The Lives of Strangers: A Collection of Stories from Storyoftheweek

By Roy Chadwick

THE STORIES

CANDIDATES
A new teacher is to be appointed. Beth is a parent -governor who uses her unique gift to ensure that the right decision is made

CHOSEN
A brief insight into male fantasy that ends when reality bites.

EMMA
The only thing people notice about Emma is her very odd hairstyle. She sits aloof outside the boss's office and is never invited into social circles of her colleagues.

GRAMPS
Gramps personifies dignity in old age. Belinda marvels at the positive effect he has on her children and others as he keeps craft skills and the character of the fishing village alive in his workshop and café.

JOE'S LAST CHANCE
When Joe retreats to the healing waters of a spa in Malta for a winter break he feels he is on his last legs, but before long he seems to become an unlikely toy boy target for a series of women.

MARNIE BEYOND DAHAB
Marnie discovers too late that her Egyptian lover must give priority to his family's needs.

MIDNIGHT ON THE BRIDGE
It's been a long time since Iris left the village for city life, but on the day she returns she receives an intriguing invitation and takes a risk.

MOODS' WINGS
Jacko lives rough by the sea on the cold of the Lancashire coast with nothing but Mutt and freedom in his otherwise shitty life. Then a stranger intervenes.

SEEING THINGS
Susan thinks that Don is a backroom computer geek until she opens the newspaper and sees him in a car with a woman sprawled across him.

SUMMER DOESN'T MEAN MUCH ANYMORE
A reluctant Gestapo officer is instructed to take one action too far for his conscience.

THE LIFE OF RAYMOND
Raymond is tempted towards something alien to his nature. Or isn't it? Scenes of trepidation, duty and acceptance are set in 1955, 1960 and 2010.

THE RETURN OF GEORGE
neighbourly fun

TWO BY TWO
naughty fun

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Nov 1, 2015
• ISBN: 9780993408113

Book preview

Roy Chadwick always wanted to write, but first needed to observe and experience life and earn a living. Only in retirement could he relax sufficiently to tell these tales of strangers, some stranger than others.

Some of these stories are very short, but one portrays a life in three scenes over twenty two pages. Some seek to amuse, others to engage your heart and mind. Find one to suit your mood and the time you have to read right now.

Roy Chadwick founded storyoftheweek.co.uk to allow readers to find and support new authors and to help writers to reach a worldwide audience and earn a living wage from their efforts

Copyright © 2015 by Roy Chadwick

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever. except for the use of brief quotations in a book review, without the express written permission of the author [e-mail]

All characters and scenarios are fictional and any resemblance to any person living or dead is coincidental.

ISBN 978-0-9934081-1-3

Published by PAMP-PASS

THE STORIES

CANDIDATES

A new teacher is to be appointed. Beth is a parent - governor who uses her unique gift to ensure that the right decision is made.

CHOSEN

A brief insight into male fantasy that ends when reality bites.

EMMA

The only thing people notice about Emma is her very odd hairstyle. She sits aloof outside the boss’s office and is never invited into social circles of her colleagues. Only when it is too late do they find out why.

GRAMPS

Gramps personifies dignity in old age. Belinda marvels at the positive effect he has on her children and others as he keeps craft skills and the character of the fishing village alive in his workshop and café.

JOE’S LAST CHANCE

When Joe retreats to the healing waters of a spa in Malta for a winter break he feels he is on his last legs, but before long he seems to become an unlikely toy boy target for a series of women.

MARNIE BEYOND DAHAB

Marnie discovers too late that her Egyptian lover must give priority to his family’s needs.

MIDNIGHT ON THE BRIDGE

It’s been a long time since Iris left the village for city life, but on the day she returns she receives an intriguing invitation and takes a risk.

MOODS’ WINGS

Jacko lives rough by the sea on the cold of the Lancashire coast with nothing but Mutt and freedom in his otherwise shitty life. Then a stranger intervenes.

SEEING THINGS

Susan thinks that Don is a backroom computer geek until she opens the newspaper and sees him in a car with a woman sprawled across him.

SUMMER DOESN’T MEAN MUCH ANYMORE

A reluctant Gestapo officer is instructed to take one action too far for his conscience.

THE LIFE OF RAYMOND

Raymond is tempted towards something alien to his nature. Or isn’t it? Scenes of trepidation, duty and acceptance are set in 1955, 1960 and 2010.

THE RETURN OF GEORGE

It begins with a noise in the garden and ends with a determination to stay out of a care home.

TWO BY TWO

A brief tale of a second wives’ club.

CANDIDATES

Beth Isaacs is grateful to Dunlaps for offering a scholarship education to her daughter Jennifer and does what she can for the school in return.

This morning having spent the night in the teachers’ wing she is breakfasting before performing her duties as a parent governor, helping in the selection of a new teacher for the school.

Beth knows that ultimately the Head will decide but the process is important. Candidates spend the night in the guest wing to experience the school and then are interviewed by a student panel then an adult panel, both of which submit reports to the Head who is always looking for spirited teachers of independent mind and good character.

The school is known to be progressive and informal, seeking to inspire its pupils rather than regiment them, and this attitude prevails in teacher selection, although as in most fee-paying establishments a certain class tends to populate the teaching and student body despite the scholarships.

Beth overhears two of her fellow panellists at a nearby table, the teachers’ representatives. She is disappointed that these two have been appointed, spoiled brats teaching spoiled brats is how she views them, selected by an older generation of spoiled brats from the same group of families. But Jennifer is specialising in science, maths and computing and thanks to its extensive range of sponsors, this school is the best equipped in the county.

‘Seen the applicants?’ Sophie asks

‘Promising group apart from the oik with tattoos,’ Jeremy responds.

‘The guy who looks like a crib sheet for an Egyptology exam, is he a candidate? I thought he was here about the boiler.’

‘Yah; name is Jack Simmons.’

‘Seen anyone you fancy?’

‘Yah; Leticia.’

‘Letty Cholmondeley, did she apply?’

‘Yah, but so did Henry Rollins apparently. He had a crush on me at Eton; mamma took to him, began calling me Sebastian; they’re still in touch. She insists I help him. Trouble is he never achieved anything so I can’t see the Central Registry report being favourable.’

‘You don’t read all that do you? Father wants me to support Freddie Johnson; thinks he would be a good catch for me, merger of companies when he inherits the family firm.’

‘Why does Freddie want to teach?’

‘He doesn’t really. His father won’t buy a lab for him so he wants to use one here to develop some new kind of packaging material.’

‘He doesn’t sound your type.’

‘I’m rather