Jason’s Announcement

Jason was in his living-room, sitting on the floor, looking over a music sheet while having a cup of hot Kenyan yellow tea. It was 7:15 so it was too late to call his father. It was after mid-night there. He would have to call in the morning. He had exciting news to tell him …

A Painful Truth

PHOTO PROMPT by Brenda Cox James looked at Jane, his face pale.  “You love this other woman?" she asked again, her voice trembling, her own face ashen. He nodded.  “Yes.” Jane collapsed in a nearby chair, feeling sick.  “Who is she, James?” “She’s a negro nurse I met in North Africa.” “She’s negro?” “Yes.  That’s why she said we can never …

Ruth Learns of Dushan’s Engagement

Chelsey walked into the drawing room and stood by the fireplace. Her mother was sitting on the sofa. "Where's Gideon?" she asked. "He's gone to the store. He said he needed another pair of shoes. I can't imagine why he would need another pair when he already has so many pairs." "So, what are you …

Aaron Goes to Church

I'm sitting across the street from where Jully's church is. I'm very nervous. It's the first time she will see me with my hair cut low. One look at me and she will know that I have black in me. Up to now she still thinks that I'm Asian and now she's going to find …

Tadeas Goes to Briony

He stood in the shower, letting the water beat down on his back. His mind was still spinning from the realization that until he had made love to her earlier that day, Velma had been a virgin all along. That meant she had never slept with either Akello or Karl or any man for that …

Laird Reveals the Ugly Truth

"Laird, I need to talk to you about your sister," Mr. Pendlebury said. They were in Laird's flat, sitting at the dining table. Martina wasn't there. She had gone shopping with her mother. Laird was really not in the mood to talk about Antonia. "What about her?" he asked dispassionately. "She's in a really bad …

Roman Women

Looking at the inscription, Petra remarked, “She’s identified as Quintus Creticus’s daughter and Crassus’s wife.” “That isn’t surprising,” her mother replied. “In ancient Rome the naming of women was different from the nomenclature for men.  Women didn’t have any individual first names but the feminine forms of their fathers’ names.  Sometimes, numerical adjectives were used to …

The Prodigal Daughter

Gerhardt was in the study poring over papers he had brought home from the office when there was a knock on the door. "Yes?" The door opened and Benson stood in the doorway. "What is it, Benson?" "Sir, you have a visitor." "Who is it?" "It's Miss Frances Dormer, the late Mrs. Müller's sister." Helena's …

Gina’s Options

"What were the results of the ultrasound, Doctor?" Gina asked. She had called the office two days ago because she noticed that It’s there she was having a brownish discharge and that she wasn't experiencing nausea and breast soreness anymore.  Although she knew that all pregnancies were different, there was something radically different about this …

Not Your Decision

“I must tell her that I love her.” “Why the urgency?” his sister asked. “I’m leaving for Beijing tomorrow and I want to know if I have a reason to stay.” “So, this confession of love is triggered by time,” his brother-in-law concluded. “Yes.” His sister moved away from the window and went and stood …