A Collection of Short Stories

By Crystal Tarling

6 Short stories covering a variety of situations:

Finding a recent accident and helping her to safety, starts a new beginning for a grieving man.

On the road to a new future, she is almost high-jacked and races away amidst a hail of bullets. This leads to many similar adventures where the high-jackers try to get rid of her.

Her ex-husband comes back into her life bringing lots of trouble which lands her mother in hospital. They work together with the police to bring about justice.

Finding out that her fiancé has skipped the country, she and her best friend decide not to waste the honeymoon and go on an adventure of their own.

She runs up into the wild forest-covered mountain to escape.  Eating berries that the baboons eat to survive, she gets away, only to fall on the other side and lose her memory…

Running a big business is not without its problems, but I am blissfully unaware until it all nerly comes tumbling down!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Crystal Tarling
• Release date: Apr 12, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393547044

Crystal Tarling

I was adopted as young baby and had a wonderful life full of adventure and imagination.  Stories come naturally to me.

Book preview

Designed to change

I was working my frustrations out with the axe.  Chopping wood has always been one way of forgetting and moving on. Every chop of the axe, worked a little more out. I collected the wood and packed it on the stoep. There was a storm due and I wanted to make sure I had enough to outlast the storm. It had been a year since my baby had been taken from me without my permission or knowledge.

My whole reasoning for moving here was for the peace and quiet – as well as the remoteness of the place. I had always loved it here.  Granddad took us fishing and hiking. He built us a tree house that 10 people could sleep in.  It was a tree mansion! We had many amazing holidays here on the farm with him and Grams.  Grams baked the most delicious cakes and biscuits for our picnics in the treehouse. Colton, Faith and I played here daily. Yes, Colton was still here then. God, I miss him. 

He and I were not only brothers, we were one person. We thought alike, we did the same things, we even fell in love with the same woman. Jade chose him and they eloped. He had saved for ages and they flew to Vegas. They were happy and stayed there for a while. It was definitely a case or wrong place at the wrong time. A robbery gone wrong and now they are both gone!

I moved on and realised that the love I had for Jade was not real and I was glad she chose Dom as we would have been miserable! Then I met Paige, a golden haired beauty and, as I later found out, an outright bitch! We fell in love and it was idyllic.  We married and after a year, she fell pregnant which brought out the witch in her. No one is going to ruin my figure! How could you make me pregnant? I was over the moon to become a father but she made sure that would not happen. She had an abortion without my knowledge.

I was furious! I could not even look at her, I was so cross! She packed and left and went to her Mom who was just as much of a prima donna. She sent me divorce papers and I did not contest it. She wanted nothing out of me and I was happy. Later I found out that she was in hospital for ages with complications from the back-street abortion. I felt nothing! She survived and married a rich man who adored her and gave her everything she wanted and he already had children who lived with their mother. She loved the children – because they did not ruin her figure!

Hell, but she ruined things for me. I did not want to trust another woman. She was all love and happiness and wanted everything I wanted, until she fell pregnant. I was so hurt, I withdrew from society completely.  I literally ran away to Granddad. He welcomed me with open arms and had long talks to me about not tarring every woman with the Paige brush. Grams baked and cooked roasts and made me feel good again. I stayed for 3 months and worked the farm with Granddad and then they both left this world within a week of one another.  Grams had a heart attack and Granddad would or could not live without her and just died!  I was shocked and alone again! Then I found a letter Granddad had written to me before he died.

‘Dominic, you have had it rough, but it will get better. Stay here for a while but do not hide from the world. There is someone out there meant for you and you are meant for her. You will come together soon and in a way that you least expect it. Go into it with open eyes and do not let your past interfere with what you see and know and believe to be correct, even if you do not want to trust it. The farm is yours.  You always were the only one who wanted to work the land and live here. Faith has a trust fund set up for her and she will be fine. Brody McMasters has my will.  Contact him. Be happy! I love you! Granddad.’

