The citations below are all true and come from our family's collection of Italianisms/Canadianisms and plain goofy but effective communication. They are retold with affection and admired for their comedic value even all these years later. Location: Toronto, Canada between 1953 and 2009 Encyclopedia Salesman: Good morning Madam, may I introduce you to the world …
Tag: family
A satisfying ending
Lorna shuffles along, curved shoulders hunched slightly forward, bald spot at the back of her head. Every morning she combs and teases the brittle numbered follicles that remain, in a last ditch effort to hide the circle of shame atop her head. Still fastidiously neat, being old school, she swipes lipstick across her thinning lips …
Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart
If you loved Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt, then prepare yourself for Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart. Douglas Stuart's mastery of tempo, tone and detailed description produces physical reactions whilst reading. There are many stories about poverty and alcoholism. Families on any given street in any given country and from all walks of life could …
No penny for your thoughts, but a buck for the rest
cottonbro on Pexels.com She carefully slips the dollar bill into his jacket pocket. The boring navy blue one that comes out only on special occasions. His funeral ticks that box. She is required to speak, but still hasn't come up with anything pithy to say, struggling with what is expected and what actually is. For …
Continue reading No penny for your thoughts, but a buck for the rest
What he didn’t say
Ron Lach on Pexels.com Something wasn't right. The twinge in her stomach told her so. Her eyes confirmed it was so. He was supposed to be there. But there was no sign of his form, his face. Had he changed his mind? Couldn't go through with it any more? No. Nervous energy traveled through her, …
BIG LOVE
Photo by Clara The day he died, we started to live. We were lucky that way - being alive. Many don't make it. On his last day I was under the bed making myself as flat as possible; willing myself into the floorboards. The door was locked, but that gave me little reassurance. If he …
Time
Time is a peculiar thing. It exists as a specific amount (24 hours, 10 minutes, 2 seconds) and yet, our perception of time rarely corresponds to this fixed data. Sitting bored, staring at the wall feels like hours. Waiting for results on a biopsy; an agonizing eternity. Time spent with a new love; a blurry …
A Sun Kissed Death
They buried him under a blazing midday sun. Earlier that morning, with birds twittering and summer breezes blowing, it was downright mean to be made to enter the dimly lit funeral parlor, with its slight chill and nauseating blend of flowers and disinfectant. In fact, the contrast was so extreme so as to produce anxiousness …
Elizabeth Gilbert’s City of Girls
What a read! A confession of sorts within an answer to a question..."What were you to my father?" A declaration of having existed on this earth and left a mark. The highs are dizzyingly so and the lows are lower than pond scum. Somewhere in between is the exercise of living. Living to do, to …
Un omp (An immigrant)
On a wall, tucked in a corner, there is a poem entitled, A Man. It is primarily born from the sadness and mixed emotions of a daughter losing her father. However, it is also a tale of the immigrant experience. My hope is that it will act as food for thought for all those who …
Manu writes 