H N Arabian Blog - Random Tales

  *** The Eighteenth-Floor Evening centers on a sudden loss of power—an event that strips away modern conveniences and forces the narrator to sit with the natural world. Technology here represents constant motion, noise, and distraction. When it disappears, what remains is elemental: ocean waves, wind, distant voices. ***   Eighteenth-Floor Evening By Harry Arabian The sun had just slipped below the edge of the world, leaving a violet afterglow stretched across the horizon like a slow exhale. From the eighteenth-floor balcony of my high-rise condo, the ocean was a vast sheet of moving glass—miles of shoreline, tide breaking in rhythmic breaths. I leaned back in my chair, legs stretched out, letting the breeze carry the salt and quiet into the room behind me. Spotify played softly at my side. My Top Songs 2025. A private little soundtrack to the night: songs I’d played during morning walks, during long drives, during days when life felt heavier than usual. Now they drifte...

 *** "Not Today" story captures the modern worker’s dilemma: the pressure to prioritize productivity over relationships. But the fire serves as an equalizer—destroying the illusion of job security and illuminating the importance of personal connection. *** Not Today I clocked in at 6:58 a.m., the punch clock stamping my card with its usual metallic clack—a small sound that marked the beginning of another long shift at the Riverside Motor Plant. The factory floor hummed with the familiar chorus of conveyor belts, pneumatic hisses, and the low grumble of machines waking up for the day. We were already behind on our quota for the week thanks to a stubborn malfunction in Line 3, but today felt like the day we’d finally catch up. I had barely slipped on my gloves when I saw Burgess—“Burges” to everyone on the floor—charging toward me with a look that didn’t match the start of any normal shift. “Man, I need you,” he blurted before I even said good morning. His voice was shaky, ...

  *** The Crab Cake Wedding Incident is a light, witty tale that uses a small mishap to explore themes of luck, perspective, and the hidden kindness of chaos. It celebrates the moments when life corrects us gently—sometimes through the innocent appetite of a child. *** Crab Cake Wedding Incident Short Story by Harry Arabian My niece’s wedding was one of those bright, buoyant days where the joy in the room felt almost fizzy—champagne in the air. The music was lively, the chatter warm, and the buffet table sat along the back wall like a proud, overworked soldier trying to keep up with a hungry regiment. By the time I reached it, after waiting for the line to shrink from “theme park ride” to “merely ambitious,” most of the serving trays were scraped bare. Every dish—chicken, pasta, salad—had been demolished by the enthusiastic crowd. Only one lonely crab cake remained, perfectly round and golden, as if posing for its final portrait. After that long wait, I wasn’t picky. I set my p...

*** The Last Day at Federal Savings is a quiet slice-of-life narrative that gains emotional resonance through its depiction of generational continuity, domestic hopefulness, and the cyclical rhythms of family life. Rather than relying on conflict or dramatic stakes, the story draws power from small details, tender moments, and the symbolic alignment of two families at opposite ends of a financial journey. *** The Last Day at Federal Savings Jack and Diane pushed open the glass doors of Federal Savings Bank, their two toddler boys, Billy and John, tumbling in ahead of them like excited puppies. The corner of Main and Oak had become strangely familiar over the past month—ever since that first visit to fill out the loan application. What the boys remembered most wasn’t the paperwork. It was the chocolate chip cookies. “Are we getting the cookies again?” Billy whispered, tugging Jack’s sleeve. “And hot chocolate,” John added with the solemn certainty of a seasoned negotiator. Insi...

*** story exemplifies quiet literary craftsmanship: its power lies not in dramatic plot twists but in careful observation, restrained revelation, and emotional resonance. It invites readers to reflect on the unseen lives of those around them, reminding us that even the most familiar faces may harbor unexpected depths. ***  When Russ Brought His Family By Harry Arabian I wasn’t expecting visitors that morning. I had barely stepped into the office, coffee still too hot to drink, when I noticed a young boy sitting confidently in front of one of our computers—feet swinging, fingers drumming a steady rhythm on the desk, eyes scanning the glowing monitor as if he owned the place. “Waiting for your uncle Russ?” I asked lightly. He turned, looked straight at me, and said, “Waiting for my father, Russ.” I froze. Father? Russ? In fifteen years of working with the man, he had never once mentioned having a son. My relationship with Russ had always been clipped and strictly pr...

 ***   Cambridge Half Marathon – A Thanksgiving Surprise is a charming, well-crafted slice-of-life narrative. With its vivid setting, believable characters, and gentle humor, it succeeds as both a personal anecdote and a reflective commentary on the unexpected joys that life—and especially Boston can offer . ***  Cambridge Half Marathon – A Thanksgiving Surprise By Harry Arabian I was visiting Boston for Thanksgiving, enjoying the unusually warm weather—one of those mild November mornings that tricks you into thinking winter might skip New England just this once. It felt like the perfect chance to stroll through the city and revisit old haunts. It was Saturday, November 23—just my second day back from Los Angeles—so I slipped into light athletic sweatpants, a polo shirt, and comfortable shoes, thinking it was the ideal outfit for a lazy walk downtown. On the Red Line, starting at Harvard Station and heading toward Park Street and the Public Garden, I noticed clus...