Bridge of Sorrel

By Terence Goodchild

On a lonely deserted highway a truck driver picks up a man carrying a sick child, asking where he came from knowing no villages or towns were in 100 miles of the highway the man replies Sorrel, the man and child are dressed in clothes you would see in films like Oliver and the Charles Dickens era, The driver takes the man and child to the nearest hospital and leaves them in emergency and drives off, the child is suspected of having an illness not seen since the middle ages which raises concern with the hospital, but not knowing where Sorrel is they arrange for the man to guide them as there may be some more cases of the illness.
With a team of doctors they have to go in by helicopter but when they arrive there is no one to be seen, so they leave the man and fly out. The concern is why and where the town is and how to reach it, and bring it into the 20th century so it is decided to build a bridge in order for the town to be accessed, that task is given to an engineering company where one of the employees named Brad Hannigan is given the job of site manager, and the granddaughter of the owner of the company Claudette is sent with Brad to look after finance, what follows is a strange relationship with Brad and Claudette and strange dealings with town folk of Sorrel with many weird happenings and surprises. Then when they find out about Sorrel from another source all is not what is seems and Brad and Claudette get more and more involved with each other’s lives and things become very complicated

• Language: English
• Publisher: Terence Goodchild
• Release date: Mar 31, 2018
• ISBN: 9781370665167

Terence Goodchild

Terence J Goodchild I am an English writer born in Manchester in the north of England and now live in Tasmania with my wife on a farm with our horses. After travelling in Europe for many years my wife and I came to Australia for a holiday in 1981 and found that we could live in this country, so we migrated in 1988 to Melbourne, but now live in Tasmania. I have been writing for about 12 years, and have written 17 novels of fiction and about 100 poems that I may put in a book one day, I try and make my books somewhere the reader can escape to, and hope they enjoy my stories, I put in a few truths, just for spice to make it more interesting, and a few one liners, I put the characters in my stories of people I have met and places I have travelled to and write how I see things,

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Copyright Terence J Goodchild (2018)

Published by Terence J Goodchild @ Createspace Amazon

The right of Terence J Goodchild to be identified as the author of this work, has been asserted by him in accordance with section 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Design and Patents Act 1988

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ISBN 9781986923567 (paperback) Amazon

The Bridge Of Sorrel

Brad Hannigan is an architect and by all accounts very good at his job, he is a partner in Whitehead, Hannigan and Burke Architect and Engineers.

Cliff Whitehead and Royston Burke were the senior partners and then Brad. Brad had left college top of his class and joined the company three years ago after going from dead end job to dead end job, and the other two had made him a partner a year after joining the firm. Brad was very grateful and now had the job he wanted a flat, although not the Alhambra Palace was okay. All he needed now was someone to share his life with, one day while at work Brad met Claudette when she came into the office to see Mr. Burke she looked amazing, Brad could not keep his eyes off her, and she knew he was looking at her. And sometimes took a quick look in his direction to see if he was still looking at her. ‘Hello, grandfather, I have come to take you to lunch.’ Claudette said.

‘I have no time to go to lunch I am too busy.’ Her grandfather replied.

‘Nonsense I am sure your loyal staff can look after things for you.’

Claudette looked in the direction of both men who had been listening to her intently since she walked in the office, she smiled her great smile, and they just nodded and never spoke. Brad knew Whitehead had thought that he would have stood a chance with Claudette seeing as he was the senior partner, so Brad stayed in the background, knowing Claudette would never look at him twice, after all she was the granddaughter of the boss.

‘Good then it is settled, get your coat and we will leave.’ Claudette said.

‘You have your grandmother’s ways young lady, she can be very persuasive.’

‘I know don’t you just love us.’ Claudette replied.

They left and Whitehead said to Brad.

‘She is some looker that Claudette.’

Brad never answered because he knew Whitehead was right, Brad just carried on working away, he knew he had no chance with Claudette.

Mr. Burke came back later minus Claudette; Brad would have liked to have seen her again why he had no idea. Whitehead left early and Brad was packing up his work and was about to leave when Mr. Burke said.

‘What are you doing Friday night Brad?’

‘Why are you asking me out on a date?’ Brad replied.

‘Oh yes Hannigan very funny.’

‘Sorry sir, I just could not resist it.’ Brad replied.

‘Yes of course, I must be getting old.’ Burke said.

‘I would not say that.’ Brad said.

‘Leave it there Hannigan.’

Yes, sir, sorry.’ Brad knew Burke did not like creeps.

‘Okay, so I will ask again, are you doing anything on Friday night.’

‘Not much, sir.’ Brad replied.

‘Good, and stop calling me, sir, my wife is having some party for something or another and you are invited.’ Brad looked at Burke as if to say, why me.

