Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    The Rochester Confessions
    The Rochester Confessions
    The Rochester Confessions
    Ebook121 pages1 hour

    The Rochester Confessions

    By James Brown

    ()

    Read preview

    About this ebook

    Father Paul is highly respected and admired in Rochester Town. Along with Mayor Nick Carter, he is instrumental in the town getting its first ferry service. Unfortunately, an unwanted visitor also comes to Rochester with the ferry. Following a couple of accidents and a death on board the ferry, the murky past of a few townsfolk is exposed. They are forced to make confessions to Father Paul, who is also dealing with the ghosts of his own past. The Father believes there is a link between their lives and the incidents on the ferry. He realises the ferry poses a big risk to the lives of the townsfolk. Meanwhile, investigative journalist Quinn is quick to sniff something fishy. On the trail of an interesting story, he hounds the Father and Mayor Nick.
    Father Paul, Nick Carter, ferry technician Rob Jennings, and the Red Indian chief Achooka, who keeps a close watch over the town, team up to save Rochester from a possible disaster.
    Will the ferry be made a pawn in the battle between the good and the evil?
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherNotion Press
    Release dateJun 15, 2015
    ISBN9789352060849
    The Rochester Confessions
    Author

    James Brown

    James Brown filled in a careers questionnaire when he was 13 which told him he was definitely going to be a teacher and an illustrator – and it was right! James studied English Literature in Sheffield and Stockholm before taking up Creative Writing at St Andrews University. He was one of five illustrators to win the SCBWI's Undiscovered Voices 2014 competition, and since then James has been balancing his job as an English teacher with writing and illustrating books for children of all ages, including With My Mummy and With My Daddy. James grew up in Nottingham where he now lives with his wife, daughters and a cat called Peg.

    Read more from James Brown

    Related to The Rochester Confessions

    Related ebooks

    Suspense For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      A Love Supreme

      Oct 9, 2021

      A Love Supreme
      5 min read

    • Article

      Breaking The Colour Code

      Mar 3, 2019

      Breaking The Colour Code
      9 min read

    • Article

      Table Talk

      Sep 1, 2022

      Table Talk
      10 min read

    • Article

      The Wright Direction

      Mar 8, 2020

      The Wright Direction
      7 min read

    • Article

      Sea Lake In The Mallee

      Aug 23, 2023

      Sea Lake In The Mallee
      7 min read

    • Article

      Town & Country

      Nov 22, 2023

      WE are not objects in a landscape, we are not characters in a film, or people in a painting,’ says new CLA president Victoria Vyvyan. ‘We have to fight back against any attempt to make us into a museum—this is a living, breathing economy and we could

      9 min read

    • Article

      Allan Dick TODAY

      Nov 1, 2023

      Over the years I have done an awful lot of talking to politicians, particularly during the 25 years I spent on radio, and I still get the odd chance to keep my hand in, as it were. During the politicking that went on in the run-up to this just-comple

      5 min read

    • Article

      Letters

      May 1, 2022

      Your April edition was terrific — great photos and graphics as well as quality stories. I particularly enjoyed Wufei Yu’s research on one Chinese American family’s history in Albuquerque, New Mexico, with its connections to Jemez Pueblo (“Origin Stor

      3 min read

    • Article

      Hayley Mcquire Has A Vision

      Mar 17, 2021

      Hayley Mcquire Has A Vision
      19 min read

    • Article

      Poteet

      Feb 10, 2022

      When he’s not out collecting old windmills, Jim Collums can most often be found at Poteet Country Winery, located on the former dairy farm where he grew up. The farm sells wines, jams, ice cream, iced tea, and even beer made from the homegrown strawb

      2 min read

    • Article

      Taking Back the Town

      Dec 9, 2019

      Taking Back the Town
      6 min read

    • Article

      Your Letters

      Sep 10, 2020

      Your Letters
      5 min read

    • Article

      Snitch

      Feb 10, 2022

      So I have been allotted months of futility, and nights of misery have been assigned. Job 7:3 January, 2007—New Orleans The Reverend Clarence Washington, senior pastor fornearly forty years at Gethsemane Baptist Church, shifted his three-hundred-pound

      27 min read

    • Article

      “We Were Bulletproof”

