Roman Sherwood never expected anything from his drill instructor but glares and open-handed blows. Then came the day of the inspection. Sergeant Musselwhite singled the boy out, directed him onto the quarterdeck, and taught him how to wear a necktie… Continue Reading
Lila heard a sigh on the other end of the line. “How did it happen?” her mother asked. “The usual way,” said Lila. “Lila. You know what I mean. Do you two not use protection?” “Mom. It happened.” “And you’re… Continue Reading
Mom had all but thrown us in the backseat of the station wagon, her rage boiling up front, as we sat in a gathering twilight and watched the Ferris wheel spin its rainbow jewels around the sky. No cotton candy,… Continue Reading
I was sitting in Café New Orleans on Toronto’s Yonge Street one cool autumn day, watching the foot traffic flow north and south, nursing a coffee, my thoughts diffuse. Except for a young couple sharing a quiet tête-à-tête at a… Continue Reading
Every year at Halloween, Dad would pull out the giant sombrero he’d won once on a trip to Mexico. While we kids would get dressed up, applying face paint, leotards, swords and sashes, to perfect our costumes, Dad would go… Continue Reading
Today was my birthday. My family and friends came for dinner, Charlotte made a cake with those stupid candles you can’t blow out, and then posted a video of me trying to do it, on Facebook. Great gifts, good food,… Continue Reading
When I was nineteen, my father began to talk about dying. “You’ll be the head of the house once I’m gone,” he’d say. “Don’t let those shysters at the funeral parlour take my money. Bury me behind the chicken coop… Continue Reading
In summer, the soles of Eva’s feet were permanently stained crimson from playing barefoot under the huge mulberry tree that to her ten-year-old eyes seemed to take up a full half of her backyard. Every day she ran outside, squashing… Continue Reading
Appa grew up in a little boat town in Kerala called Alleppey (pronounced al-ah-pee). He stayed on a little rice paddy farm and bought the essentials 6 months in advance from the boatmen who passed by. “When I was young,”… Continue Reading
She heard a thump downstairs, then another. Lolly slipped from her bed and down the steps toward the glow of the Christmas tree. Her heart bounced. She was going to see Santa Claus! “Daddy?” Her father quickly turned from the… Continue Reading