FICTION PROSE THE BOND THAT TIE US (SHORT STORY) Ankit Sinha 05 December 2021 It was 8 in the morning. The bus had just reached Manali after an overnight journey from Delhi. Abhinav was among the 50-odd passengers who alighted from the bus. Gazing at the snowy peaks, the 24-year-old felt exuberant to start a new chapter of his life. He took a taxi to the Mountain Bike Club where he was all set to join as a new member. But while he gazed outside the window and marvelled at the sight of tall pine trees, he played that argument with his parents at the back of his mind. They wanted him to join their family business but Abhinav’s heart was in the mountains. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t convince them of his dreams. Frustrated, he left his home one day after a bitter fallout. Nestled in nature, Abhinav didn’t take much time to settle in the rhythm of his new life. Every day was a new adventure. Training, getting know-how of the routes and trails, and engaging with his new comrades—he felt right at home. Abhinav was taken aback. He hadn’t been in touch with his family for months One day, after a daily meet-up at the club, he went up to Suresh, to ask some questions. Suresh was a 35-year-old man, who had devoted the last 10 years to the club. A jolly character, he was seen as a mentor for rookie bikers. But that day Suresh seemed to be in a hurry. “Can we discuss tomorrow? I have to rush home now.”
“I hope everything is alright, sir,” Abhinav asked concernedly. “Oh yes, actually my younger brother is back home after many years,” Suresh responded. “Was he living in a different city?” Abhinav was curious. “You can say that. Actually, he had run away from home to become an actor. My father was against it,” Suresh said with a sigh. “But now he is coming home on his birthday. I can’t wait to see him,” he said. “We may have differences but family is family.” Abhinav was taken aback. He hadn’t been in touch with his family for months. He wouldn’t respond to their calls or messages. Nor did he reach out to them. But today was different. Suresh’s words echoed in his mind as he texted his mom after months: “Mom. I am okay. I miss you.”
VIGNNETE
FAMILY IS EVERYTHING (FLASH FICTION) “Tell me the story again, papa.” Chloe pointed to the trinkets that he kept on the shelf behind the cash register. “The one about the earring.” They were seated in his tobacco shop and the last customer had left. The bell still rang every now and again, but her papa said that this place was haunted. She breathed deeply, and the mingled scents of the tobacco was like perfume to her. “You want to hear that again? I’ve told you that tale over a hundred times. There are lots of other trinkets there.” He said, giving her a smile and gesturing to the other treasures: a little toy car with only one passenger, a woman’s compact mirror that was made of pearl; a necklace that was made of the brightest jade. “No, papa, the story about the earring. Please? It’s the loveliest.” Looking into her bright blue eyes, he knew that it was the only tale that would soothe her. “All right love, but another story tomorrow night, okay?” “Okay, papa.” “Well, there was once a woman that ran this very shop with her husband. Lacey was very beautiful and very sad. She had hair as red as fire and eyes as bright as emeralds. Lacey was sad because her husband and her daughter were lost at sea. She was always clutching an earring. She had given the other one to her husband so that, if they were lost, it would call them home to her.” “That’s sad, papa. Did it work?” Chloe asked. “Well, when Lacey was not working the store, she wandered at the edge of the water for days and weeks, hoping against hope that they would come back to her. She heard many tales from the other villagers of what had happened to their ship: a group of
pirates had taken the boat, it had been led astray by a group of sirens, it had entered into a fog, never to be seen again.” “What did happen, papa?” “Lacey continued to wait. She pined for her husband and was a mix of hope and sadness both at the same time. She had waited for so long and the anguish had wasted her away. Lacey was no longer the young woman she had been. Still, she waited for her husband and child.” “That’s sad, papa. I don’t like this part.” Chloe said softly. “It’s all right poppet, it’s almost over. Lacey was very old now, so old that her bones creaked like the sea when she moved. One day, she felt her life seeping out of her. She sat here, behind the counter where you and I are now. As her last breath left her, she saw two spirits come through the door of her shop. At long last, it was her husband and daughter and they came to her side. She was overjoyed to see them, even though she could not touch them. Her hand moved right through them. Lacey let her last breath leave her and left her body, finally able to join the man and child that she had lost so long ago.” Chloe gave her father a bright smile. “That’s lovely, papa.” They heard the tinkling of the bell again and turned to see who it might be… * * * Anna opened the shop door, Stephen close behind her. They both saw the earring floating through the air and the outlines of two people, a man and a girl upon his lap, before they faded away like smoke. Turning to Stephen, Anna said “See? Didn’t I tell you that this place was haunted?”
