She smiled, turned and left, her heart racing, her palms sweating as she waited for the call. It never came. No one would ever question her actions. When, 6 months after the relationship began, she noticed his odd new habit of taking his phone to the toilet, her gut told her something was off, but … Continue reading The Stones in her Heart
I doubt you even recall my face The curve of my cheek, the fall of my lashes But I remember you, your smell, that place Where you burned all my dreams to ashes. “Baby”, you called me, when you took it from me Stunned by the beating, I lay calm and let you … Continue reading That name you called Me
Something has woken me up and I lie there, trying to figure out what it could be. Some rodent, or just the house settling on its foundations in the cool midnight air? I wish I could see or hear better, but the enormous mosquito net swathing the bed rules that out. I briefly consider raising … Continue reading Dinner for Three
I’m sitting here watching him talk and wondering why. I briefly contemplate the calla lily stem tattooed on the inside of my wrist. The flower itself sits below the words “Diligo est nunquam reproba”, Latin for “Love is never false”. We got matching tattoos exactly a year ago. Right from the first day we met, it seems … Continue reading Love is Never False
A fellow blogger (male) recently asked me the ancient question no one has found an answer to, viz: “What do women want from men?” I want to believe he asked me this because he sees me as this all-knowing feminine oracle, but I know better. I don’t know what ALL women want from men, but … Continue reading What do Women Want?
“…And if I only could, Make a deal with God, And get him to swap our places…” Kate Bush Running up that hill, 1985 Dearest Daddy, I fell asleep yesterday. In the middle of the day. At my desk. Like a lazy lump of flesh. I was reading a mail, and I sort of slid sideways and blinked … Continue reading Letter to my Father Part II
I finally got round to putting something down about my father. Like medicine after death, literally, because he is dead and gone. Died December 7th, buried December 28th, Beloved Father, Brother, Uncle, Grandfather, Cousin, and all the other names they wouldn’t let us put in the obituary…Friend to his Children, Humorist, Lover of British Comedy who Introduced … Continue reading Letter to my Father Part I
Once there was sunshine here, now only the plaster dust from shelled dreams Once there were children here, now only waifs malnourished, waiting for death Once there were people here, now only the screaming terror of staying alive 18/9/99 – 8:55 am
The second installment in my series of stories about the Bafanaz; their growing up and the various adventures we’ve had together…because being a mother is one thing, but there’s nothing quite like being an aunt! I come back from work on Friday, exhausted and looking forward to lying down. Toeing off my shoes, I flex my toes … Continue reading Adventures witht he Bafanaz PT 2: Adventures with SpongeBob
The “Bafanaz” is the nickname we have given my sister’s 3 boys. I decided to write a series of shorts on them; their childhood years, their adventures and the lessons they learn along the way. Why? Because through guiding, teaching, and loving them, I have come to learn a great deal about myself as a person, and … Continue reading Adventures with the Bafanaz PT 1: Conversations with the Bafanaz
Finally decided to stop fooling around with my health and weight and hire a personal trainer. A few phone calls, emails, and Yahoo Messenger buzzes later, and I finally had 3 (yes, I know I tend to overdo things!) numbers for likely candidates to help me get in shape. Door Number 1: Super fit dance instructor, … Continue reading Where have all those muscles gone? This is epic, trust me!
The journey has begun once more. Like an unrepentant alcoholic, I fell off the wagon yet again when faced with all the sweet treats I baked for Christmas. I stopped working out, and just kept nibbling. Ah, nibbling. It’s usually my downfall. That seemingly innocent activity that comes between the cooking, the washing up and … Continue reading Where have all those muscles gone?
I was confronted by this question this morning when I realised that, much like my mother, I have become quite fond of a particular shade of brick-red lipstick. And, like her, all my makeup comes in shades of ‘Cadbury colours’ – purples and chocolate browns. This is not hereditary; I learned this along the way. … Continue reading Are you turning into your Mother?
Mad Hatter Stands Still! This should be a Reuters headline, flashing past on the ubiquitous ticker tape running along the bottom of the screen (what a friend of mine calls the zombie news feed because she reads it while half asleep, sipping her morning tea in her nightie on Saturdays). This is such a rare occurrence that it deserves its … Continue reading Adventures with the Bafanaz Pt 3/ Mad Hatter graduates
My best friend died of sickle cell anaemia. She was a slim and delicate thing, fair skinned and seeming to emit light from her very pores. She was always cold and loved to bask in the sun like a strange yellow lizard, closing her eyes and turning her face up to its warm caress. She … Continue reading The Tale of Moon and Sun