The only time I met Ismail he was crouched down against the rough brick and flint church wall at the bus stop at St Mark’s church where I had been cleaning the altar brasses.
‘Are you alright?’ My question was …
When we had grown accustomed to the cold darkness, the lights came on, and even though snowdrifts blocked our views from most of the downstairs, and some of the upstairs windows, we could at last see the sun.
My father …
Three hours before departure, the automatic entrance closed behind them and Ferd and Cass headed home. Not even nine o’clock, the airport abuzz. Babble of languages, child whine, a stroller bumped Ferd. The mother did not acknowledge him and he …
Part 1
Do you know the difference between cement and concrete? You shouldn’t focus too hard on the science. It can’t explain it. It was never cement, and always concrete I think. But we called them men of cement because …
Dad wanted to be scaring crows on the hill by dark, but here he is stiffening on the kitchen table as they squabble.
Big sister Lisa demands Dad be in his favourite barn jeans.
Fair. Seems appropriate.
Little brother Dan—home …
Anna gathered warm brown eggs from the nests on the weathered gray boards in the chicken coop. Outside in the pen enclosure, the white hens cackled in protest of her disturbance.
Next morning, Anna’s eldest son, John, would ride the …
They put me in jail once for being drunk and dazed and standing around in the wrong place and the police were quite kind about it. In this town, there are not too many places where they can go and unwrap the darker parts of their souls and I …
Old Mr E. told everyone what he’d done. We shouldn’t have been surprised. He was always stopping to grumble while we pulled weeds from our gardens, queued to pay for our shopping, or entered the pharmacy as he was collecting …
I am perturbed with a particular selling company asking me, “Did the product you ordered meet your expectations?”
I ordered a gasket.
“Please tell us about what you like or don’t like about the product.”
Likes: It’s brown, it fits, …
Nathaniel had three days to live.
Cancer, they said.
It had begun in his stomach and was gallivanting up his esophagus at a harrowing speed.
“Fuggit!” he said, unable to say the ck. It hurt these days to say …