies, some people hide on trains. Maybe I can find a train to New York. I can hide in the back with the animals. I can sleep in the hay.
After David talked with the neighbors in December, I did not talk with him for three weeks. He and Elizabeth were worried. They said, “Don’t be angry. We need to keep you safe. You are not our slave. But if other people know that you are not our slave, they will try to take you. A black woman living with a white family is not normal. Maybe you are from the north. Did any memories come back?”
Not normal.
My mom’s parents were from Nigeria. My dad’s parents were from England and Mexico. Mom and Dad got married in 1997. This life is very normal for me.
I can’t tell this to David and Elizabeth. They can’t know that I am from 2025.
Last week, David gave me a book. It had many pictures in it. “These are pictures of cities in the north. Maybe you can remember your home.”
I looked at the pictures. I pointed to a picture of New York City. “Maybe this was my home…” I lied.
After seeing that picture, I decided to leave after the winter.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
Cancer looks like mold. The cancer cells are a deep red, like poison berries. On the berries are gray and green moldy spots. Fuzzy shapes climb in and around the patient’s brain.
Neil can see where all of the cancer cells are, but there is a problem: There are many cells inside the brain, and it would be dangerous to do surgery. Ibsituu Umar, a doctor from Mayo Clinic who uses the lenses, works next to Neil. Before the surgery, she told Neil that she was nervous to use the lenses on someone with cancer. It might not be successful. But Dr. Umar wanted to try.
“Incredible,” Dr. Umar says. “I’ve never seen cancer before.”
“It looks like mold, right?” Both Neil and Dr. Umar are wearing their lenses. Neil hopes that Dr. Umar has the same opinion as him.
“I actually think the cancer cells look like moss.” Dr. Umar finishes typing data about the cancer cells into the computer. She pushes her glasses up her nose and sighs. “We can try.”
We.
Finally, someone can see what Neil sees.
During the surgery, Dr. Umar works carefully. She stays focused on the size, shape, and place of the cancer cells. They finish their part of the surgery in just an hour. Neil turns on the computer, and it begins the genome editing. Neil and Dr. Umar sit and watch the cells start to change shape and color.
Neil enjoys working with Dr. Umar. She is only 38 years old, but she has three PhDs. Neil senses her love for medicine. While the computer works and the cells change color, Dr. Umar says, “The cancer cells are beautiful. I know they are bad, but I think the different patterns look like jewels. Nature is amazing.” Neil doesn’t agree, but he is happy that Dr. Umar can at least see the cells.
After seven hours, Neil and Dr. Umar finish. The genome editing was successful. Dr. Umar’s eyes are filled with tears. “We can change the world,” she says softly.
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?”
Neil uses the lenses for two months, and he feels like a pro. The HIV of Neil’s first patient was cured in just five days. Because the surgery was so successful, Dr. Chen asked Neil to do twenty more surgeries. All twenty patients got better quickly.
Neil feels excited to look at the patients’ new healthy cells. Before the surgeries, their bodies look like Neil’s bedroom wall when Leila drew on it with crayons two years ago. After Neil spent an hour cleaning the wall with mayonnaise it was a smooth light blue again. Genome editing with the lenses is like mayonnaise for their too-colorful cells.
The diseases all look different with the lenses, and all of them are uncomfortably bright. Ebola is Neil’s least favorite. It looks like thousands of neon blue worms. These little worms seem to eat through the healthy cells, squirming in and out of them.
On the morning of Neil’s twenty-first surgery, Dr. Chen asks Neil to meet with her in her office to talk about the surgery. Neil already started getting ready for the surgery, so he is wearing the lenses.
Neil opens Dr. Chen’s office door and immediately feels sick. Bright green circles with red spikes float in the air around Dr. Chen. As she says, “Good morning,” the spikes fly towards Neil. He jumps to the left, but some of the green and red still hit his face. Neil wipes his face with his sleeve, and then he remembers: This is what a cold looks like.
“I see you’re wearing the lenses,” Dr. Chen says. She laughs at Neil’s reaction.
Neil tries to laugh, too. “I forgot that I put them in.”
Dr. Chen laughs louder and begins to cough. More frog-green circles fly towards Neil, and he holds his breath.
Neil got rid of HIV! Sam pats his back and gives a thumbs up. Neil’s mask feels hot. He can’t breathe. Everyone in the room says, “You’re amazing!” Neil says, “I didn’t do anything. The computer did all the work. I just pushed the buttons.” But Neil’s boss, Dr. Chen, says, “You’re the smartest doctor in this hospital, Neil. No one else can use the lens.”
The doctors and nurses invite Neil to the bar after work. They want to have a party for Neil and for the lens. “I’m sorry, Leila is staying at my house this weekend. I can’t.” Usually, Neil tells a lie about plans with his daughter because he hates parties. But today it is not a lie.
Neil and Amanda were married for five years, but they got divorced two years ago. Leila was three years old then. Now, Neil spends every weekend with his daughter.
Dr. Chen and the other doctors leave the room. Two nurses begin cleaning the tools. Neil looks down at his patient. He is still wearing the lenses. He sees the dead HIV cells. They are gray and move slowly. Soon they will disappear.
Neil was so nervous about the surgery, and the HIV patterns in the lenses make Neil feel sick. Neil runs to the bathroom. He bends over the toilet. The toilet cleaner smells like oranges.
Sam comes in the bathroom and knocks on the door. “I know that’s you, Neil.” He slides a small metal box under the door. “You forgot to take out the lenses again, huh?”
Neil picks up the box and comes out of the toilet stall. His stomach feels heavy and light at the same time. “I tried LSD in college once. It was terrible. All of the bright colors… It made me sick.” Neil sighs. “Sam, every time I wear the lenses, it feels like LSD.”
Fun for Fluency! 
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