The first warning sign was how quiet everything felt. Not peaceful, quiet in the way a house feels after someone has moved out but left their furniture behind. Abena noticed it during moments that should have felt complete: dinners that ended too neatly, conversations that circled but never landed, laughter that dissolved without echo. Nothing … Read more
This story contains sensitive content (Note: This story contains sensitive language and mentions self harm.) When you’re locked up, the ways you can pass time become limited. Restricting access to positive entertainment and outlets to redirect negative behavior is intentional. The folks want us to feel every second of our sentence; they want us … Read more
I rarely ever called her. Not because I hated my mother, but because I couldn’t bear the pain that came with it. Seeing her face on Face-time, or hearing her voice, each call was a reminder of what I left behind, of her absence, and of my guilt for learning how to live without her. … Read more
This story contains themes or mentions of physical violence, gore, or abuse. Her hand trembled as she poured the boiling water into her mug. As she dropped a teabag into the mug, the rooibos teabag turned the water into a deep red-brown colour, the scent inviting and comforting. She let her special blend sit for … Read more
I’ve worked in coffee shops and in several restaurants where everyone was enjoying a cup of Swiss Mountain blend, or Mocha Java, or any of the fifty million other named coffees. So, was it the inhalation for up to twelve hours a day for ten years the culprit, or was it just a fluke? I … Read more