Stephen walked into the centre of the tobacco shop and picked up the ear ring that had fallen to the floor with a soft click. He held it in the palm of his left hand. “It’s so cold.” He said. He handed it to Anna who put it back on the shelf with the other trinkets: a little toy car, a woman’s compact and a necklace. “Why do you keep those things? Why don’t you just get rid of them?” Anna shrugged. “The store belonged to my great grandmother.” She held the other earing in her palm, almost entranced by its bright blue stone. “It’s funny, but I feel so connected to her, especially with these earrings.” She made a face. “I know, I’m being silly.” “No, not silly.” Stephen said. “Family is everything.” * * * Anna woke later that night. The wind was loud tonight. It whistled outside of the apartment window. She lived over the shop. It was a fair-sized place and she owned the building. Sometimes, she could hear the laughter of a child within the walls of this place, the sound of a soft lullaby being sung to a child. Unable to sleep, she walked downstairs to the tobacco shop. She went right to the trinkets and the earrings that lay there. Even in the darkness, they seemed to glow. Entranced, she held them for a moment and then put them on. She rummaged around in one of the drawers and found an old hand mirror. Turning the mirror face up, Anna went to look at herself and let out a small sound of shock. There was another face looking back at her in the mirror. Anna moved her mouth and so did the other woman in the mirror. She was frightened now. She touched her face but did not see a hand in the mirror. “I’m so sorry.” The woman in the mirror said. “Family is everything.”
Anna knew a moment of pure bliss and then she was gone. * * * Wearing the skin of another, Lacey called out to the shadows. “Hector? Chloe?” She said. “You can come out now. Mama’s home.” The spirits came at her call and she held out her arms wide. Family is everything.
NON-FICTION PROSE TRAVEL ESSAY (TRAVEL WRITING) In my life, I have gone on many memorable trips. I look forward to my family’s annual trip to Georgia every year, and I will never forget our trip to Graceland or all the different family events we’ve gone to out east. But the one trip that has stayed in my mind and had the greatest impact on me wasn’t a family trip. It was my synagogue’s youth group trip to Cincinnati. Me with a team mascot. Every year my temple youth group takes all it’s freshmen on a special trip to Cincinnati, as part of their confirmation in the Jewish faith. We all got up early on a Friday and the bus departed at seven. After an exhaustingly long bus ride it was time for our first destination. We all got dressed up in our good clothes and arrived at a church. Actually, it wasn’t a church. It was the first reformed Jewish temple ever established in the world. The founders wanted to create a place of worship that was seemingly identical to the norm (Christianity.) The temple had an Ottoman-esque interior, roofed with elaborately painted domes, lined with traditional wooden pews, with a massive organ in the back that’s pipes snaked up the wall like ivy. There was even a steeple (back when the temple was first built, the neighbouring church made their steeple taller because they didn’t want to be outdone by Jews.) The only tip-off that this wasn’t a church was that there were no crosses. Another destination was the Hebrew Union College where we got a tour of their records room which included historic religious artifacts from a translated scroll by medieval-era Chinese Jews to a Gutenberg bible. We were taken through their Holocaust memorial, a sobering tour including filmed interviews of survivors.