      Nov 8, 2020

      “We Were Bulletproof”
      3 min read

    • Article

      Vale Peter Myers 4 October 1941 – 24 April 2023

      Nov 5, 2023

      So sad about Peter Myers’ death – such a brilliant mind, such an ethical man, such an acute and drily-humoured observer of the passing scene. He always saw behind things, whether it was an underlying idea in architecture or art, or characters on the

      3 min read

    • Article

      My Country Childhood

      Oct 12, 2022

      FOR MYF WARHURST, music was a way to learn about the world beyond the small country town where she grew up, and it ended up becoming a constant thread throughout her life. “When I was younger, music was a way of expressing emotions and feelings I did

      6 min read

    • Article

      Young, Gifted And Thriving

      Jul 27, 2022

      Young, Gifted And Thriving
      6 min read

    • Article

      Your Letters

      Nov 5, 2020

      Your Letters
      6 min read

    • Article

      A Place To Heal

      Jun 19, 2019

      A Place To Heal
      8 min read

    • Article

      Welcome Letter

      Jul 16, 2020

      I didn’t intend on raising my children in the city. But I’m 15 years into this parenting caper and they’ve never lived anywhere else. To give them a taste of the country childhood I enjoyed, every school holidays or long weekend I take them somewhere

      1 min read

    • Article

      New Braunfels

      Dec 29, 2022

      New Braunfels
      3 min read

    • Article

      Shankleville

      Jan 30, 2020

      Shankleville
      2 min read

    • Article

      Letter Of The Month

      Jan 23, 2022

      Sick of my iPad, I picked up the January 2022 issue and took it back to bed with a coffee. My partner, who buys North & South, said I must read the article about Argo (“Argo II” by Pete McKenzie). She knew some of the backstory and people involved. I

      4 min read

    • Article

      The Rescue Mission

      Apr 13, 2020

      The Rescue Mission
      11 min read

    • Article

      The good OL’ DAYS

      May 23, 2021

      The good OL’ DAYS
      3 min read

    • Article

      Our Relations

      Sep 15, 2023

      Creation stories tell us that in the beginning, there was only water. Water is therefore considered our oldest relation and the source of all life. The land itself was born of sacrifice, the ultimate gift of life given by the Ancients during the time

      3 min read

    • Article

      Letters to Kevin

      Apr 25, 2021

      Letters to Kevin
      3 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for The Rochester Confessions

    0 ratings

    0 ratings0 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

      Book preview

      The Rochester Confessions - James Brown

      the

      ROCHESTER

      CONFESSIONS

      James Brown

      Notion Press

      Old No. 38, New No. 6,

      McNichols Road, Chetpet,

      Chennai - 600 031

      First Published by Notion Press 2015

      Copyright © James Brown 2015

      All Rights Reserved.

      ISBN: 978-93-52060-84-9

      This book has been published in good faith that the work of the author is original. All efforts have been taken to make the material error-free. However, the author and the publisher disclaim the responsibility.

      No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or by any information storage retrieval system, without the permission, in writing, from the publisher.

      Disclaimer

      This work is purely a piece of fiction. Places and incidents have been picked randomly from around the world to provide a realistic and authentic feel to the story. There is absolutely no relation to real life events or places. This story is not intended to be a historical or geographical chronology nor is it an attempt to distort any true incident. Incidents narrated in the story are for the sake of effect alone. Any resemblance to incidents from real life is coincidental.

      "Confess your sins or God will catch up with you one day,

      if not then the Devil surely will..."

      Chapter 1

      The year 2001

      Father Paul was relaxing in the balcony of his duplex house in the premises of the St Thomas Church in the small town of Rochester, north of New York City. A young nun came into the room and informed him that Nick Carter, the Mayor, had come to meet him.

      Fathert Paul got up to receive the visitor at the door with a warm smile. He liked and respected the old man. Both would meet often, over drinks, to discuss topics of mutual interest. Nick often discussed matters related to the town and its municipality with Father Paul, as he trusted the sound advice of the Father. He was in fact intrigued by the fact that Father always understood the technical aspects of any discussion so easily and with such great depth. The Mayor often wondered if the Father had more to hide than he revealed under his unobtrusive and quiet manners and perfect etiquette.

      The town of Rochester was situated at the northern tip of North America, bordering Lake Ontario on its southern shores. The lake, or more the ocean, formed an integral part of the lives of the townsfolk. Right across the lake, there was the big city of Toronto along the Canadian border.

