The Unlikely Heroics of Sam Holloway by Rhys Thomas

Author:Rhys Thomas [THOMAS, RHYS]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781472248121
Publisher: Headline
Published: 2018-08-21T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nineteen

The fisherman cast his line out, far across the stretch of water. Even from this distance Sam heard the heavy weight plop through the surface. The brittle reeds that had turned brown with the changing of the season chittered on the shoreline. The angler, just a stick man on the far side of the lake, set his rod on a rest and sat down.

Unable to sleep, Sam had come here before work. It was peaceful. Sometimes, in the summer, he’d bring his lunch to this lake. It was hardly light yet there he was, the fisherman, out for an early catch. To his left, a heron was standing perfectly still in the shallows.

In his hand, Sam held the copy of Cathedral. The air was freezing, but Sam barely noticed. He was remembering being in the bathroom at the pub quiz, on the verge of going home, and the feeling that had come over him of needing to stay – to hold on. It made him think of Sarah’s Rocket Tree. The one he’d let go of so many years ago. She’d said that after a while, when you think you’re all alone, you suddenly look out and that’s when you see it. The other tree, with the other person in it.

He nodded. It had taken weeks to get here but he was ready. He took out his phone . . .

Hi Sarah, was just wondering how you were. Sorry I haven’t been in touch. Hope all is OK.

. . . and exhaled.

Across the way Linda was talking loudly to a customer. Sam picked up the phone from his desk but Sarah still hadn’t replied. He warmed his hands on his cup of tea. Mr Okamatsu was staring out of the window near the entrance of the office, his back to the room, with his hands on his hips and legs apart. He was swaying gently. The second hand on the clock on the wall didn’t seem to be moving fast enough and it was impossible to concentrate as the slow realisation that he’d blown it sank in.

At lunch he drove as far as he could for half an hour, before turning the car round and driving back. When he parked up he checked his phone again, but there was still nothing. He sat at his desk and stared at his monitor. He watched a money spider lower itself on a spun thread from the eaves of his bonsai tree and it was when the spider touched the soil that the phone finally buzzed.

Sam froze. His heart rate started up and his skin went clammy. At last he summoned the courage to look.

Hi Sam! Nice to hear from you! Yes, all good here. We should meet up for coffee sometime x

He stared at the message. All this time . . .

Definitely. When? He scrubbed out the last part. It was too desperate. Definitely. We should go to that place near your work you told me about, with the comfy chairs.

She was typing and his skin prickled with the thought of her.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.