BALTIMORE, June 2, 2003 (PRIMEZONE) -- Life often throws monumental amounts of pain to people in the world, but others surprisingly turn away, although that pain has an equal chance of being thrown to them at any moment. Humans now too often turn away from the humanity of others. In Ariton Jay Brundidge's compilation of short stories, Five Unexpected Endings (now available through 1stBooks), the devastating circumstances of the characters show the deep commonalities among all human beings and the consequences of not reaching out to others.
The characters are representative of the variety of people found in the world: the downtrodden, the privileged and those in the middle. In "Lula Jean," one woman realizes the myth that exceptional beauty makes one better than others is a false. A beautiful woman from the rural south, blessed with a fantastic figure and voice, she comes to understand that her perceived superiority is secondary to what truly matters: the goodness of people's hearts. "Price for Payback" tells the classic story of a lover's revenge through a unique perspective.
Another story, "Bessie's Smile," set against the backdrop of slavery, shows how the humanity of an entire race of people was cast aside. It tells how the smile on Bessie's face causes her to pay a price no one should. In "Irene's Last Right," a preacher is chastised by his church for helping a woman on death row in 1939. Her last dream is to see the child she bore years ago, but to make this dream real he must face the adopted child's mother and the great power of an African-American church congregation. The saga of poverty is highlighted in the last story, "Santa Claus," when one posing St. Nick transfers malls during the holidays ( experiencing both visiting children from a different walk of life and an awakening.
These are stories of pain and struggle ( all with endings the reader will not foresee. They capture humanity in a variety of ways. Brundidge illustrates how acknowledging pain and struggle in others is to recognize it in one's self and the human race as a whole.
Brundidge grew up in Baltimore and is currently a student at Ohio University. This is his first published novel.
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