The delicious smell of coffee and sense of warmth tempts many through the doors of the café. The plush sofas and armchairs say “curl up and relax”; the music – background by nature – encourages the friendly buzz of conversation. Even the tabletops, adorned with cartoon personifications of cups of coffee are inviting you in. [...]
Hank woke up late. Not that it mattered since he didn’t have to be at work until one this afternoon. His head was a little heavy from the drinking last night, but not enough to be called a proper hangover. He took his time in the bathroom – beer always upset his bowels – before [...]
Jasvinder trembled when she saw the nayan, an old respected matchmaker, leave the house, smiling and waving farewell to her mother. The secret would damn her. Maa-ta-jee flung her hands into the air, shaking bangles along her arm. Her eyes shone bright and her voice pitched high as she broke the news to Jasvinder. “He [...]
There are ghosts in this city and they all look like you. I see them on street corners, late at night and early in the morning. They wait behind me in the queue at the supermarket. They hide in the corners of my favourite bars. You left this city a long time ago, I know [...]
It’s normal for children to sleepwalk. Their minds are still growing and adapting, you see. They’re much more vulnerable to small bouts of activity, like sitting up in bed or walking to the bathroom. They usually grow out of it. Uncle Al never grew out of it. That’s why he lives with us now. Mum [...]
Al regretted the curry he’d eaten the night before. In the unhealthy glow of Piccadilly Circus’s neon freak show he also seriously regretted not having vacated his bowels much earlier in the day when he had the opportunity. Now he waddled along, clenching his buttocks together tighter than a sharks arse (and that’s water tight) [...]
Dick, down on the middle floors, is the good time guy. Very changeable though…when he gets together with Blud there’s usually trouble. Whenever he sees Wumman (from the opposition) Dick will find Blud and they’ll go for it. Big time. Inevitably Seemun will turn up and make a total mess of things. And if it’s [...]
Al Green wrote the most glorious song in the world. Love and Happiness is the beautiful insanity of cherry blossoms. Love and Happiness is poetry, fear, hope, weakness, strength, violins and big fat funk beats. I have a version of it on a CD, Al Green’s Greatest Hits, an incredible release by Motown Records. On [...]
A dried paste of flour and water covered the kitchen walls. The dough had exploded during the night. Maybe she was right when she said the yeast went bad. Maybe I shouldn’t have let it sit out all night to rise. Well, you live and you learn and I have learned it is better to [...]
The sweat runs down my face, dripping on the broken wood floor in front of me. The cold metal pressed against my temple is giving me a headache. The adrenaline is coursing through my veins and the panic begins to set in. He screams at me, but I cannot hear the words. How did I [...]