Here is a sample from the short story ‘The Researcher’.

 

The Researcher

Bruce had met Trevor a couple of years ago and from the outset he was impressed with his academic credentials and what he had achieved in life. Through what anyone else would have seen as hard work he achieved top marks in his courses and breezed through secondary school, his BSc in Pharmacology and after that his Masters and PhD in the same subject. He had a very high IQ and was a natural at science. He had always predicted that he would specialise in pharmacological research and he was now doing his dream job. Through it all he seemed so laid back and relaxed, as if he was a back seat passenger in his own life.

Due to his expertise he always got to choose what line of research he would specialise in. He could have chosen anything he wanted such as research into cardiovascular disease, liver research, kidney research, research into all sorts of cancer, hypertension research, diabetes research literally anything. His friends and work colleagues respected him but there was always a hint or an undercurrent of what he thought was jealousy. It was only through getting to know Trevor more that he found out it was something else.

Trevor was too relaxed with an outward appearance of almost vacancy. He never seemed to get irritated or annoyed especially at the things that would pester other people. He dropped something no problem, people bumped into him no problem. If anyone tried to disparage him no problem. He seemed to take everything in his stride.

Throughout the time Bruce had known him he had one girlfriend. They had been going steady before he was introduced to him and in a relaxed sort of way seemed very into each other. Like peas in a pod his girlfriend was also into academic research but at a different institution. His girlfriend Jane always seemed to be the one doing the driving. In the morning they would leave their apartment with Jane driving and Trevor in the passenger seat. Trevor would be dropped off at his work before Jane would drive to her work which was about 15km away. Then at the end of the day after Trevor had finished his research for the day, like clockwork Jane would be there waiting for him. It seemed unfair that Jane did the driving all the time and it wasn’t as if Trevor couldn’t drive. Bruce later learned for safety’s sake it was best that Jane was behind the steering wheel.

Early on in the relationship Jane, after finding out about some of Trevor’s habits, had taken control and decided that she should be behind the wheel. Under no circumstances should Trevor be driving and especially not when she was in the car. They had both chipped in and paid equally for the car but if the car keys were not in the ignition when Jane was driving, they would be in Jane’s coat pocket……………………..

 

‘The Researcher’ is one of the stories in ‘Mixed Bag:10 Short Stories’ by Alan Barr which is available in eBook and paperback formats from Amazon.

Kind Regards

Alan

Email: alanrove@hotmail.com

Twitter: @AlanAlanrove