I asked author Pooben Narayanen to add his thoughts to our Valentine’s Day countdown with a Valentine’s-Day-related story. Here is what he came up with.
![Pooben [1]](https://annelisplace.files.wordpress.com/2013/06/pooben-1.jpg)
Valentine’s Day related story, eh? Well, I have to admit that my partner and I aren’t into Valentine’s Day. We see it as being a bit too commercial. Over here it’s a big deal. I’m pretty sure that restaurants are booked and cards are flying off shelves, and although Mauritius grows roses, I wouldn’t be surprised if some aren’t being imported from Kenya or Holland.
However, I do have a Valentine story. It goes back to my secondary school days during my O level year (Mauritius follows the British system). It so happened that I was a bit of a whiz when it came to English literature. How did I know this? A few days before Valentine’s Day I noticed one of my classmates writing a letter to the love of his life. I couldn’t help myself and decided to give him a hand. Before I knew it I was helping guys from other classes. I ended up using quotes from Shakespeare. Their girlfriends loved it! Naturally nobody admitted that I was the one who wrote it. Ah, teenage love, eh?
As for me my Valentine’s will be spent with my wife and two boys. I am an author who is trying to make a go of things. I am based in Mauritius, which for those who don’t know, is located all the way in the southern part of the Indian Ocean. You can find my first book “The Mount Hope Explorers Club & the Great White” on Kindle. I also have a website with short stories: www.mounthopeexplorersclub.com.
Anneli's Place 
Love your story. Sounds like you should have been charging a fee for your love letters.
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I know right? It reminded me of a story from when my granddad was in the army in WW2. He and most of the guys in his unit didn’t know how to read and write (he taught himself though) so they would get one of their friends to write letters home. I remember thinking I was kind of doing the same thing! Ah happy days…
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I, at the same age, tried my hand at writing my own Valentines day cards… Anneli can attest to my English … I never had much luck at scoring a girlfriend from my own cards, and I always wondered why… I thought my words were good, I now know they must have been terrible… Thanks for your share Pooben, and I do have big plans to bring my wife of 40 years to visit your island one day, we’ve never been on honeymoon and I’ve promised when I feel it’s right, that is where I’m to take her… not so far from South Africa…
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Of course! I’ve only been through Jo’burg airport, but my partner has been to South Africa a number of times and loves it. If you ever decide to come for a visit let me before and I’ll let you in on the must see places. Thanks for commenting, glad you enjoyed it.
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Really Nice story.
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