Both of these stops held a special weight that has impacted my view on life. I had never taken my religion seriously. But seeing where my practice began, relics from Jews around the world and the evil that was the holocaust changed that. It made me realize that for thousands of years people have fought to keep this religion alive and it is my duty to keep it and pass it on and fight for it too. The whole trip wasn’t all serious however. I also had some of the most fun in my entire life. I roomed with three of my friends. On the first night when we were changing for the Sabbath, a girl came to our door and one answered even though none of us were fully clothed. We pushed him out the door and promptly locked him out. About five minutes later we realized that he had no clothes. He promptly showed up at the door in girls clothing, somewhat angry but laughing at our prank. He ended up having to go to services in a pink sweatshirt and girls-jeans. The Rabbi was obviously bemused to say the least. On the last night the four of us were just relaxing when all of a sudden another kid from the adjoining hotel room burst through the door wearing a t-shirt, boxers and snow-boots shouting “Get everything off the floor!” Any confusion was suddenly swept away when we saw water come flowing into our room. A pipe had burst and we spent the night with an inch of water covering the floor. This trip was three years ago. But of it is still vivid in my memory. It instilled faith in me and built camaraderie amongst my peers (some are now my best friends) and it has given me memories that I will cherish forever.
(ADVERTISMENT)
YOUR MODERN FAMILY (BLOG) Every moment of every day is yours to do with as you wish. I wish to make the most of my days – to fill them with joy, love, and family. As a mother, wife, daughter, sister, teacher, therapist, and friend… I’m here to help you find the way to have your best moments, too. When you land on Your Modern Family’s Homepage, you’ll find stories of family, motherhood , health and marriage. You’ll find activities to share with your kids, ideas for trips and vications, ways to save money, easy recipes to share with your family, and ideas for organizing your home (so you can spend less time on things & more time on people). Hi! I’m Becky…
I am a wife, a mother, an elementary school teacher, and a child developmental therapist. I believe that every day is the perfect day to build a strong relationship with your family. I believe that it is the goal of all of us to have strong, close, trusting, and loving relationships… the kind of relationships that give our children & spouse a reason to want to come home each day… the kind of relationships that make us want to come home each day. The kind of relationship that makes you say, “I wish ____ was here to share this with me!” It’s possible. It starts now… today. Every moment matters. You can and will have the kind of home that your family wants to come home to – today, tomorrow, and always. It begins with you.
Our Story… In middle school, I was introduced to Mickey. While I was over-the-moon at first glance, he told his friends that I “talk too much.” (Not to worry- he got used to it! haha!) Over the next few years, we became best friends. Then, a few years later, in 9th grade, he asked me to be his girlfriend, in front of my house one evening. The rest is history. We were engaged in the summer going into our junior year of college. Two years later, after graduation, we were married. Our wedding was in the summer of 2004, in our hometown, near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
We moved to North Carolina that same summer, bought our first house, and had our first jobs out of college. It wasn’t long before we realized that we were ready to start a family. We have four kids…
While teaching second grade, I was excited to learn that I was going to become a mother! Our oldest son was born in 2006 (and I became a stay-at-home mom.) We then had a baby every two years (with one loss). 2006: Our oldest son was born (Jack) & I left my job as a 2nd-grade teacher. 2008: We welcomed another beautiful baby boy (Beau) and I earned my certification to become a part-time child development therapist, AKA, play therapist 2010: We had our third sweet son (Ethan). 2012: We welcomed our baby girl (Allie Elizabeth).
POETRY THE STICK-TOGETHER FAMILIES BY EDGAR GUEST (MODERN POEM) The stick-together families are happier by far Then the brothers and the sisters who take separate highways are. The gladdest people living are the wholesome folks who make A circle at the fireside that no power but death can break. And the finest of conventions ever held beneath the sun Are the little family gatherings when the busy day is done.
MOTHER BY, BAHVNA KEHVLANI (HAIKU) Every heartbeat is bestowed upon, Compassion embraces a child eternally That uplifts a child’s soul in isolation in every way.
MY FAMILY (RHYMES) My wonderful family, I love dearly, From my heart, I speak sincerely. They make me laugh all the time, Help me up, when I need to climb. I know my family, truly care, They don't judge me or compare. Always welcome me with open arms, They make sure nothing harm's. I love my family, every day, With this poem, I wish to convey. I know they may be a little strange, But I hope they never, ever, change.