By The Side Of The Road

By David Halliday

The Trans-Canada Highway was approved by the Trans-Canada Highway Act of 1949. Construction was begun in 1950 and finished in 1971. Upon completion it was the longest highway in the world. It runs from the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean. And that's when the adventures began. Stories about what happens to folks along the great highway. Small towns, villages, folks traveling, folks trying to get away from something. Or someone.

• Language: English
• Publisher: David Halliday
• Release date: Jan 7, 2020
• ISBN: 9780463556757

David Halliday

I have published poems, short stories, plays, art works in reviews and publications across the United States and Canada. I have several published books: murder by Coach House Press. This book is a series of poems and illustrations set up like scenes in a movie, describing the murder, trial, and mob execution of an innocent man. Winner of the 2001 Eppie for poetry. The Black Bird by. The Porcupine’s Quill. This is a book of poems, illustrations and short prose pieces describing the fictional making of the John Huston film, The Maltese Falcon. Making Movies by Press Porcepic. This is a book of long poems, interviews, short fiction pieces about a fictional BBC documentary about a fictional Canadian film maker, Samuel Bremmer and his company of actors and colleagues. It follows his career through the creation of a series of his movies. Church Street is Burning, a book of poems, was a finalist in the 2002 Eppie for poetry. The God of Six Points, published by Double-dragon-ebooks. A man who believes he is a god believes he has murdered one of his subjects. Sleeping Beauty, published by LTD ebooks.com is a murder mystery. A woman lands in a small village where the only escape is to be murdered. Finalist in the 2003 Dream Realm Awards. Winner of the 2004 IP Book Awards. The Hole, published by LTD ebooks is one in a series of cop stories. There are unusual happenings in the quiet suburb of Islington. People have begun to disappear. And they have been disappearing for generations. For the soon to retire Sam Kelly, this is his last case as a detective. All the clues point to a mysterious hole, which appears to have no bottom. In 2007 I was short listed for the C.B.C. Literary Contest in poetry.

Book preview

By The Side Of The Road

David Halliday

Copyright 2020

The Trans-Canada

The Trans-Canada Highway was approved by the Trans-Canada Highway Act of 1949. Construction was begun in 1950 and finished in 1971. Upon completion it was the longest highway in the world. It runs from the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean.

1. Everyone Is A Refugee

I sat in the cafe of the Blue Swallow Motel in Fredericton, New Brunswick. Actually I was stuck there and had been for several hours. Earlier that afternoon there had been gun fire. I had a lovely slice of blue berry pie as well as a white mug filled with hot cocoa. I cannot stand motel coffee. The Trans-Canada was just outside and there were gun shells all over the asphalt. Recently paved the week before.

The waitress came by with her coffee pot. Big ugly silver thing.

You wonna a refill?

I don't drink coffee, I replied.

She looked down at my cup.

Sorry, my heads somewhere else. All this shooting this morning. And now we're stuck in here to God knows when. I have somewhere better to be.

Me too.

Penny for you thoughts, she asked.

I was thinking about my dad.

And then I told her a story about a kid I knew called Wim. He was Dutch. Wim had a target on his back. Everyone took advantage of him. He emoted 'victim'. And we were kids so we made his life miserable. One day I went over to his house to trade comic books. I couldn't believe the selection he had. I had some old Tarzan comics and a few Huey, Louie, and Dewey.

Who were they? the waitress asked.

They were Donald Duck's nephews. We never saw