more stories

Peek in the past

copyright: Mary Adams
My great-grandfather owned a chocolate shop. It looked a bit like this one. He was a hardworking man, living in his own creativity. I didn’t know him, so all I have are the stories. He sounds a bit like me, except that I’d be a bad shop keeper eating all the chocolates myself. Maybe the one thing I’m lacking is his passion, and I would have loved to ask him how he truly managed to live his life dedicated to one single thing. Nonetheless, his family believed he was happy. Maybe one day I will have a chance to ask.

More stories about Memoir, Mystery, Philosophy
an old story.6.47am. Morning paper. The antepenultimate page. My kitchen, red ...
while he lay abed.It is perfectly alright to walk up to the recess in the wall where the ...
inf-embeddable.Tonight might be different. We could renounce our names, have them put ...
lamentable complaint.It’s the desert. Highway 62 is half an hour behind. Sizzling heat ...
amber alert.Why a damned open sandwich? They’re so awkward. They make you feel ...
still and all.Slabs of concrete. Probably weigh a ton each. Literally. A ton. * And ...
note at the bottom of the page.It begins with a name, I suppose. [beat] “What’s your name?” ...
Van Els(←story) ...
what now?“Did you type this yourself?” — “Correct. I have my room and ...
negative proximity.Male character, in his 40-early 50s. Auditioners should have (or be ...
smaller than life.I slipped and my left hand went through a window. Industrial glass. ...
one million copies.The bed had been removed already. They left the bedside cabinet ...
PathwaysEach step a silent, shared sonnet. ...
extraterritorial.“Hello, Zak. What are you here for today?” “We had an ...
cliché101uoeliyvo eyiovolu yeivouol eyuoilvo oyviloeu evoloyui ueovylio ...
here and hereafter.Dear Zak, Here’s a note and a photograph I found in a folder that I ...
one-trick pony.“Cheap looking, but I think it’s in the hundred-euro range. Many ...
and then.First, a distant hint. Of off-yellow. And round. Wasn’t put there on ...
thin air.Crows in the kitchen. Happened upon them as I was about to fix myself ...
four colours.drawing was solitary. connecting lines. different colours, divided by ...
subtly braying.Crossing on red, the ominous words are echoing: “Where are you in ...
repetitive.utopia. to hold it all together. it’ll be slightly off, anyway. ...
conflicting accounts.up the stairs. landings. recurring thoughts, a running monologue. — ...
organic waste.Freezing key. Freezing to the touch. Held by numb fingers. Precision ...
last stairway.I press my thumb against the freshly painted wall. I keep pushing ...
mustard and sand.November. Redundancy. – It’s almost night, I’m on the Q3 ...
road plates ahead.I want to remember. Accommodate the monotony of questions Borne out by ...
prospect heights.It was a paternal kiss, rather than anything else. – I don’t ...
hominy grit.Good afternoon, sir. – Hello. – Are you one of us? – ...
plausible deniability.opportunities abound. so do falling acorns, drawing the attention of ...
dead reckoning.picking up her pulverised bones, neatly sealed in a plastic bag, ...
pair bond.low hanging skies. depression. (atmospheric, too.) low hanging skies. ...
pink and humming.long overdue. missing? lost. lost? lost and paid for. long? overdue. ...
white on white.“Will you ever furnish this place?” Jake’s here. Jake’s ...
prop walk.“I simply told him it wasn’t ‘fantastic.’ I said is was ...
pan pacific.My favourite tree. Where it belongs. In its own place. Been here a ...
the human continuum.in a single day. overnight. sadly repetitive. turning into — exactly ...
almost infinity.The two of them had the exact same ideas. Pure mathematics could’ve ...
noise cancelling.“I was saying…” “Oh yes, you were saying…” “Yes. So the ...
permanent closure.Not on stage. Notwithstanding the bookmark on page 29. Not an owner, ...
parkplaza.A nod invites me to approach. And I do. He then lifts a hand to stop ...
the best option.“Changes will be necessary and a person better suited than X”—I ...
free-fall.The fake teak wall, laminated wood. I know what it would feel like to ...
polyester lining.I have the one hand in the one pocket. It’s safe there. Hidden from ...
quattro formaggi.“Not tight in the shoulders?” she said. He kept looking at her ...
prom queen.When you are introduced because you cannot introduce yourself. When ...
the cadence of rubber soles.“What would you like to talk about?” “I thought you were going ...
license to carry.Jake had jumped jail and he knew this time he wasn’t going to take ...
anatomy of longing.The fireworks should have gone off right after the clock chimed ...
