“Careful.” My wife points at our white tortoiseshell vase. “I sense you’ll break one soon.” I tiptoe down the hall past it, mockingly slow. Her tweezed brows drop. “Sorry.” I raise my hands and hit our painting: her painting of the vase. It crashes down, frame snapping, canvas tearing. I grit my teeth. Afterword The […]
Having escaped the chopping board, chilli seeds lay scattered amongst bottles of rice vinegar, rice wine, tamari and honey. I hold out a spoon of sauce. ‘Too sweet?’ Peter closes his mouth around it. Then his lips burst open, and he grabs a glass. ‘Too hot?’ Smiling, I dab my eye. The burn! Afterword The
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The elevator doors opened, creaking. Margaret entered and gestured to her sweater with a misshapen Christmas tree in goose-turd green. ‘What do you think?’ ‘Very festive.’ ‘You don’t like it?’ ‘Not particularly, sorry.’ The elevator jolted to a stop. Margaret stormed out. My phone buzzed. Horoscope (Scorpio): Today, your honesty will be appreciated. Afterword The mission
‘Guess, Mummy.’ A thick mass of black lines ran down Sarah‘s paper. Not the usual butterfly, rainbow or unicorn. I sit. ‘A shadow?’ ‘A tree.’ ‘Of course. Those are the branches?’ She nods. ‘These are the roots?’ ‘No, a body.’ ‘When I was out last night, what did you watch with your brother?’ Afterword The
For the third time, I hefted the acceptance letter. A robin’s chirp drew me to the window. The fledgling perched on the edge of the eaves, the last of the brood. You can do it. Fly. It flapped its wings, practising. The toaster popped. ‘Breakfast is up,’ said Mom. I kissed the letter. Afterword The mission was
