Since she left her birthplace — a land of the seasons — her existence had been untethered: floating freestyle instead of settling to the comfortable rhythm nature guaranteed. The loss was not one she discussed with her family. They would have been troubled that she was not content in their new home. Her father argued proudly they were lucky … Continue reading
Category Archives: Moving On
Winter Birds
Maria studies her family clustered around the table, hopeful not of food but of deliverance. She is stretching her arthritic limbs towards a decision—albeit not in the direction her family anticipates—but the last few inches are excruciating and perhaps the goal is unobtainable. A peacemaker and the core of a happy family all her life, … Continue reading
Going Out
“Eat,” her mother urges, shoving a spatula of home fries at her daughter. The girl recoils. Usually her appetite is as hearty as her younger brother Geoffrey’s but today food sticks like woodchips in her throat. If she blurts the news out at the supper table, the film will freeze mid–frame: broken faces, arguments, her … Continue reading
The Bronsons’ Good Luck
Stunned by the unexpected and horrifying declaration of the hot-dog lady, I’m rethinking my lifelong indignation about the Bronson’s good luck. The Bronsons’ were the idyllic family that lived across the street. Our houses a before and after illustration; our families choppy waters and smooth sailing. After we moved away, I imagined the four Bronsons … Continue reading
A Tasty Morsel
Linda was determined to prevent her adversary from storming the castle but too cowardly to pull the plug. Hours earlier, she had sailed down the hospital corridor, a roast beef sandwich and a coffee in hand, and a mystery novel under her arm. The sight of a bony priest black as a crow crouched by … Continue reading
Faces
I knew my door was locked; I’d heard the click. While my custodians sometimes ignore my dietary preferences, they are vigilant about securing the exits. If I escaped, which I was determined to do, I’d be pursued like the brown fox, although, unlike the fox, not these days, quick. Now that their charge was incarcerated … Continue reading
Forget Dick Goodey
The door creaks open. Safe behind half-closed eyes Mary watches the young man’s reflection emerge in the mirror opposite. The moment is approaching. Will it end in “yes” and a happily ever after or a “no” and a crumpled face? Happily, this decision can be delayed. This weekend, she has escaped her chaotic life and … Continue reading
How it Was in the Winter
By her seventh birthday, Tanya Beardsley had more dolls, of more sizes, that did more things, than all the other dolls of all the other girls on the block together. For those who would visit, she would display them-a parade of tiny mannequins in costumes of every description. Visitors, however, were rare. When Tanya sat … Continue reading