The Corollaries Collection

By AJP Leaver

The Corollaries Collection is a series of original short stories.

A single thread connects each of them.

They separately and collectively consider the consequences of choices made; the independent freedom people have to make choices at different stages of life and the impact of those choices over time, both on others and themselves. How such choices reflect moral values.

The Glove: An environmental artist Barbara randomly collects lost and discarded items. Commissioned to create a piece of signature art for the opening of a new Gallery she finds inspiration in the object of a single glove which leads her to an unexpected discovery.

Scoop: A spate of unsavoury deliveries are being made to the dog owners of a rural market town leading to a run of complaints at the local police station. There's a subversive, socially responsible vigilante at work. But who is it?

De Ja Moo: Alice and Patricia have been friends for over a decade but their respective values clash when they catch up over a pot of nettle and blackcurrant tea and a cappuccino.

Prima Facie: In challenging economic times Grace is delighted to begin a new job with an organisation aligned to her own values, even though she has been used to working at a more senior level. Life should be good.

Upwardly Mobile: The tables turn for two sisters divided by a decade's old disagreement.

The Paradise Gate: A hotel Manager reinvents his life to pursue his true passion leading him to an unexpected opportunity to help others in leaving their turbulent pasts behind.

Lula: Can a couple overcome the fierce objections of close family to their plans to make a difference to six-year-old girl rescued from extreme neglect?

• Language: English
• Publisher: AJP Leaver
• Release date: May 7, 2021
• ISBN: 9781005126353

AJP Leaver

Andrew J P Leaver has spent a lifetime being lost inside his own head. Occasionally he has been known to re-join the real world and study the interplay of human relationships through his career in Hospitality and HR Consultancy. With an acutely sweet tooth, which he blames on his Irish mother and her sugar sandwiches, he has a penchant for cake and fine whisky liqueurs. He can often be found wandering aimlessly through the wilds of the Scottish Borders where he lives with his wife and their West Highland Terrier, Harris. When not imagining or writing Andrew spends time creating animated video versions of his stories. The Corollaries Collection is Andrews first published set of Short Stories. Andrew has also released The Pigs Totters, a children's picture book, on Kindle.

Book preview

The

Corollaries Collection

A single thread connects each of the following stories. They separately and collectively consider the consequences of choices made; the independent freedom to make choices at different stages of life and the impact of those choices over time, both on others and ourselves.

Definition

Corollary:

A preposition that follows directly from the proof of another preposition

An obvious deduction

A natural consequence or result

Adjective: Consequent or Resultant

Copyright

The Corollaries Collection

by

Andrew J P Leaver

Published by Andrew J P Leaver at Smashwords

Distributed by Smashwords.

Copyright 2021 Andrew J P Leaver

Dedication

For my wife and daughter, who have always believed and encouraged,

no matter the storms of life we have had to endure.

I thank you with all my heart.

Community Social Responsibility

The final story in this collection concerns a child being taken into foster care.

The statistics concerning the shortages of foster carers are staggering. My wife and I recently engaged with Action For Children and sadly were not in a position to move forwards with them on a long term fostering basis. We have however explored other avenues to support Children in Care and as part of this I commit 10 percent of all earnings made from the sale of this anthology will go as a charitable donation to Action For Children.

https://www.actionforchildren.org.uk

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favourite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Front Cover Picture Credit

Jefferson Felix on Unsplash / instagram.com/jeffersonf.ftg

Contents

The Glove

An environmental artist Barbara randomly collects lost and discarded items. Commissioned to create a piece of signature art for the opening of a new Gallery she finds inspiration in the object of a single glove which leads her to an unexpected discovery.

Scoop

A spate of unsavoury deliveries are being made to the dog owners of a rural market town leading to a run of complaints at the local police station. There’s a subversive, socially responsible vigilante at work. But who is it?

De Ja Moo

Alice and Patricia have been friends for over a decade but their respective values clash when they catch up over a pot of nettle and blackcurrant tea and a cappuccino.

Prima Facie

In challenging economic times Grace is delighted to begin a new job with an organisation aligned to her own values, even though she has been used to working at a more senior level. Life should be good.

Upwardly Mobile

The tables turn for two sisters divided by a decade’s old disagreement

The Paradise Gate

A hotel Manager reinvents his life to pursue his true passion leading him to an unexpected opportunity to help others in leaving their turbulent pasts behind

Lula

Can a couple overcome the fierce objections of close family to their plans to make a difference to six-year-old girl rescued from extreme neglect?

