The Forester’s Daughter
When he is getting into his car, a stranger who holds his cards close to his chest approaches.
‘I understand you have a dog you’d sell.’
‘A dog?’ says Deegan.
‘Aye,’ he says, ‘a gun dog. Do you still have him?’
‘Well, I do.’ Deegan is set back on his heel but he recovers quickly. ‘I bought him last September but I’ve little time for hunting and it’s a shame to see him wasted.’
Deegan goes on to describe a retriever. He begins to talk easily about pheasants and how his dog can rise them, how the soup off a pheasant tastes finer than anything you can find in a hotel. He talks about the turf basket and how it is never empty since the dog came to the house. As soon as he mentions turf, the man smiles but Deegan does not notice, for he is remembering the girl on her birthday and how she and the retriever now bathe in the same water. But it is too late to back down.
From the archives
·
2021
Pebbles
When he was ten years old, Jeremy was walking along the main road, with his friend Benedict, out of the small town they lived in. Heading to build a den. Jeremy picked up a rubber band as they walked. Then he picked up a little pebble. Then he fashioned a catapult between his fingers and Benny said Don’t, and Jem said Get lost Benny, and pinged the pebble into the oncoming traffic. A minute later a car pulled over in front of the boys and a man got out. He lurched towards the boys. Jem felt sick. He hated being in trouble.
The man pointed at Benny and said, You could have killed me and my children, you stupid little shit.
Benny looked at Jem.
Jem said nothing.
Benny said, I am very, very sorry. I am incredibly sorry.
The man said, You have to try in life not to . . . not . . . not to be a fucking idiot.
Both boys flinched from the language.
Benny said, I’m sorry. I’ll try.
The man shook his head and walked back to his car.
Read more of this excerpt...
Pebbles
When he was ten years old, Jeremy was walking along the main road, with his friend Benedict, out of the small town they lived in. Heading to build a den. Jeremy picked up a rubber band as they walked. Then he picked up a little pebble. Then he fashioned a catapult between his fingers and Benny said Don’t, and Jem said Get lost Benny, and pinged the pebble into the oncoming traffic. A minute later a car pulled over in front of the boys and a man got out. He lurched towards the boys. Jem felt sick. He hated being in trouble.
The man pointed at Benny and said, You could have killed me and my children, you stupid little shit.
Benny looked at Jem.
Jem said nothing.
Benny said, I am very, very sorry. I am incredibly sorry.
The man said, You have to try in life not to . . . not . . . not to be a fucking idiot.
Both boys flinched from the language.
Benny said, I’m sorry. I’ll try.
The man shook his head and walked back to his car.
Read more of this excerpt...