47 and 53.My father went on to play the Aria seventeen times more. More vinyls ...
lori.And in yesterday’s news: Mr Zhou in the FedEx shop with the broken ...
in hindsight.[sound of slurping. off screen.] “Yes, you could say that.” ...
saturn and jupiter.There are only so many times you’ll tell your story. Besides, ...
unique tee-shirts.I wasn’t sure if he was awake, but he definitely was mumbling this: ...
week-end in january.The alarm is set for 7.00am. Saturday morning, I have absolutely ...
acquired taste.The car was idling, five litres of engine throbbing, the air around ...
shifting.The room had to be vacated. It had been stayed-in for too long. The ...
pan-pan.(Knock, knock.) Oh, I haven’t seen you enter. (Knock, knock.) Okay, ...
Faceless (written by AI)Lost my face again? No, no, it’s just, my tears, they … they ...
oftentimes.for the love of fear. the might of doubt. the cry of wasted space. ...
one michelin star.Please don’t call. And definitely don’t visit. You can finish my ...
the sheperd.The Lord has his mysterious ways. The other day He put me on the wrong ...
lincoln tunnel.I’m licensed for yellow/green taxi. Livery. Limousine. And black ...
serendipity.the light that always flickers in the hallway. tonight it was on. ...
chandlery.The apartment was boiling hot despite the industrial fan I had ...
since you’ve asked.Fear. Gratitude. Fear of the familiar. Gratitude for the pain. Is this ...
as many of you.I was contemplating the damage to the rug next to the bed from last ...
The Last of the MohicansA long journey has come to a stop. The soldiers must be hungry. The ...
utica.“Do you recall him?” “Naa.” “Asher. Think that’s the name. ...
The tree (another story told by AI)The tree was in love, it started blooming, it was waiting for spring ...
thick red dominos.I called out to you, “Hey, Gareth.” And you said your name ...
the Overlook Hotelalone in the Overlook Hotel and there was something evil about the ...
Field of ThoughtsI took this photo from a car last summer, while going through some ...
on the prowl.Past the barber shop, on the left, that street with piss and ...
before his time.I loathed my headshot in the company’s Annual Report — page 5, the ...
whilst.Eyes perusing the tarmac, snout an inch off the ground. The two hind ...
Jafna­deamThe troll of Barða­strand­ar­sýsla is nameless, but he has been ...
relative primes.Eating the cake was a simple matter. She was enjoying every bite. With ...
Gone! Happy nowGone! Happy now?” “I am going,” I said. “I ...
catty-cornered.That one Christmas Eve I spent sprawled on the sofa without moving at ...
Real or unreal – who can say?Sunday, October 24, 2010 A life of being, and yet being not, and of ...
held against will.And for some time you’ll be looking at me, wondering, ...
WarmthA warm dream. A warm and loving dream. A dream of peace. A dream of ...
The sunsetBehind the horizon, the day was coming Falling from the sky, on silent ...
before long.Let us agree on words we will not say. ...
in that regard.Yesterday morning was different. Now there is thick fog. Fog over the ...
The wave at New Years eve (a story written by AI)The wave at New Years eve has swept many people from the deep reality ...
the next exit, please.If it wasn’t an abstraction, a distinct intention, sand between your ...
someone’s couch.“It must be devastating having to listen to my monologue. Even if ...
Life is in the Air“I’m doing it again,” he said. “I’m ...
fifth story walk-up.Jakob, the bartender, said I should go. I trust Jakob’s judgement, ...
Infinity – a photo story written by artificial intelligence[AI] Infinity and Beyond: New Media and the Order of Time I’ve ...
Night turns into day – a story written by artificial intelligenceNight turns into day and the fog patches over the lake lessen, and ...
echolalia.I didn’t not find anything. — I found nothing. ...
trickling through.It definitely did not happen in your private hospital room in the ...
decommissioned.Tell her something kind. Tell her you see your palms and they’re dry ...
floorplan.Two rooms in my apartment I almost never enter. For months at a time I ...
Depths foreverDepths forever, there in the middle of the sea, The moon is high, and ...
invariably complementary.“Can I ask you a riddle?” “Go ahead.” “Do you like ...
2° north of marsThere is red and blue and sky and sea of the world. In these days, in ...
A storyIt is a story containing the words water, person, sky, and clouds, and ...
body-bag.When that infant two rows behind you keeps screaming its lungs out ...
Opening at the EndShe just sat there, without a dress, her thighs graciously open, ...
notice.Attention! You are entering a zone where the laws of physics — as ...
heart of hearts.A recent study conducted by the Social Awareness and Statistical Error ...
six feet deep.They asked me to — no, scrap that — they told me to — no, wait ...
point five.And then all of a sudden I shrink. I become precisely one clothing ...
queens.It may or may not have been a true story. Based on the clues available ...
Sound of the CloudsLet me know your thoughts. ...
firewall.In a freshly pressed satin shirt, civvy street pants and leather sole ...
pickings off the wall.“Let’s play ‘never.’” “How do you play ‘never’?” ...