‘Don’t worry, you have not been chosen, Whitehead will be there as well, we will expect you at around eight.’ Brad looked at Burke.

‘What Hannigan.’ Burke asked.

‘Where do you live and by the way my name is Brad.’ Second names did not wash with Brad and he knew it had to be said.

‘Oh yes, sorry Brad, 22 mountain Hwy, you cannot miss the house, it is the only one built on the silly side of a hill, mind you my wife loves the view so the hill it was.’

‘How shall I dress?’ Brad asked.

‘Preferably in clothes’ Burke smiled. ‘Sorry, could not resist.’

‘Oh yes, very funny, I asked for that.’ Brad replied and picked up his case.

‘See you in the morning.’

Brad caught the five thirty train home to his bachelor pad on the east side of town, it used to be nice around here, Brad thought to himself, but now it was getting very overcrowded and dirty. Brad sat looking at the people traveling home, there was a construction worker sat opposite him his hard hat still on his head, the initials CPT stamped on it, surely they should hand the hard hat in when he had finished work, mind you he may have thought he looked like one of the village people. The man had fallen asleep and with the train rocking had crept slowly towards the girl's shoulders sat next to him; she was reading the lord of the rings. Brad had read the lord of the rings three times, he had no idea what it was about, but he liked it, then the man’s head finally lay on the girl's shoulders, she got annoyed and pushed him away, his head hit the side window frame with a loud bong from his hard hat, but he never woke up. How do people do that just sleep anywhere, mind you it was probably a matter of course, he had traveled on this train so long he had gotten used to the journey, and when his stop came he probably woke up on queue.

‘Pallone Gate.’ The voice over the intercom said, people got off and the girl moved up a bit away from the construction worker, she looked at Brad and smiled, he smiled back, then she crossed her legs and revealed her long legs, bloody flirt. Brad thought, mind you she is quite a looker, and then he remembered that is what Whitehead said about Claudette.

‘Next stop Concords road.’ The voice again came over the intercom and the construction worker woke up and got up and went off, you see amazing the guy was fast asleep and yet he knew his stop. Mind you I bet he had some surprises while practicing his routine, he probably found himself in some strange places not knowing how he got there. Then a lady got on and sat where the worker had vacated she was carrying three shopping bags with Tesco written on them, she sat down with a sigh, the girl smiled at her she smiled back. Then she took an apple out of her shopping back and began to eat it, Brad wondered what her life was like, she probably had three kids and had to do the shopping after work, while her husband was down at the pub. Or perhaps he was on the dole and she was the only one working, she finished her apple and put the core in her bag, and took out a magazine about travel, she must have been dreaming or something about far off places that she would never see. The girl just kept reading and looking over the book at Brad, he pretended she was not there, but kept taking a sneak look at her legs. ‘Hartville.’ The voice told Brad this was his stop, but to his surprise the girl also got off as well, funny Brad had never seen her on the train before, he let her get off first and she smiled once again, Brad smiled back. He walked along the street towards his home and was thinking about the girl on the train and of course Claudette, and hoped his life would never get as mundane as the lady would with the Tesco bags.

‘Penny for them Brad.’

Brad looked down at Barry Jelson sitting in his wheelchair at the newsagent’s stand he had owned for ten years.

‘Hi Barry it would cost you more than a penny my friend, my boss has just invited me to a party Friday night.’

‘So what is your problem?’ Barry asked.

‘He has this amazing granddaughter.’ Brad replied

‘And of course she will be there, won’t she.’ Barry said.

‘Well, I assume so.’ Brad replied.

‘Well then you may get laid, with a bit of luck.’ Barry laughed.

‘I don’t think so, she is too classy for me.’ Brad replied.

‘Rubbish, there is no such thing as class these days, do you know some as you say classy woman likes a bit of rough.’

‘Oh, very nice a bit of rough am I.’ Brad replied.

‘Touchy aren’t you my friend, just go with the flow, I can tell you I had some nice classy ladies before I ended up in this contraption, and I can tell you they really know how to make a man feel fine.’

‘Well, it is a good job, you are where you are, no woman would be safe.’ Brad smiled.

‘You are right there my friend,’ Barry burst out laughing.

Brad picked up the journal and paid Barry.’

‘Read the article on page four, some country town is giving away land and houses to get people to live there, it would just suit you down to the ground a bit of country air.’

‘Yea sure, see you.’ Brad let himself into his flat and was greeted by Greta his cat. ‘Hello princes have you missed me.’

The cat meowed and rubbed up against his leg.

‘It would be nice to get a woman to make as much fuss over me as you do my princes, but of course you never ask for much do you, just a bit of love and food.’ Brad picked up Greta and sat her on the kitchen sink.

‘Now what would you like to eat, let’s see, mince steak kidney cat food or fish, you have more choice than I do.’

