SHADOW OF A RECLUSE

By Tessa Harvey


    Tarrant was left alone. Ada had invited him to spend the night. Oliver, her husband was out at bowls, but would love another bloke to chat to and encourage. Politely, the young man had declined. Ada looked at him with tears in her tired eyes. "Sylvie don't have much respect for herself," she faltingly explained.
    "But, but is my brother the kids' real dad?" The question had been torn from him in anger and despair. "No," Ada was firm. "It were another Islander man from the same area. It were a bond, you see. But he got restless and wet nappies and crying babies, well, it wasn't his idea of fun. So he did a runner."
    Tarrant thought it was no-one's idea of fun, but said nothing, relieved. All his life, his brother had dominated, claiming Tarrant was the little golden boy with his fair hair and guileless face. Hunter was ambitious, angry. Sometimes Tarrant thought God must exist. If there was so much dark and evil and hate, then sureley there must be Light? But whose Light?
 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Image
SHADOW OF A RECLUSE By Tessa Harvey       "I was very small, maybe about five years old. Then a big shadow came into the room. It was a giant man and he put his arms around me to take me away. I couldn't move or talk, but my big brother woke up and yelled. Mum came but the giant threw my brother across the room."      As he spoke, Tarrant was crying. "My brother was only eight. His head was hurt. It was my mum's boyfriend. I had forgotten all this, but maybe it is why my brother gets so angry when I mess up so much."     Sylvie was furious. Yes, her husband had a steady job and they were doing much better both as a couple and financially, but they did not need all this hassle with the past.     It was gone! Move on!     Silence alerted her. The children were looking at the puddle the puppy had made, with varying reactions. But Sylvie was becoming a sensible mother. "Ok, there are newspapers in that corner. Look, I gently bend ...
Read more
Image
SHADOWFALL  By Tessa Harvey     Hunter was reading the Gospel of John in the Bible. Sylvie's transformation and now Tarrant's had made him decide to look for the truth. He read how Jesus said: "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life." That sounded good to him. There were so many witnesses to Jesus' death and Resurrection from the grave after three days. What power! But then he read John chapter 14 and the scales began to fall from his eyes. Then he read John chapter 14 verse 18: "I will not leave you as orphans (comfortless, desolate, bereaved, forlorn, helpless). I will come (back) to you." Hunter realised these were the direct words of Jesus to him.     When he tried to save his brother from the pervert and been hurled against the wall, more than his head had been broken. He knew his real dad was from one of the islands of Polynesia - but skin colour did not matter!     With this God of Love and Peace, Hunter was set free. He had tried so hard to make ...
Read more
Image
SHADOW OF A RECLUSE   By Tessa Harvey     Except Tarrant, who was once again on high alert. The children were giggling and talking, one of them saying "Let's show dad." But he knew Sylvie was upset. There was that indefinable atmosphere.     Hunter was also upset and rapidly moving from that feeling to being angry. What was happening? Why were the police taking so long? He was just meant to be held for questioning and arranging for a solicitor to be present to ensure everything was done by the book. No one could forget he was there, could they?     He glanced up at the ceiling, wise enough to realise that the cell could be under observation. It wasn't. No little camera dot. Fine. He was going to leave. Some outfit this was - slipshod, sloppy, dysfunctional. He grabbed the door handle. To his horror, it was locked! Officer Stan Martyn had just left him to get a witness to the few questions he was meant to answer.     Hunter began to panic. Si...
Read more