The Priesthood

By David Halliday

There is a special place in hell for mothers. It is on Earth. Doreen Henderson lingered for months in a dark place few could understand. The psychiatrists called it post-traumatic syndrome. A young woman, the widow slipped into middle-age over night. It was as if Doreen’s world had died on her that afternoon of the accident and she had awakened on a dead planet. She had been put on medication. There was therapy. Counseling. I tried to drop in on her every chance I got. When Doreen was released from the hospital I made it a point to visit her at home. For a while her sister from Winnipeg stayed with her. Neighbors kept an eye on her house, cut the grass, made sure her bills were paid, took her shopping, tried to return her to a normal life.
It was suggested that Doreen sell her house, start fresh some place else. Doreen refused. Jeremy’s room was kept as it appeared on the day of the accident. Clothes were scattered on the floor. The bed was unmade. Homework waited to be finished on his desk.
One day when I arrived, the fire department was at the house. Doreen had taken all of her husband’s clothes into the backyard and burnt them. My visits increased. Sometimes Doreen and I knelt down in her kitchen and prayed. Other times we sat in her den looking out the window at her garden, hardly speaking.
“I hate him!” She cried out one day while we were praying.
“Jesus loves you,” I responded reaching out for Doreen’s hand. She rose from the floor and marched into the living room. She had grabbed a picture of her husband and smashed it on the floor. She moved from picture to picture smashing each one. When she smashed a picture of her husband and her son together, she fell to her knees and wept uncontrollably.

• Language: English
• Publisher: David Halliday
• Release date: Aug 8, 2016
• ISBN: 9781370190737

David Halliday

I have published poems, short stories, plays, art works in reviews and publications across the United States and Canada. I have several published books:murder by Coach House Press. This book is a series of poems and illustrations set up like scenes in a movie, describing the murder, trial, and mob execution of an innocent man. Winner of the 2001 Eppie for poetry.The Black Bird by. The Porcupine’s Quill. This is a book of poems, illustrations and short prose pieces describing the fictional making of the John Huston film, The Maltese Falcon.Making Movies by Press Porcepic. This is a book of long poems, interviews, short fiction pieces about a fictional BBC documentary about a fictional Canadian film maker, Samuel Bremmer and his company of actors and colleagues. It follows his career through the creation of a series of his movies.Church Street is Burning, a book of poems, was a finalist in the 2002 Eppie for poetry.The God of Six Points, published by Double-dragon-ebooks. A man who believes he is a god believes he has murdered one of his subjects.Sleeping Beauty, published by LTD ebooks.com is a murder mystery. A woman lands in a small village where the only escape is to be murdered. Finalist in the 2003 Dream Realm Awards. Winner of the 2004 IP Book Awards.The Hole, published by LTD ebooks is one in a series of cop stories. There are unusual happenings in the quiet suburb of Islington. People have begun to disappear. And they have been disappearing for generations. For the soon to retire Sam Kelly, this is his last case as a detective. All the clues point to a mysterious hole, which appears to have no bottom.In 2007 I was short listed for the C.B.C. Literary Contest in poetry.

Book preview

The Priesthood

by David Halliday

Published by David Halliday at Smashwords

The Invisible Man, Part 5

Copyright 2016 David Halliday

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1. A Mortal Sin

Father O’Malley heard the clearing throat behind him. He turned around from his desk where he’d been working on his sermon.

Could we talk, Father? The young priest stood at the open door of the room. He rubbed a hand over his thinning long curly hair.

Take a seat. Father O’Malley pointed to a chair in the corner of the room where he often sat and read the Holy Book.

Thank you, Father.

The young priest took a seat in the chair. Father O’Malley waited for the younger priest to speak.

These are confusing times. Father Paul cleared his throat again. Our dear father, Pope John Paul passes on, and he is replaced by Benedict XVI. Death and then life.

Father O’Malley turned around in his chair to give the younger priest his