FATEFUL ENCOUNTERS

Fate is a venerable concept out of fashion these days. It has been largely replaced by individual 'free will.' The idea that Fate might rule our lives seems like an archaic notion, almost a superstition. But the people of the ancient world felt differently. The Greeks, for example, believed that Fate was an inexorable power that not even the gods themselves could oppose. The people in these stories face surprising changes of fortune imposed by the ever-turning wheel of fate, taking their lives in unexpected directions, to the delight of some and the dismay of others. Lester, a lonely and unhappy man who was orphaned as a child, picks up a wallet on a bus and, after trying to return it, finds the family he never had. Trip walks away from a caring relationship for a woman of exquisite beauty. Later, he discovers to his horror how she stays so lovely. Janice, a young nurse deeply troubled about her appearance, learns that while the eyes may deceive, the nose does not, and she finds love with the handsomest man [she] ever met, just as Madame Zohara had predicted. Sir Ivor, an arrogant knight, tries to outwit Death and Fate, but he soon regrets his decision. Vic, an antique dealer, loves the world of the past and wishes he had been born earlier. When he finds an antique hotel room key at a yard sale, he learns that you should be careful what you ask for. Altman, an archaeologist, discovers that a promise is a promise, no matter how long ago it was made. Aaron, a blocked writer, revives his creativity and solves a century-old mystery with help from an unusual friend. Robert Kazmarian falls into a deep depression after the death of his beloved wife, but in time, he finds that love can sometimes survive even death.