      Reaching Toronto by road and rail had always been a problem as Rochester was a coastal town, situated on the northern shores of the lake. The land route was along the shoreline, cutting through dense woods. The road was long and winding and best avoided at night.

      There was always heavy traffic of goods and people between Rochester and Toronto and the town municipality wanted to use this to its benefit and fill its depleted coffers. There had been a proposal in the last general body meeting of the municipality; the Mayor had suggested that the municipality start a ferry -freight service between the two towns.

      Nick had come to meet Father Paul to ask for his support for the motion which he wanted to raise in the next general body meeting. Father Paul’s vote was crucial in swinging the results in the municipality’s favor. Nick knew that Father Paul was strongly against modernization and attempts to increase connectivity with the outside world. The Father belonged to the old school of thought and believed that change should happen gradually and naturally and should not be forced.

      So, Nick broached the matter delicately, starting with the reference to the fact that the municipality was under a heavy cost burden of providing subsidized healthcare to its swelling population of senior citizens. As more and more young people were shifting to the bigger cities such as New York and Toronto due to lack of opportunities in Rochester, the average age of the local citizen was going up. The municipality was faced with lower revenue collections and higher outflow of funds year after year. And with the overall economy of the country in bad shape, central support subsidy had also been nearly halved. This called for desperate measures to somehow generate revenues to sustain the various community welfare activities.

      Under the circumstances, Nick told Father Paul that he had proposed a fast ferry-cum-freight service between Rochester and Toronto in the last meeting of the municipality. Nick asked Father Paul for his point of view on the matter.

      Father Paul listened to Nick with rapt attention. He then gave the matter a serious thought. He was silent for a long time, deliberating the various points put forth by the old master. Nick was an astute and sharp politician and knew how to put forth any argument. Finally, the Father spoke.

      I feel it’s a good proposal, but we need to analyze the technical aspects in detail and then work on the financial aspects. How do you plan to raise the funds to move ahead with the proposal? You have to prepare a budgetary estimate and allocate the funds for every stage. As far as I know, we hardly have any funds left in the treasury.

      Nick was ready for this. He said, The first thing is to prepare a project report. I made some enquiries and came to know that the Gardiner Brothers are the foremost technical analysis firm in NY. I happen to know one of their founding partners who had migrated from Australia and was a sailor at one time. They offer a single-window solution to this type of projects. They will not only do the technical analysis and recommend the best suitable vessel but will also submit a feasibility report based on the cost of the boat and its running costs. Besides, they will also set the prerequisites and do the planning for related works, such as the docking bay, and the ancillary facilities required to be set up for the same.

      Nick did not notice but Father Paul stiffened at the mention of Australia and the boat. Old memories flooded his mind at lightning speed and his face suddenly went ashen, as he tried to hide his emotion, which was a mixture of anger, sadness and pain. The pain of a man who had lost everything in life.

      Fortunately, Nick was not looking at him as he spoke. Father Paul turned towards the window and addressed him in a choked voice. But what about the funding? How do we get the funds to move ahead?

      This time, Nick was quick to notice the emotion and was taken aback. At once, Nick knew that this maybe tougher than he thought. Maybe it would be best to leave the matter at this point. Nick was sure that once Father Paul gave the proposal a deep thought, he would understand the obvious merits of the project and give his approval.

      I am working on that as well, Father. I will come up with something by the weekend.

      Sensing a change in his mood, Nick quickly changed the topic. After a couple of drinks, he left.

      Father Paul was lost in thought long after Nick had left.

      Chapter 2

      The year 1965

      Nathan was a typical south Australian farm boy. He worked on the farm lands in the small town of Cowell, which lay on Franklin Harbor, a naturally land-locked bay with a narrow entrance through which the tide rushed in and out. Inside the harbor, the waters were calm.

      He had inherited the farm from his father, the late John Campbell, and his entire life had been spent on the farm. He had a small herd of cows, some pigs and hens, besides his prized possession, the majestic stallion Stan. Stan was the pride of his farm. The farm was a 50-acre property surrounded by hills; the sprawling fields stretched right up to their base.

      On the barn, there were separate lots reserved for growing wheat, barley and oats. Overall, it was a typical south Australian farm.

      Next to his farm was the Millers Farm, which had been the largest and most famous farm of the area till the time the Millers owned it. But gradually it fell on hard times.

      The MacLean family, which owned the farm now, had bought it when they moved

      Enjoying the preview?
      Page 1 of 1