I sat there and cried. I cried for them and I cried for me. Two days later I got up, shaved, showered and went to see Brody. I had the farm and a sizeable sum of money. I could now live my dream.  Farm and write! Back at the farm, I called the staff together and spoke to them.  I wanted to know what they thought – what works, what does not and what the future should hold.  I assured them all I was staying and not selling. They were all happy with the farm as is but had ideas for expansion. I asked that they plan them out and that we cost them and have a look at them then.

I spent the next few weeks working with the guys on their new ideas. We had horses and cows and chickens.  There were fruit trees. Crops were lucerne and oats so we always had plenty of food for the animals and we sold the excess. The farm had a forest on a hill near the boundary and that was where our tree house was. We had paddocks and stables and barns.  There was more than enough ground to build cottages and to start a holiday / camping / outrides. I did lots of research and decided to go for it.  I called in an architect and we did plans. We could build 24 cottages without breaking into our fields at all.  They would be far enough apart for a bit of privacy but not too far for families to be near one another.

The plans were approved and a year later all the cottages were built and ready to decorate.  I went into town and asked around. I placed adverts in the paper for decorators and for staff. Some of the wives of my farm staff wanted work and I gave them first priority. I went through the CV’s of the applicants and shortlisted. Some were from women who wanted a cushy life as a farmer’s wife – not going to happen! I was frustrated as no one had come forward for the decorating and that needed to be done first.

I decided to go for a drive and clear my head. I drove out of the farm and along the road through town and out of town over the pass. I was just driving along when I suddenly hit my brakes. I looked back and sure enough, I had seen right! I pulled as far off the road as I safely could and locked the van and ran back.

There was a tree that had been hit and there was a car halfway down the embankment. This accident was recent! I looked at the slope and decided that I needed a rope.  I ran back and grabbed a rope from the truck and secured it to a tree nearby. I let myself over the top of the slope and hurried down to the car. There was a head in the car and it was not moving. I got closer and heard crying. As I got close, I saw the car was stable against a large solid rock and would not fall further. There was a head of long auburn hair and I knocked on the window. 

Her head shot up and wiped her eyes. I tried the door and she unlocked it wearily.  I will not hurt you.  I need to help you out. I assured her. Are you hurt?

She shook her head. I only hit my head slightly and my heart is sore – but it has been sore for ages! She tried to smile valiantly but failed and started crying again. I helped her out and held her while she cried. Once she calmed, I asked her what happened. I was driving along and my front left tyre blew and I lost control.  I just went over the edge and basically drove down the slope down without rolling. I fell asleep and when I woke, it was just too much after everything and I just sat and cried! Then you came! This accident happened yesterday at 5 pm.

So you have been here all night? You must be starving and thirsty! Were you not scared? I asked.

No, I slept all night.  I hit my head on the windscreen and it all went blank. When I woke, it was dark so I fell asleep again and when I woke again, it was morning.  Everything I own is in this car and now I am stuck here! She cried.

Hey, your car does not seem too badly damaged and I am sure we can pull it out. I will call for someone to tow it out and fix the tyre, check for damage and bring it to my place.  I live just the other side of town. Let me help you up to my truck and I will bring your luggage up. I took her hand and guided her up while holding on to the rope. Once I settled her in the truck, I did 3 trips to get everything out of the car.

Back in the truck, I introduced myself: Dominic Forester.

Genevieve Hawkins. Please call me Gen. Thank you for rescuing me. I was too sad and too tired to try to get out yet. She smiled the first genuine smile I had seen yet and it lit up her face.

So tell me, where were you on your way to? I asked.

Nowhere or anywhere. I am alone in the world now and felt that I needed a change. I thought I would drive and find a place to settle and start over.  I do interior decorating and want to start my own business online. She told me and I grinned.

"Well, this is definitely fate taking a hand in your life.  I have been advertising for 2 months for an interior decorator to decorate all the cottages on the farm and now here you are! Would you have a look and decide if this is a job you want to do? They are