Today is a very special day! A little bright spark, or maybe it was a nudge from the spirit realm, has given me an inspired thought to celebrate the Life of Brian.
My dear father, Brian Steel, passed away earlier this year. His family miss him deeply, yet rather than being sad, the waves come and go.
I am inspired to highlight some of HIS life work as a dedicated writer, author, researcher, traveller, teacher, linguist and lexicographer. His boxed files containing his life’s writings are lovingly housed in our home, no less than 35 large box files. I also inherited his unpublished manuscripts and books galore in seven languages.
Dad proudly told me recently that he was never bored or lonely with so many cultures to research at his fingertips. Yes, he wrote and spoke in seven languages!
As I begin to peek inside his life’s work, and await the surprises within, it is only now that I am beginning to fully appreciate the depth of my father’s love for collecting and organising words into articles, essays, stories and dictionaries. Stay tuned to learn more about my father who is bound to surprise us all.
I will begin with one of his own pieces which we shared at his memorial day on 11th March 2023. It is called ‘A Fond Farewell’ and although it was not usual for my father to write fiction, it will give the reader a taste of his flair for humorous observation.
A Fond Farewell By Brian Steel
Holding her tightly in his arms, he took a final look around her room. It would have been their second anniversary in just over a month’s time but things had boiled up quite suddenly.
He carried her gingerly downstairs, through the open front door and into the waiting car, trying to foresee how he would feel in a couple of days’ time when the transplant had been carried out – successfully he hoped.
Selfishly, he wondered how he would get used to the renewed body and whether there might be any harmful side-effects. He would certainly have to get used to a different way of handling her physically.
However, the specialist had assured him that she would be much quicker-moving and would have more ‘go’ in her. No more falling down on the job, no more of that damned irritating blinking! The bilious colour of her face would also be brightened up by the expensive operation – thank God! They can really work miracles these days!
In fact, he reflected, there should be a lot more pleasure in his relationship with her, which he admitted (to himself) had suffered a serious setback in these past few days as he struggled to find a long-term solution to the quite major problems and afflictions.
As he laid her gently on the back seat of the car and covered her with a protective blanket, he allowed himself a brief smile at the comforting thought that more or less summed it all up:
‘To hell with the expense!’
It will be SO nice to have a brand-new motherboard, a 15-inch monitor that works properly and a midi-tower case. My ninth computer system is just around the corner!
Copyright © 2023 Maribel Steel
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Hi Maribel and family,
What a lovely tribute! Though sad to hear of Brian’s passing, I am glad to have gotten the chance to get to know him, the ever curious, warm polyglot. O, how he loved languages, like I do, with such enthusiasm and deep understanding.
Warm greetings to you all down under.
Chris Dokter, the Netherlands