“I haven’t eaten a potato since I moved out.” This was the opening remark from Jennifer’s lover’s soon-to-be ex-wife, Brie. The announcement, accompanied by a smug grin, lauded Brie’s anti-spud stand as a worthy accomplishment. This from the woman whom Jennifer had expected would outshine her at their first meeting. On hearing the remark, Jennifer … Continue reading →

Charles or the leg, which was it to be? Charles was difficult to live with, often a negative naysayer. The leg, on the other hand, was an easy partner, and offered comfort in difficult times. It was there for her when she returned home on the boil following a rancid work meeting, there when Charles … Continue reading →

Cocooned under what felt like silken covers, her eyes shut, Sandra noted how alarmingly quiet her apartment was. Usually on waking she heard water coursing through her neighbor’s pipes or footsteps patrolling the apartment above. When she hesitantly opened her eyes, she was confronted with an alien setting. Was it a dream? She closed her … Continue reading →

The Eureka moment when Ron Ronaldson discovered how to live to 113 was quickly followed by endless hours agonizing over how to handle his discovery. Should he divorce his wife? He had promised to love Moira “till death do us part,” but that was when he expected they’d die at approximately the same time. Now … Continue reading →

The moment the crown was placed on her head, Matilda acknowledged that even the acclaim that came with winning the regional Pickle Eating Contest—second year in a row—was as naught. Matilda’s passion was sheep; her goal was to be a shepherdess. She had joined the swaying group of people who were successes in the world’s … Continue reading →

For Larry, choosing between Trixie and his balloons was the most wrenching decision he had ever faced. Trixie was close to perfection with her bouncy blond curls, soar in the sky smile and understanding heart. He’d do anything for her, anything that is but give up his balloons. He had collected his first balloon (long … Continue reading →

July 25th, a Tuesday, Tessa greeted the day with a certain confidence that a polar bear would not attack her. On reflection, she wondered if she was being overly optimistic. In life, nothing was certain. With global warming, the polar bear’s traditional food supply was rapidly diminishing. Like her, bears got hungry. She couldn’t live … Continue reading →

For once, the locals agreed: the way the four old-timers behaved at Dickie Wainwright’s funeral was appalling. What could have fired up four guys who could hardly rouse themselves to check if they’d won the lottery, to take such action? No one who had seen the foursome crunched together in the second pew “like miscast … Continue reading →

Flowers in hand, phone set to vibrate at regular intervals to remind him to appear attentive, and a cheat sheet of appropriate responses – Leonard was ready to follow the tips to a romantic dinner he’d read about in his men’s magazine. Gloria was worth the effort, and according to her ultimatum, this was a … Continue reading →

“It’s only been a few weeks,” Albert insisted, slouching into the sagging couch. “It’s closer to three weeks and feels like a year,” his disgruntled friend, Tom, snapped. He surveyed his living room – once the clean, comfortable haven where, settled in his favourite chair, chilled beer in hand, he read the sports page or … Continue reading →