THE FERALS


By Tessa Harvey


Reluctantly Brodie agreed. He was shivering, his feet like ice blocks.

The downstairs fire had been banked up with coal the night before. A few pokes and fresh fuel had flames leaping high and a warm glow filled the room. Sunlight flooded in through the frosty back windows. It had little warmth, but certainly brought cheer to the small dark house.

Jake made himself coffee (at last!) and soon sizzling pancakes were melting the absolutely beautiful delicate frost patterns on the inside windows.

Such intricate patterns, like ferns he thought briefly, spreading Marmite on his son's pancake. For himself, he had bought jam - strawberry, his favourite. While Jake sipped his reviving coffee, Brodie gulped his own warm Milo, desperate to check under that mysterious sheet. Dishes could wait, thought Jake. So could beds and a second cup of coffee, he added ruefully.



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Image
THE FERALS By Tessa Harvey Alice saw what was happening and stepped back sadly. Sophie was very upset and none of Alice's explanations satisfied her. "I thought we were all going to be a family," the child lamented. Secretly Alice had hoped for that one day and had been resolving to reveal more serious interest in Jake. Now she felt it was too late. No more "Alice in Wonderland". Her dad had often teased her about her "romantic" dreams and ideals. But she had never wanted a casual relationship and then she had met Gareth, who had shared her ideals. Alice had never regretted her marriage to Gareth. Perhaps she had been dreaming again, thinking of someone else. Yet she had talked once with Gareth about the possibility of one of them dying early. He had asked her to consider re-marrying if anything happened to him. Thinking it just a joke, Alice had laughed, but promised all the same. He was so fit, so healthy. He had gone to China, to a place called Wuha...
Read more
Image
THE FERALS   By Tessa Harvey CHAPTER EIGHT A few days later, Ethel decided to take the children for a "feast." Seeing Ethel reminded Brodie of the fish 'n chip shop near where they used to live, and he kept talking about their time there on Christmas Eve. He was beginning to realise it was meant as a joke when Ethel had said she had come to visit  for a "nice cuppa" and somewhere to sleep, but he was still a little puzzled. Didn't she have food and drink and a bed at her house? Couldn't she see that their house had burned down? After a while he shrugged and got on with his life. As the children left with "Auntie Ethel," happy and chatting, she gave Jake a wink and said, "now lad, get a move on!" The children didn't really notice, but Jake flushed scarlet. Yesterday Ethel had talked to him in a motherly way and told him life was "too short to muck around!" So he had invited Alice and Sophie to visit. When the two adults w...
Read more
Image
THE FERALS   By Tessa Harvey But Jill was staring out of one of the windows. The view was of the primary play equipment. Brodie was playing on the climbing frame with Sophie and a few other children. As she watched, Jake strolled up, followed by Alice. Seeing Jake, Jill felt a sudden sense of loss. It had been a game, but she realised she did like him. She also realised something else and her face paled. "You saw Brodie run away that day and why!" It was a statement. "Yes," agreed the senior woman. "But I did not think he could get through the fence. It has been reinforced since. As Brodie was found safely, I thought it unnecessary to stir up enmity against you." Jill blushed and looked down. Raising her eyes again, she looked directly at Judy. "Thank you," she said softly and turned to leave.
Read more