Chains of Life

By Jennifer Hume

Chains of Life is the second book by Jennifer Hume. It is a compilation of short stories looking at family and friends and the relationships that exist between them. Explore and enjoy the trials and tribulations of the characters in each story as they make their journey through the Chains of Life.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris AU
• Release date: Sep 29, 2015
• ISBN: 9781514440438

Jennifer Hume

Jennifer Hume grew up in Melbourne, Victoria. Graduating with a Business Management Diploma she worked in a variety of management positions in Melbourne then in Brisbane, whilst pursuing her passion to write. This is Jennifer’s second book. Her first book On the Battlefield of Depression, a book of prose poetry, was released in 2013. This book Chains of Life (2015) is her first book of short stories. Jennifer Hume lives in Melbourne with her husband and family.

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Copyright © 2015 by Jennifer Hume.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Rev. date: 09/15/2015

Xlibris

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CONTENTS

Butcher’s Choice

Happiness Lost

Romantic Interlude

And they wept…

Wrong Number

Return to Arantil

Suspicion in the Suburbs

Ugly Fish

The Watch

To Ray for his loving support,

With grateful thanks and all my love always

Butcher’s Choice

BUTCHER’S CHOICE

Radsten, population 7268 according to the welcome sign at the edge of town, was having its annual Show Day, the day when the town closes down and everyone marches as one to the local showgrounds at the other end of town. The town numbers had swelled dramatically as the local and regional farmers came to town for the show.

A medium sized town by city standards, Radsten was a modern, vibrant town with a RSL Club, 2 Cinemas, supermarkets, cafes aplenty, 3 pubs, sporting grounds and a committee for everything. You might say big enough to be either anonymous, well known or half and half. Julia found herself in the half and half bracket, well known at work, to more of an anonymous private life.

Show Day a day when Julia Fisher reflected on the number of years she had been in Radsten, this year made four since she moved from Melbourne to take up a new job as an Accountant in this country town.

Four years; no husband, no kids, not even a boyfriend. What was she up to, Julia thought. Maybe her chronic shyness had something to do with it. She wasn’t always like this. When she was younger she had many friends, boyfriends, one in particular stringing her along with thoughts of marriage, only to dump her and humiliate her just days away from the wedding, leaving her in a kind of shell shock state for a while, before changing her into this frightened young woman too scared and shy to commit, leaving her lonely yet trapped in her shell of shyness. An escape from Melbourne was what prompted her to apply for the job.

After another successful Show Day, it was back to work for everyone including Julia.

The doorbell tinkled, Patrick stole a quick glance and a hint of a smile scudded across his face as he saw Julia, but now it was back to work.

Well then Ladies, which of you is next.

A hand went up. Mrs. Ferguson what delights are you wanting today? Mrs Ferguson in her haltingly aging voice gave her order to Patrick McCubbin the brash Irish Butcher. Patrick filled her order, smiled and handed it over where she placed it lovingly in her push-a-long jeep. Turning she smiled and breathily said goodbye first to Patrick then to the other Ladies, reminding them to see her on Thursday for tea and cakes, and a good gossip, probably mainly about poor Miss Fisher, so shy yet so competent at her job as an accountant with the largest accountancy firm servicing the district, even receiving promotions, so why is she so shy? Mrs Ferguson found this puzzling.

Back at the Butchers Patrick continued to serve his customers with an ongoing announcement of We have a 2 day special commencing today, 2 kilo’s of prime yearling rump steak for $30.00. That’s right folks 2 kilo’s of prime yearling rump steak for $30.00 went out his cry.

I believe you are next Mrs H, how good to see you. You look particularly lovely today. A deep flush but, sensibility always her demeanour, she announced her order, in what could be only called military fashion.

Stop calling me Mrs H, my name is Mrs Hastings-Smythe. No fooling Mrs H, her order was always freshly cut by Patrick’s assistant Steve, so it was usually safe to serve the next customer, but not today. Mrs H was on the warpath and the thought that someone was more important than her left her incandescent with rage.

How dare you serve this Miss…Miss Nothing whist I have to wait an eternity for my order. Don’t you know I am a stalwart of this community and demand the respect I deserve, after all I am the wife of the Mayor! the closest thing to Royalty according to Mrs H.

This usually brought a titter among the waiting customers, much to her fury. In these circumstances it’s pointless to argue, just cut your losses and apologise. With a very definite Hrumph she left the shop. Thank goodness this happens only once a week.

Poor Mrs Hastings-Smythe always the butt of jokes, but she does bring it upon herself sometimes, this day being one of them.

Ah Miss Fisher, I apologise for Mrs H’s reference to you being a Miss Nothing. I have never felt so ashamed in my life hearing her call you that. You are a very special lady.

Miss Fisher blushing a puce colour acknowledged his remark with a quick nod of her head.

Back to work mode for Patrick. Don’t suppose you would like 2 kilo’s of prime yearling rump steak. He stared across the counter waiting for her to reply, blushing for a second time she gently reminded him I’m sorry Mr McCubbin, you know that I only buy enough for myself. What could I possibly do with 2 kilo’s of steak?

Winking, he brazenly suggested that she invite him to dinner to discuss this perplexing question. Eternally embarrassed she stood there words momentarily eluding her. She knew she had to do or say something as the rest of the customers were standing there transfixed waiting for her answer, any answer, smiling that ‘understanding’ smile, you know the one, ‘poor woman she’s obviously terribly shy and lonely and here’s Patrick, such a gentleman, heart of gold if just a little tarnished around the edges. She’d be a fool not to accept his invitation after all it’s only for dinner.’

Well? asked Patrick, his thunderous voice bringing her out of her daydream and back to the reality of an answer. Mustering all her senses and nerve she quietly replied No thank you Mr McCubbin, I’ll just have 2 lamb chops and 150g of beef mince today.

There you go Love. See you again on Wednesday. Not daring to look at him nor the obviously disappointed audience, who felt sorry for her, she clutched her parcel to her chest leaving the shop staring firmly at the ground not giving anyone the chance to have eye contact and thus reduce her to a teary blubbering idiot, muttering to herself, Julia you pathetic person, why can’t you be stronger, more forthright, curb your shyness? Why, why do you allow your shyness to cause you such problems especially at the Butchers. You’re not like this at work.

Mr McCubbin, or Patrick as he once asked her to call him, flirted unashamedly with all his customers, so why was it that she felt intimidated and hopelessly embarrassed when it was her turn? At one stage Julia vowed never to go back to his shop to avoid these encounters, but he has the best quality meat in the district and at the best prices and so she continued to subject herself to his harmless flirtations, and the wondering customers, wondering what?

Putting all of this foolishness out of her mind Julia continued on with her shopping ritual, Butchers – been there, Grocers, Green Grocers followed by the lolly shop on the corner of Jackson and High Streets for her treat of 250g of assorted chocolates, then laden like a pack mule, the hike up to the bus stop in Edgeware Road in time to catch the bus home arriving with enough time to prepare her evening meal and catch the 6.30pm news.

The usual fare, wars and political