By Detlef W. Wieck I was five and a half, my sister Margaret, seven, when our father died. Our mother, Mary, at forty-four, was afraid of the prospects of raising two children without a husband to share the burden and to earn a living. After a proper mourning period, she set out to find another … Continue reading Our First Night in the Country
Dear Amar Singh
By Tristan Fernandes Dear Amar Singh I 1916 Boots seeped in muck. Rain from above. The scream of shells piercing the sky. Tiny soldiers hovering in their mud holes. No man’s land is a sea of barbed wires and pockmarked shell holes. Sunrays peaked from the misty sky and dawn was yet to arrive. For … Continue reading Dear Amar Singh
She King
By Mooba Mweemba Long ago deep in the heart of an African society, there was a place which was divided in kingdoms and kings men. Among these Kingdoms, there was this one particular kingdom which was known by the name ‘Mulwani’ (warrier). The name ‘Mulwani’ was named after their greatest king of their kingdom was … Continue reading She King
A Chemise Discovery
By Glen Donaldson Stella Cromwell was a once in a generation housekeeper. The calmness that came with keeping house – from dusting vintage wine bottles down in a cellar to the soft, rhythmic sound of a brush-broom as it swept over wooden floorboards – these were small joys that kept her spirits aloft throughout the … Continue reading A Chemise Discovery
1929
By DC Diamondopolous Douglas Haines was not an impulsive man. He’d given it a lot of thought—his decision final. He stood atop the Savings and Exchange Bank in the financial district of Los Angeles. The wide box toes of his oxfords suspended over the roof’s ledge. Ten stories high, with no awning to catch a … Continue reading 1929
Hidden
By David R. Topper She’s hidden in a cavity of my car. If discovered, we’ll both die. Quickly “dispatched,” as a gangster would say. No questions asked. That’s the way it works with the thugs running this country. Her life is in my hands. How I look and act. My body language. If I elicit … Continue reading Hidden
The Aspidistra and The Mock Turtle Soup
By Mike Paterson-Jones The letter that came in the post was intriguing. The envelope was pale green and was addressed in the most beautiful handwriting. Inside was an invitation to dinner with Robert de Morgan on a date two weeks hence at ‘Rogues Manor’. We had only just bought the farm in the Eastern Mountains … Continue reading The Aspidistra and The Mock Turtle Soup
The Printer
By R. Shlesinger Berlin 1814 “You don’t do anything.” Bella’s voice hissed. “I do a lot of things.” “You sit at home and stare at the street.” “That can be dangerous as well.” “You’re nothing but a printer.” She spat the accusation out. “Men have been shot for that.” “You’re nothing. Who’d want to marry … Continue reading The Printer
Colonel Bauer’s Choice
By Lucas Zhou Fresh from the military academy, Colonel Bauer was a quiet young man whose bright, seafoam- green eyes captured the hearts of the high society ladies of Vienna. In normal times he spoke with a soft voice. When a flustered young servant ran into the parlor waving a telegram from Linz in his … Continue reading Colonel Bauer’s Choice
Academy of the Heart And Mind 