Stories about Australia
Maroochy Adams sat in the shade of towering eucalypt trees covered with hanging vines reaching toward her from tallest branches of the trees. There was a profusion of ferns and tall grasses scattered beneath the trees and to her left a slowly moving red bellied black snake headed for the lake to search for frogs hidden among reeds covering the small bay. Maroochy cared little … Continue reading Maroochy
Richard Cuthburtson put down his book and stared into the distance. The ship coming over the horizon first showing up as a dot had now morphed into a recognizable cruise ship. He’d been fascinated since arriving in this rental park with the frequency of shipping traversing the coastline. Most times they were trading vessels including container ships plying the waters from foreign ports to the … Continue reading A Happy Reunion
Dreams Fulfilled Louise Marie looked out the window as she heard the taxi move into the driveway. The rest of her siblings and their partners were out in the vineyards attending to vines while her parents were down in cellars attending to requirements there. There was always a stream of private vehicles coming and going through the day, but a taxi always meant Johann had … Continue reading Chance Encounter Chapter 6
Happiness Shattered Manja waited for Johann to knock on the door at the same time they’d had breakfast the day before. She was anxious to know more about his plans to spend the rest of their vacation together. They’d talked through much of the night and then the phone had gone silent. She tried phoning him again to see why he was not answering after … Continue reading Chance Encounter Chapter 4
Relationship On the Scales Friederich Kavel sat in his chair glancing at the newspaper headlines, reviewing the activities of the day and mentally preparing activities for the next day. He finally turned to his wife Anna concentrating on knitting for one of her grandchildren. “I don’t understand why we haven’t received a phone call from Johann. This is the second evening we haven’t heard from … Continue reading Chance Encounter Chapter 3
Harbour Rendezvous Johann made his way to the reception area and selected a comfortable chair reaching out for the Sunday paper to scan headlines while he waited. Manja picked up Stephanie and went to the elevator to punch in her floor level. Stephanie was quiet now but glancing over her shoulder to try and discover where the ice cream man had gone. Manja placed her … Continue reading Chance Encounter Chapter 2
Lunch With Stephanie Johann Kavel checked himself in the mirror as he entered Rydges Hotel and noted to his satisfaction he’d been quite presentable at the Lutheran Church in Darlinghurst a short travel distance away from the hotel. Proper attire for church had been instilled into him by his pious German family for his ancestors had come out of Europe to preserve their faith and … Continue reading Chance Encounter Chapter 1
Fei Hong’s resurrection Stanley had been hiking daily since his arrival on the coast but hadn’t complemented this with balanced meals and adequate rest at the cheap motel. He was feeling weak as he struggled with who to see to help his mind heal. He turned to cross over the road to one of the restaurants he occasionally ate at and gasped in surprise. … Continue reading The Singapore Connection – Chapter 9
Whether tired of loaning his beloved V8 Ford to his eldest son or perhaps because of a nod toward teenage rite of passage, my Father took me to Brisbane to look at used cars in 1955. Two years later at 18 I’d finished National Service intensives, and with civilian and army licence backing felt ready to tackle anything that moved. Eric my Dad was passionate … Continue reading My First Car
Jean Stradshaw sat on the top railing of the cattle tick spray enclosure watching her father chase the young bull down a slope toward the dam. He had an axe in his upraised arm and he meant business. She’s heard him threaten to have those horns removed but knew he’d eventually cool his anger, and have it done mercifully by the district vet. The bull … Continue reading The Day the Bull Ran
