Racing With The Rain: a phenomenon witnessed in the tropics. A fast moving rain cloud in an otherwise clear sky triggers a sudden downpour and people run helter-skelter for cover. Is it possible to outrun the rain? Can one ever really escape the past and avoid the inevitable?
It is 1980: Guyanese born and Canadian naturalized CARL DIAS’ life is unravelling. Due to differences built up over many years, he has split with Russian born Natasha. He lives on his own in an apartment in Toronto but is experiencing regret about the separation and is wondering where his life is headed. And now comes news that his father, AUGUSTO has died in Guyana.

It’s been sixteen years since Carl left the country and his return reignites memories of a period in which the political and social fabric of the colony collapsed into conflict and instability. This happened as the two main political parties REFORM and REPUBLICAN vied for power and the right to lead the country to independence. In the background, was the Kennedy administration applying pressure on the British government to engineer Reform out of office, and the CIA infiltrating the country’s labour movement to create a climate of fear and uncertainty. It was during this period that Carl witnessed the death of brother JAMES and saw the virtual destruction of the commercial district of the Capital due to arson and riots.

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Carl’s past catches up with him when Special Branch discovers his tenuous links to the group planning the revolution. He fears that he will never be allowed to return to Canada to be reconciled with Natasha and his two children. In the end, help comes from an unexpected source...

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Madawaska Highlander Connection

Ken Puddicombe is one of the judges in the Madawaska Highlander's Short Story Contest. He is a Guyanese-Canadian author living in Brampton and a member of a number of writers circles including the Brampton Writers Guild where he met Garry Ferguson and fellow Short Story judge, Michael Joll. He is a retired accountant who founded MiddleRoad Publishers primarily to provide a platform for "struggling authors" and to ensure that literary works—especially those reflecting Caribbean and Canadian experiences—"see the light of day."

 

His motivations were driven by a mix of personal history, a desire to mentor others, and the practical challenges he observed in the publishing world. This philosophy matches what the Short Story Contest is all about. 

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