Broadford, Spring 1979 MRS BAILEY was a saviour of sorts, though on first sight she hardly looked the part. Clearly retired, her tendency to overblink created an illusion of timorousness. Her enthusiasm as church organist was infectious, even if I found myself stiffening with every bum note. She must have been in Broadford months toContinue reading “Deep Impact”
Category Archives: Short stories
Mercy
1978 IT came as quite the shock when Sheila traipsed through the front door with a succession of kittens in her mouth. Her fourth brood no less and such a mixed bag, all short-haired except the grey one that looked like a proper little Persian. My favourite, he was the plucky one that rummaged intoContinue reading “Mercy”
Daddy’s Girl
1978 I BECAME more forthright in my opinions of my father’s behaviour. As far as I was concerned, he had lost any moral authority over me. Besides, it was a good way of overcoming my discomfort at sitting on his lap and keeping him on the back foot. If I was really lucky, he mightContinue reading “Daddy’s Girl”
Splash!
1973 AS A family, in those days we sometimes did fun stuff. Occasionally, we went on day trips to places like Dunvegan Castle or Armadale Castle. School summer holidays usually meant going further afield to Glasgow and Inverness, the former to see relatives, the latter to engage in a grand shopping spree for clothes. ThisContinue reading “Splash!”
A Toddler’s Tale
1968-1972 MY EARLIEST memory is of crying for my mother from a cot in a dark room. She never came. My second is of having crawled under my parents’ bedclothes and becoming trapped. Only this time my cries were heard. The third is of batting a faded green plastic telephone off the side of myContinue reading “A Toddler’s Tale”
NATIVIDAD: Chapter Six
IT IS 1961. Tensions between Cuba and America are at an all time high and an Englishman and his heavily pregnant Cuban fiancée flee New York for their lives. The Cubans just want the baby. The Feds just want the Englishman. Who knows what the CIA want … I’ve written this ‘modernisation’ of the NativityContinue reading “NATIVIDAD: Chapter Six”
NATIVIDAD: Chapter Five
IT IS 1961. Tensions between Cuba and America are at an all time high and an Englishman and his heavily pregnant Cuban fiancée flee New York for their lives. The Cubans just want the baby. The Feds just want the Englishman. Who knows what the CIA want … I’ve written this ‘modernisation’ of the NativityContinue reading “NATIVIDAD: Chapter Five”
NATIVIDAD: Chapter Four
IT IS 1961. Tensions between Cuba and America are at an all time high and an Englishman and his heavily pregnant Cuban fiancée flee New York for their lives. The Cubans just want the baby. The Feds just want the Englishman. Who knows what the CIA want … I’ve written this ‘modernisation’ of the NativityContinue reading “NATIVIDAD: Chapter Four”
Thank God it’s FRIDAY!
circa 1989 THE FRIDAY feeling was no different to that of any other Friday. Nothing out of the ordinary, just pretty much the same old, same old at the Fontainebleau office and an eagerness to get out of there as fast as was humanly possible. I was off the train and back in myContinue reading “Thank God it’s FRIDAY!”
Stranger than fiction
BOXING DAY 2014. As usual the telly is crap. Flicking through the mindless list of channels, we finally stumble across Jonathan Creek and I declare “Aha!”. Since it was once rather compelling, it is logical to think that it might still be, even if we are about to watch a repeat. However, as we become drawn into the clever weave of mystery andContinue reading “Stranger than fiction”
M K MacInnes, writer 