Brad gave Greta some fish and put her on the floor, he put his curry into the microwave he had left from last night and switched on the kettle and sat down to read the paper.

‘Bloody world has gone mad.’ Brad scanned the front page and then turned to page two; some celebrity was getting married for the third time.

‘Three times, I would like to get married just once, and here she is getting married three times, mind you money, helps I suppose, the phone rang Brad picked it up. ‘Hello.’ He asked.

‘Brad you old dog, Ches are you going out tonight.’

‘Of course I am, I have a date with this great looker, she accosted me on the train and said, take me.’

There was silence, ‘Oh yea half your luck.’ Ches replied.

‘No case, why do you ask.’ Brad replied.

‘There is a baseball game tonight at the dome, do you fancy coming, Lonny me and Pat are going, it will be a night out, we can go for a beer after it is a long time since we got together.’

Brad thought about staying in, but what the hell for.

‘Sure, I will meet you at Clancy’s what time.’

‘Seven Lonny is flying in at five he has been away again, some seminar in South Africa or somewhere, see you at seven.’

Ches hung up, Brad’s curry was ready the pinging of the microwave brought him around; he opened the door and took out the curry and looked at it.

‘There is got to be some other life than this left over curry and the companionship of a cat.’

**********

Brad met Ches at Clancy’s bar, he smiled as Brad walked in.

‘Hello mate, what will you have.’

‘Corona.’ Brad replied. Ches ordered the beer and handed it to Brad, then Pat walked in and Ches repeated the order.

‘Here we are once again my friends it has been ages, cheers.’

They all said cheers and Lonny came in.

‘Hello scumbag’s how are they hanging.’

‘Lonny, you never change, you are so predictable, and how is the high flier doing these days.’ Ches asked.

‘Flying high son flying high, but it is great to be home with my best friends.’

‘Oh please spare us the praise it is too much to bare.’ Brad replied.

‘Anyway, why were you in South Africa of all places?’ Pat asked.

‘We are going to put a branch of the company there and they want me to run it, I said I will think about it, and then I met this woman who was the agent for the building, she was great in bed.’ The other three looked at Lonny.

‘What you are so full of shit, you are telling us you had it away with the estate agent.’

‘Yeah, I am telling you, she showed me the building and then I suggested we have lunch, and things went from there, we had lunch and then went back to her place for dessert

‘You are so full of bull you have not got that much charm.’

Lonny never answered.

‘What is up Casanova lost your tongue.’

Lonny still never spoke Ches looked at the others and made a face.

‘What is wrong her father caught you at it?’ Pat laughed.

‘She’s black.’ That stopped them in their tracks.

‘What do you mean she’s black, what black Sabbath, black looks, black clothes.’ Ches asked Lonny looked at Ches

‘You know, me white you black me Tarzan, you Jane, what do you think I mean you dumb bastard, she is black not white.’ Lonny replied.

‘Okay, jeez, you don’t have to bite my head off, so she is black so what.’ Ches said.

‘Sorry Ches, but it does matter, she is in South Africa and she is black.’ Lonny replied.

‘And, there are thousands of blacks in South Africa they live there, that is their home, but what has that got to do with you.’ Pat asked.

‘I have fallen in love with her.’ Lonny replied.

‘You, the only man I know who has never fallen in love with anyone even himself as now fallen for a black girl.’ Pat said.

‘You are not serious are you?’ Brad looked at Lonny.

‘You are, aren’t you, my god Lonny Stevens has fallen in love, wonders do happen in this world, and how does she feel.’

‘The same, she wants me to try and get her to live here.’ Lonny replied.

‘Whoa boy, what are you saying she has asked you to help her to come to this country.’ Pat said.

‘I know what you are saying Pat, but this is no holiday fling, to me this is real.’ Lonny replied.

‘But you are going over there to live, you have just told us don’t, the company want you to move to South Africa.’

‘They have asked me, but I don’t know now.’

‘Go over there and live with her that seems to be the best solution to your problem.’ Brad said.

‘That is where it becomes a problem blacks don’t live with whites at any level.’ Lonny replied.

‘Oh, I see that is a problem, but are you sure you want to go down this track, after all there are loads of girls who want to go out with you, it has never been a problem for you, not like us lay a bouts.’

‘Hey, who are you calling a lay about.’ Brad looked at Pat as if to say, I am trying to cheer him up, fool.

‘Yea, there are loads of girls who are just waiting to jump your bones.’ Pat got the message.

‘This is different, she lives in a shanty town in the middle of nowhere, and shows clients around houses she will never live in, it gives me the shits.’ Lonny said.

‘But that is the way of the world my friend you cannot change things in South Africa, they have been trying for a hundred years or so.’ Ches said.

Lonny never spoke just looked into his drink, Brad made a sign to the other two to do something.

‘Come on the game will be starting in a few