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
Romain sat at his desk trying to process what he’d just heard. He’d made a quick trip to the office fountain to refill the desk water bottle and emerging from the corridor entered the staff room. He’d overheard Julie talking to a small knot of office workers gathered around her. It was their scheduled office break. Wherever Julie went she was accompanied by her retinue … Continue reading Trust Tested
Peggy Sue wiped hands on her apron in irritation and headed from the kitchen to the front door. Why were they so impatient, that was the second time in just seconds they’d hit that button and every time someone did that chimes in the hallway played a monotonous song she found to be annoying. She’d asked her husband Dennis Brinkworth to change the tune … Continue reading Old Southern Ma Brinkworth
Ester stood in front of the bank of elevators flashing green signals as each floor was visited. Most of the people waiting were dressed in suits and were probably heading for the upper floors where the giants of industry had their offices but there were a few who were dressed down and she wondered where they’d be going in a place like this which was … Continue reading The Consultation
Now the thing about marriage is it can either be an excursion in hell or it can be a very happy experience. Most of us of course would choose the latter and lest anyone tries to read between the lines and misquote me I come in on the side of happy experience. That doesn’t mean there are not times of intense fellowship as I’ve heard … Continue reading The Coffee Game
It was vacation and the boys around town were looking for something to occupy their time. With pocket money already spent there was no use hanging around Main Street so after checking out shop windows for a while and discussing emerging fashions of the 1960’s it was time to retreat to the park on their bicycles and stand around discussing possible things to do. John … Continue reading The Drinking Fountain
Roger glanced furtively toward the fence at the back of their two-storey home. The house had been constructed on a steep allotment which had been levelled at the bottom end creating a cliff strengthened against slippage by a slanting stone retaining wall. The house had been constructed with top storey, being the main living area of the home, neatly tucked into the top of the … Continue reading Naomi
It was one of those steamy summer nights when daylight lingers until late bedtime and friends gather to sit around the patio and talk while watching the sun paint clouds in pastel colours before going to its rest. Annette went back and forth between guests and her kitchen now exposed with sliding glass door panels pushed to their extremity. Theirs was the most expansive … Continue reading The Scammer
John lingered with his friend Brian as high school students fled from classes for the day on their bikes. They were heading for pleasures of sports grounds in other parts of town or just hanging around Main Street to sample assorted delicacies before tackling homework in the evening at home. But in John’s case there was the eleven-kilometre hard slog up and down hills until … Continue reading Helga
Little did Eric realize as he donned his cap, put lunch box into the shoulder carry pack and kiss his Mother goodbye this was to be the day of an amazing revelation. He was off to school, and of immediate concern was how to saunter nonchalantly past the opposing school complex at the top of the hill, rushing at the appropriate time when it was … Continue reading Amazing Revelation
