When I moved to the quaint town it was cicada hatching season. The noisy insects wouldn’t shut up with their high-pitched squeal that buzzed on some hellish frequency day and night. I started going insane and spent my days pacing… Continue Reading
It’s time to divide and transplant the winter-dormant residents of Bellamy’s garden. The shovel and she work as one: slice and step and scoop. Gloves on, hair back. Low sun slants across the sleeping plants. A fern over there will… Continue Reading
There’s a strange man who waves by the window. I wave back even though I don’t know who he is. He smiles at me and walks on, his shoulders slouched, the briefcase in his hand swinging back and forth like… Continue Reading
LTK: Did anybody lose a rooster? He was smack in the middle of our half-acre backyard at daybreak yesterday, crowing again and again in the classic manner. We are not early risers. From the web, he could be a Rhode… Continue Reading
When she realised the neighbours weren’t home, she rushed to wash the windows. Shegathered a bucket, the latex-free gloves, a couple of rags and the squeegee. She filled the bucketwith warm water, squirted washing up liquid in and disturbed the… Continue Reading
I’ve been afraid of elevators my entire life. It’s not as uncommon as you’d think. People avoid elevators for different reasons. Claustrophobia. The possibility of stalling. Of plummeting. For me it’s the interaction with strangers. Being stuck inside a cage,… Continue Reading
I watched her every morning while I cooked. That woman in the red saree. She was the proud owner of two sarees … both red … one with yellow polka dots and the other with a green border. I knew… Continue Reading
We’ve made our way from the station to post in La Mirada. The call comes in as a stabbing. “Head for Santa Fe Springs,” I tell Armando, typing the address into Google Maps. As is too often the case, the… Continue Reading
Joey’s brave, I’m smart, and we’re leapfrogging pumpkins at midnight. Worse, a monster with a pitchfork is chasing us. We saw the bodies. He can’t let us get away. Hurdling a pumpkin patch, you need a good flashlight. My piece… Continue Reading
My neighbour Julie stands in her doorway encased in a dressing gown. It’s pink and quilted but she’s tall and makes it look glamourous, it shows a hint of calf, a nipped in waist. She kisses her husband Tom goodbye.… Continue Reading