To party or not to party?

Pete's initial call rang out over two weeks ago. His party of decade was planned and ready. Invitations would follow via email in the next few days. It was a rainy, grey morning when Hillary opened her invitation. It had arrived in her inbox overnight. She stared at the words, trying not to feel superior…

Wheels falling off

Gawd, three weeks until the kidlets can go back to school and I can return to work. The wheels of productivity are loosening; the lights of inspiration flickering. I bob in a sea of disconnectedness with the world of work. But fear not, my fickle ways shall be overcome. I shall rise to the challenge…

A morning in the life of

'Harriet, don't tease your sister!' I yell for the umpteenth time. I wipe my forehead with my gloved hand. I am washing the breakfast dishes. The dishwasher's kaput. Died mid-cycle three weeks ago, so I had to empty it of half-clean crockery and then bucket out the excess water. Since then, my lower back is…

Smashing morning

Erich traces his finger along my spine as I lie on my belly. The morning sun splinters through the gap in the curtains. I open one eye. 'Morning,' I say. My voice is sleep-croaky. 'Sleep well?' he asks. I didn't. Each moment I felt close to falling off, one leg twitched and jerked involuntarily. I…

New Life

In Sylvia's new life, she has composure and self-assurance. None of this wallflower bullshit anymore. She's proud of herself, and rightly so. Or at least that's what her counsellor keeps telling her. Sylvia's not certain at what point she began to be brave. But slowly she listened to her inner voice, the one that said…