Category: 2012

A little cuckoo   At the tiny broken gate, she pulls her hood further over her face, looks quickly up and down the street then crosses the short path to the stoop. She reaches up to the top of the fuse box and feels around before locating the key. She unlocks the old door and …

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The legend of the lost watch We always knew he’d been done. It was spoken of third hand. We never knew the exact details. His grandmother said he was found under a cabbage in the garden. His grandfather promised him something. Before he left for overseas, he stood next to his father at the bar. …

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The term for survivors of the atomic bombs is ‘hibakusha’   Akihiro Takahashi, a famous hibakusha, has just died. He was born in Hiroshima in 1931. As a schoolboy he wanted to be a pilot. This is how he explains the fact that he stood still, looking up at the silver body of the plane, …

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On hands and being held   There is something so appealing about a rapturous, uplifting moment. Even an atheist like myself longs to feel lifted, held. There aren’t many times in our adult lives that we are picked up, it’s usually only as babies and small children. Often we have to hold up others when …

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Excerpt from The Nature of Ash   Mikey’s stuffed inside the kennel like a sow into a crate. His hands are tied behind his back but, even worse, he’s trussed around the neck as well. A slipknot. He’s tethered to the wood so if he tries to get away the rope will tighten like a …

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The Plan   ‘Where the River Meets the Sea’ track listing: 1. ‘Ghost’ – Indigo Girls 2. ‘Crystal’ – Stevie Nicks 3. ‘Say What You Want’ – Texas 4. ‘Inbetween Days’ – The Cure 5. ‘A Different Corner’ – George Michael 6. ‘Wonderful Life’ – Black 7. ‘Precious Things (Live)’ – Bic Runga 8. ‘Sisters …

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1 | 2 Another Family Photo   ‘Nola! Here, take a snap of us with Mum.’ Frank, Nola’s younger brother, hands her the Box Brownie. The southerly whips around the station and in and out between the people on the platform, throwing dust into eyes, forcing those who were keeping back tears to bring out …

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1 | 2 The First Family Photograph   The photograph was Ralph’s idea. He had saved for months to buy himself a camera. ‘You’ll see, I’m going to be famous for my photography,’ he said. Not short on dreams, your brother,’ said Ed to May. But he did agree to come outside although now he …

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Love Is a Rose?   We swung off the tarseal and crunched down the drive, loaded with camping gear and Coronas. I braked hard at the shed door and laid on the horn. I sat, stilling myself in a deep breath and let my sister jump out ahead of me. Her first trip in two …

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Junk Mail   Angie’s hand hovered over the letterboxes of the Crystal Lake Apartments, as she looked through the French doors into the living room of a unit on the ground floor. This apartment, which faced a tiny paved patio adjoining the street, was now furnished; someone had moved in. Angie went closer to get …

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