I’m standing in the national park visitor centre and I have the ranger’s full attention. She was practically raised in these mountains, but she’s never heard of the Broken Duck Spur, Left-Foot Peak, the Dodo Saddle or Belt-Buckle Ridge."Strange,” I say to her “my dad’s been hiking these mountains for years, and that’s what he’s … Continue reading The Mountains
Rodney’s diary is full of stuff. If it weren’t written in his diary he’d forget to do it. He cleans old ladies’ gutters, fixes mates’ cars, maintains the local bowling club, mows the lawn around the visitors’ centre... he’s a typical retiree - very busy. There’s one thing Rodney never has to write in his … Continue reading The Dog-Walkers
It’s self-assessment time again. They tell us it’s for self-improvement. The memo reads: “It’s a way to get your boss on your side, so you can work together to be a better team-member.” Oh yeah? I’m an engineer at the observatory. I’m the guy that helps the astronomers point the telescopes at the coordinates they … Continue reading Self Assessment
Tory bakes bread in the morning at one supermarket, and he fills the shelves after closing hours at another supermarket. He earns just enough to get his teen daughter through school but the cost is dear. He resents the customers that come in for their morning bread just as he’s finishing his shift. They’re weary … Continue reading The Music Festival
Cut your nails you animal, thinks the cash register operator as the middle aged lady stabs him with her manicured nails. “Oops, sorry.” She says. “That’s fine. Didn’t even notice.” He responds. A bag of apples has torn open. “You don’t mind if I leave this behind do you?” Says the overcautious mum. “Not at … Continue reading The Power Pole Inspector
Sitting on the sand, the old man sighed. The air was cold, but the last rays of the sun were warm enough to suppress the chill. The man watched the waves regretfully. He couldn’t sit comfortably. He felt like he didn’t deserve to be comfortable after the pain he’d caused today. It started at the … Continue reading Sitting on the Sand
Ramon always gets to class late. Ramon is always well dressed, his hair is clean, bright and tidy. His shoes are not new but they look appropriate for a child of school age who is very active and growing up. Ramon does not know his ABCs, or his numbers. When the teacher asks him to … Continue reading Ramon
“Look at those mountains Joey. What do you think they’re made of?” “I dunno.” “See how dark they are? What else do you know that’s dark like that?” “Chocolate!” “Good guess Joey. But they aren’t made of chocolate. Any other guesses?” “Poo!” Jenny stifled a laugh. “Another good guess, but they’re made of rock. You … Continue reading Jenny and Joey
The sky was menacing on one side of the house. On the other side it was sunny, lovely and happy. It is just one of those things. Amelia was going to get married on that day. Her father told her that she wouldn't receive any monthly alimony if she didn't agree to marry the candidate … Continue reading The Sun and the Rain
The sound was deep and painful. The soil under our feet moved, and shook and trembled like a whimpering animal, scared and suffering. It was only for a moment. After that everything was silent. The sky was silent, the grass was still, the trees did not move, the animals were nowhere to be seen. The … Continue reading The Crack in the Ground
Tandi Tales 