THE SENTINEL

By Tessa Harvey

    Abuse was abuse. But Mrs. Wintergarden was now on this strange plateau helping a poor defenseless boy.
    From what Alistair could learn, the boy had learning difficulties. He wondered at that. Child prodigies were often difficult, supposedly. But the fact was that the timber wolf husband was now searching for his son. Only one woman and another child were in his path.

-------------------------- 

    Tony Smith was very angry. He had been watching the boy moving closer to the edge of the plateau as though to test his resolve. Tony knew that some people were drawn to heights and while most were repelled by the fear of falling, others were fascinated, though they would not risk a fall - unless ill.
    Tony wanted vengeance. He thought he knew everything, having fooled the authorities for so long. He had been involved in a lucrative drug scam. Wily and smart, his operation had run as smoothly as an expensive watch, until his wife had coldly betrayed him. Vengeance was his thought. He was wrong.


--------------------------

    Eliza Schonbaum stared in unbelief at the two senior police officers. "But I heard them say I was a filthy Jew and it was my fault if they attacked me." Tears streamed down her bruised face. "My husband is dead."
    Patiently, but with a hard edge to his words, the senior of the two officers spoke very clearly and slowly as to a hard of hearing adult who was refusing to wear hearing aids.
    "Your husband is very alive. You are wasting time. Your children are also in danger. You must listen to us."
    Suddenly Eliza knew she was needed and the fog of concussion was dispelled by a strong resolve to protect her children.
    "Are they safe - my children?" she whispered, wincing as she moved to stand.
    The man and woman looked at each other. "Sylvia is in hospital. We are taking care of her." 
    The mother was not reassured, motioning to a senior nurse to remove a drip from her arm and asking about her son. "i am going home."


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

FLOOD  By Tessa Harvey     Ian was trying to do exactly as his twin brother - to keep still. The teacher was watching them. He was on playground duty. Eric knew why he was watching them - he was trying to figure out which one was which. "Keep still, Ian!" he hissed. But Ian could not do that.     After a few minutes he was tapping his fingers or his toes in time with an internal metronome. For the very first time in his eleven years, Ian prayed God help me have music . Just then Mr. Jacobs came over. "Ian, would you like to join a music group? Eric is welcome also.     Eric scowled. Even the other kids just called them "the McKenzie brothers." He was very annoyed this dumb teacher had figured them out.     Then he saw the look of longing on his brother's face, and his heart melted. Time to grow up, he thought, a trifle sadly.     "Is there a chess club, sir?" he asked instead. "Ian can do music if he likes." He shrugged nonchalantl...
Read more
THE SENTINEL AWAY WITH WORDS  By Tessa Harvey     Polly Stanton leaned back against the wide oak tree and closed her eyes for a few moments, feeling exhausted. The young lad at the bus stop when she queried where the school was sited had smiled down at her. "Nowt but a lar walk," he had said.     She remembered the lovely Cumbrian accent and how it had cheered her all those years ago returning from London on the overnight bus. Just a wee walk then.      So she had set off walking the narrow lane which had meandered and curved. Imagining herself again a student, the time had seemed to fly by. Then her years had caught up with her. Old age, she thought, remembering how an older woman had once said "never get old, dearie!" Polly had thought that funny. "Move ominously," another person had said, "life is a......" - which it could be, she thought, ruefully.     Sinking down among the slowly falling leaves, she wondered at the impuise to seek ...
Read more
THE SENTINEL (continued)   By Tessa Harvey     "So," Eliza finally said with embarrassment, "I took drugs and drank and I think your father is a man called John Dixon. We were engaged to be married but he went away to do some hard training in the police force and do specialised work and, well....."     Sylvia was livid with rage. "You couldn't wait?" she queried, her voice rising.  "We got carried away," her mum began.     "NOT THAT! Why didn't you wait for him? What's wrong with you mum??!!"     "I didn't know I was pregnant." Her mother Eliza was getting angry too, "and ayour stepdad, Karl was so nice. He had a way with words...." the older woman said, dreamily. But Sylvia was glaring at her harshly. With a sudden pang, Eliza remembered how much she had despised her parents as a teen. 'The sins of the parents,' she thought. Is it always a cycle that will never end.      Sylvia thundered out,...
Read more