Author Biography

Connect With Me

THE GLOVE

2015

‘Just here please, on the corner. Thanks.’ Barbara thrust a £20 pound note at the driver as he pulled into the curb. ‘Keep the change.’ Bending to scoop up her canvas shoulder-bag from the floor, her eye was caught by a flash of vermillion under the front seat. On impulse she stuffed the item into her jacket pocket, before exiting the taxi. She glanced at the clock above the station entrance opposite. She was just going to make it. A biting March easterly swept off the Tyne, snaking through the streets, snatching at the hats and scarves of people hurrying between imposing neoclassical structures. Buses queued at obstinate traffic lights. She inhaled their fumes mixed with drifting odours of stale cooking oil from nearby take-aways.

Clenching her ticket to her chest, she cut between the traffic, sprinted to the automatic gates, squeezing through the ebb and flow of elbows, feet and wheeled luggage. She slammed the train door behind her just as the whistle blew, and after a dispute with the disgruntled occupant of her reserved seat she took her place next to the window.

The carriage lurched forward. Relieved to be on board, she closed her eyes and reflected on her meeting with Paul Smart. It had been good; in truth, she was flattered. 'smARTs' had an impressive portfolio of galleries across the north and the new gallery planned for Newcastle was going to be stunning. A fine space to display unique artworks. Slick, clean, fabulous lighting. Quite why she'd been picked to create their signature piece she was still unsure, but it was most certainly a welcome commission. Paul had been complimentary about her 'RE-fresh' environmental art award from last year, so maybe that had some influence. But what to create? Taking out her notebook she began to jot down ideas and concepts. Word associations with the city; materials, objects, landmarks and institutions. She filled almost a dozen pages by the time she disembarked the train at York.

* * *

Juliette rifled through her handbag. ‘Chanel never had this sort of trouble,’ she muttered to herself putting one glove on the seat next to her. ‘Where is it?’ As exasperated as she was, she couldn't help but recall her mother's smile every time she touched the gloves. Made of the finest soft Italian leather, they had been specially ordered for her sixteenth birthday and become one of her most treasured possessions. A deep, vibrant red, delicately hand-stitched, they had each been beautifully embossed between knuckle and cuff with a tiny swimming swan. Imprinted discreetly below the wrists her mother had even placed a small L and R, knowing how Juliette would often get confused.

The colour stirred images of her mother's lipstick; the shape of her mouth when she laughed; the counterpoint cream gauge stitching and cashmere lining raised memories of her soft skin, radiant with energy. The very sensation of the leather against her fingertips reminded her of her mother's comforting touch. She missed her sorely.

‘We have to stop the train! We have to stop the train! How do I stop the train?’ Tears began streaming from her eyes, dripping onto the cramped table littered with the extensive contents of her bag. ‘Oh my god, I, I can't have lost it, oh my god.’ Then, her voice rising, she pleaded. ‘Someone please stop the train.’

‘I don't believe we can, dear. What on earth’s the matter?’ A woman in a blue box hat asked her from across the aisle.

‘I can't find my other glove,’ she wailed, ‘I must have dropped it at the station or getting out of the taxi. It was late and I was rushing. Stupid! I'm so stupid!’

‘Well, it's not the end of the world is it, dear? These things happen. Don't be too harsh with yourself. It's hardly worth stopping the train for!’ With an arthritic hand she passed Juliette a tissue. ‘You can always get another pair of gloves, can't you?’ What was meant kindly only served to push Juliette into sobbing hysteria.

Further along the carriage, heads began to turn. Juliette's heart stretched to breaking point with each passing mile, overwhelmed by her sense of loss. She dabbed at her eyes with the tissue. ‘You don't understand. They were a present from my mother,’ she wept.

‘Ah, I see. Sentimental value. Sometimes the hardest things to lose, aren't they?’ commiserated the kindly woman. ‘Do I take it your mother is no longer with us?’

Juliette could only nod.

‘Oh, that's sad, my dear. It's hard, losing a parent at any age. Is there anything I can do?’ She shuffled into the aisle seat, reaching across to pat Juliette's arm. They sat like that for a while, with only the clatter of the tracks filling the void, until Juliette's tears eased.

‘It's like I've lost her, losing the glove,’ said Juliette softly, finally looking up. ‘I know I've still got one, but Mummy and I, we were a pair, you see. Did everything together. For as long as I had both gloves, it was as if she were still with me. Now I've just the one, it’s like she's gone.’

‘I know it seems desperate right now, and at eighty-three I think I know what desperate looks like, but the pain will ease. You know, you could try calling the taxi company -