Blog
It's telling you something
It was supposed to be an ordinary Tuesday.
Except I woke up with a tugging sensation I couldn’t shake. A voice in my head implied that someone who was with us now would not be with us by evening.
Then the news came that this time he had let go.
A truth-sized Chihuahua
She caught my attention first. Like all dogs do.
She had a pink cast on her right hind leg, which struggled to do its job. Still, she managed to walk with immense pride for being so low to the ground. Then I noticed her human with the same limp, same leg.
I laughed inside. I guess it is true.
Don't waste our time
At the bank I was hoping to find a person empathetic to my 25 years with them.
Instead, there was a sigh and a “bohuzel.” Unfortunately, no. Turns out it was my fault for their merger and my account being grandfathered in.
Then came the automated email: “Dear client, did you know you can manage your account in our app?”
Head first
It was our honeymoon. David had seen an advert for the Seychelles on TV. I wanted to give him everything so where we were going had already been decided.
Jemma at the Mango Lodge warned us of the deceptive waters that lapped at La Digue. He dove off the pier, I lost sight of him. Then I saw his hands and bloodied head waving. For life.
I dove in after him.
No class reunions
My high school years were the unhappiest of times. And my favorite teachers saw that.
Mrs. Rivers would stand behind the lectern every Friday in her UNC team gear, brag about barbecue, and give the hardest tests. She also talked to me about the nuances of The Awakening. When I wanted to know what it would be like to travel at the speed of light, Dr. Clayton stayed after school. Even though most kids said she was a robot and had no emotions.
They kept me curious.
Don't call me by my name
Growing up in the South, you get used to things being mispronounced. If you ever realize that they have been, that is.
Mitch also grew up in the South. If only we had been friends back then. But just like my grandma, and all those wrinkly people at the family reunions, he also calls me Way-Yes.
I got a message from him. And that’s exactly how he started it.
He didn't want pity
Today was Thursday, my favorite day of the week because it’s close to the end but not yet. Despite that I still had enough worries to last into next week already.
I noticed him in his wheelchair which could have been as large as a refrigerator. Half of his body melted into the table as he ate his cheesecake with strawberry topping.
He finagled the next bite into his mouth.
The virtual tantrum
I was in the book store the other day looking for the new book about Tuberculosis.
There was a child probably about five and in full meltdown mode. Her Mom who looked more tired than most moms grabbed her by the arm and began to tug her outside. The girl pushed back.
I thought, “I’m glad I don’t have to put up with that.” Then I remembered I do—and there’s a monthly fee attached.
One-way ticket
My Lonely Planet travel guide said to ring this number after I landed. It was the best hostel in Cape Town.
He came to fetch me in a VW van. Almost too nice he was. My first thought was that maybe what my family had worried was true: the locals would put me in a pot, boil and eat me. Turns out a braai meant something entirely different.
It was only a few years since Apartheid collapsed and the start of everything.
What will they think?
I was in kindergarten. Most of the time it was fun, especially since Mrs. Cook reminded me of my grandma.
In our classroom there were two restrooms. One door had a picture of Kermit the Frog and the other had Miss Piggy. Those were the rules. One day I really had to go. Kermit was locked. Miss Piggy wasn’t. But then what would everyone think?
Dad came to pick me up at school. I was wet with nature and tears. On the drive home he told me everything would be okay.