Stumbling through the thick, wet undergrowth she tripped on a protruding root and landed on her front. Another barrage of scrapes and cuts lined her face, hands and knees. Her clothes were tattered. She had no idea how long she had been running for. She pulled herself to her feet. Which way? She tried listening … Continue reading SHOW ME THE WAY TO GO HOME
Sweep, sweep. I watch the worker brush the final bits of debris into the pile of rubble. The abandoned café had been the perfect spot. That's why I'd used it. The area was a wasteland of crumbling warehouses, forsaken ghettos and no witnesses. Then the Port Authority announced their plans for waterfront renewal. Millions of … Continue reading A FINAL FAREWELL
She sells sea shells on the seashore. He crafts handmade furniture from driftwood he finds on the beach. The rich tourists throw them looks of disgust and wave them on. Occasionally one of them makes a sale. Enough to put food on the table and clothe their child. She dreams of the land across the … Continue reading SHE SELLS SEA SHELLS
All kinds of strap shoes hang in rows. Black, red, white, tan. Thoughts coalesce. Her shoes on the bedroom closet. Shoes for every occasion. Imelda Marcos-scale collection. He burned them all. The clothes too. The closet, the bedroom, the house. All up in flames. It had to look real. They found the charred remains. They … Continue reading IN A MANILA MARKET
'Summits not right,' he muttered in his mysterious way. I misunderstood his local dialect. 'Something's not right?' 'Yes,' he pointed up to the top of the hill, where I could just make out the wall of a lookout tower. 'There's something wrong at the summit.' 'What's wrong?' I could see no sign of anything untoward. … Continue reading SUMMITS NOT RIGHT
