The Dark Side of Enlightenment

by Bruce E. Weber

In this collection of short stories, A hardened, cynical man from Brooklyn finds compassion and love in a McDonalds in Nogales, Arizona. An adventurer relaxing along a picturesque stream witnesses an amazing act of will. A harried businessman learns peace and the value of being still from a master and repays him with mobility. A detective inadvertently solves a decades-old crime that rocked a city. A middle-aged lothario, offered a chance to avoid embarrassing himself with a much-younger woman, takes it, and in doing so, impresses her more than he had thought possible. A young man learns humility, and that some debts simply cannot be repaid. A burglary victim and the cross-dressing burglar become intimate friends. A well-meaning would-be rebel strikes a blow against the gray-suits, only to realize the folly of his attempt at heroism. A middle-aged man, finally able to realize his dream on a 40-foot ocean-going boat discovers his boat has been hauled away, but receives a greater reward for his anguish. A veteran police officer learns the hard way that perhaps he should be in another line of work, even as his rookie partner learns he’s perfect for the job. A felon who finds enlightenment seeks forgiveness for past sins, but discovers that he isn’t as enlightened as he thought. A young boy who feels betrayed finds the true meaning of loyalty, responsibility, and forgiveness.

138 pages, Paperback

First published January 16, 2013