Mrs B was old school. Really old school. There was something vaguely Victorian about her, hair pinned back severely, glasses perched on the end of her nose, (perfectly positioned for glaring over the top of) dresses that came up to... Continue Reading →
“lakes!” he shouted. This was a word I heard many times in my youth in Tuam. I grew up in the arse end of nowhere, and my formative exposures to culture were a collective of seemingly random and incoherent words... Continue Reading →
Had she smiled wider because he was black? She could feel the ingratiating grin spread over her face and then tense as she quickly returned her attention to her drink. They were alone out there on the smoking terrace. It... Continue Reading →
14 The next morning, I went to see Abdullah at home. The boy was fine. It was Mr. Ali who looked as if he had been defeated. “Will you drive me?” he asked me with a broken voice. I helped... Continue Reading →
When I was fifteen years old, my family moved out of our small flat, and into a spacious interior, on the third floor of a new apartment complex. The complex was five storeys high, and stood adjacent to its twin.... Continue Reading →
As the sun hit the feathery, white snow, it made a glistening faint sparkle in its flakes. She breathed in the glorious crisp tang in the air and walked to an unknown path and danced to the musical sounds of... Continue Reading →
10 I was eager to talk to Hannah and Mariam. I wanted to hear Hannah’s voice. I needed to hear about what she did that day. Did she go to the market with Mariam? I thought to myself all day.... Continue Reading →
7 The week went by fast. My routine was simple. I got up, got ready, and headed to the house. I always left the apartment at least half an hour early, to avoid getting stuck in traffic. I picked up... Continue Reading →
“May it be easy dear. But watch out, it’s a bit high,” she said, and continued her words whilst ignoring the little balcony between them: “For God’s sake! I have no idea how they can clean the windows that high.... Continue Reading →
4 We pulled up to a covered parking lot. There were spaces for three cars, and Ahmed occupied the last one. I opened the door, and felt the anxiety that I was expecting to feel. It wasn’t the job that... Continue Reading →
1 It was so quiet. As I waited for my bag, I only heard murmurs of dissatisfied travelers, and men in uniforms constantly repeating one or two instructions. Sheikh Saad Airport was not a big airport, or at least it... Continue Reading →
On Human Folly At night, when I hold conversations with myself, I cannot logically justify my constant preoccupation with human folly. Whether human folly is the work of God or not, it does not diminish in practice. Centuries often elapse... Continue Reading →
I watch the bus driving away. If I’m lucky, the next one will be here in fifteen minutes. I’m pissed off because I’m tired and hungry and, well, because I usually get pissed off when trying to get anywhere in this... Continue Reading →
"He is a little bit late, isn't he?" asked Emina, opening the door. With her hair wrapped up in a wet towel she headed back through the narrow hallway. Slightly confused, I stood there for... Continue Reading →
[KEYFRAME] n. a moment that seemed innocuous at the time but ended up marking a diversion into a strange new era of your life – set in motion not by a series of jolting epiphanies but by tiny imperceptible differences... Continue Reading →
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