The Good IIThe beauty and the wonderful can exist anywhere. You can find them in ...
journal.Questions still linger The jury is out Looks likes that’s their ...
queen gets her colour.A pity it was my move first. Had I known what you were up to, I just ...
The HoleJump of the bench. Rise and fly. Return to place. Go back to bench. ...
InfinityHe stands beside you, and you smell his breath. You smell the compost ...
cruise control.[That’s a very nice car] * Liver spots on the cow hide pulled tight ...
by the bye.Let’s be zeros and ones. * Can I be one? * Yes. I’m zero, then. * ...
united 101.“Your father is dead,” my sister said, her voice muted and cold, ...
bygones.My neighbour’s son is holding an old and visibly very damaged ring ...
snapshot.“What did you get?” * “Water for the trip. Biscuits. ...
0:0“How did you feel right after?” “Relieved. Free.” “Did you ...
Outerworld IHe’d never seen one, although he’d imagined them. ...
The BasicsHumans love dreaming. Most mammals love dreaming. Birds seem to have ...
nineteen ninety-two.Is this genuine? __ Words memorised. Someone else’s words. Long ...
white on grey.Watch me remember, Dance my madness. Claw back what was never mine. __ ...
synch.He said “Let’s think it over. This is crazy.” She said “Let me ...
point of order.“You’ve set the alarm for 6.31am. I saw the numbers on your ...
a runny nose.“He likes being around us. Looks like he feels very comfortable. ...
on the shore.After sunset. Not much after. Might’ve been before. * With that ...
blind spot.Dear Andrei, I’m afraid I have to say your last message has left me ...
round the corner.This is what you taught me and what I have learnt. And try as I may, I ...
lost.Running a sack race hooded. Hooded, meaning you don’t see a ...
take three.This take could be different. “I want a new take,” you said. A ...
early march.Crows at shoulder height sitting on a fence. I shiver as I pass them. ...
lost cat.WARNING! Zelma went missing on Nov 11. Not a day too early, frankly. ...
picture window.“He won’t move from the window. Has been staring out for an hour ...
don’t say melodrama.“No. I always wanted to be a flute repair technician.” Alexander ...
matinée.at the freak show I was on display, two dozen people staring. all had ...
interstate.“You don’t think we should’ve taken the other other road? The ...
Beginning 2Looking at Winter, I could feel the wind at my back and the cold water ...
white night.The street wasn’t real. It could’ve been, though. People were ...
glad the mirror’s close.When I’m giving you that gift —box in hand—nicely wrapped ...
over to you.“She has intimacy issues.” xxx “Like what? Like she ...
in vain.Woman holding a slightly muddy stick in her right hand, raised at an ...
belief vs evidence.“Would you say it was the right choice?” “No.” ...
Friends foreverThey will be friends forever they’d said. In 2020 ...
should be.pictures unhung. characters unscripted. dust unsettled. and some ...
boardwalk.It’s not the fear It’s the courage to ask: “Do you ...
Truth in mindDo claims become truer if you keep repeating them? Who believes that? ...
think about it.Deficient (dɪˈfɪʃənt) (adj) lacking some essential; incomplete; ...
white nights.No, wait, let me explain. You might have got it wrong. These people ...
go figure.I died at around 3.41a.m. on November 5th. My death was uneventful, I ...
a staged nod.may i introduce myself? to me? to you. but you’re me. am i? * so ...
prologueit’s my cue and they push me on the stage, i’ve longed to be here ...
doubtful and little convinced.i was uncertain if i liked him at all, let alone love him, which was ...
.“Took you much longer than usual to remove the makeup.” “You ...
The CrossingSailing to Iceland – end of May 2019 This was the first thing I ...
.lollipop or cotton candy. he couldn’t make up his mind. his ...
.“It’s a combination of factors,” you said and I turned away ...
.it was and end-of-summer sort of question. that is not to say that it ...
inspection report no. 56-7558Photograph of back of fuel pump. Meeting all safety requirements as ...
.eight weeks and a world apart. ...
overrated.There’s no time too long to stand, do nothing but stare in front of ...
in retrospect.if i say goodbye now can you let me go? ...
less than readySouthampton was the boat’s name and that’s where it had come from. ...
note to self.frankly, i was hoping for much, much more. ...
indivisiblei should. i will. perhaps, not just now. ...
schemingIt is grossly unfair that I have no clue what sound your front door ...
insanity“i like it when you’re wearing colour” you said. and ...
comforting.I once sat into one of those photomaton booths in a shopping centre, I ...
popsicle.I am with you because I recently got dumped and I want to prove to ...
aphasia?That strangely comforting feeling of losing words. Not missing them, ...
three little pigs.I guess, at the end of the day, it’s a question of self-confidence. ...
sun’s gone.I wanted to leave a mark. Of any kind. For posterity, to get noticed, ...
hey sweetie.It took me a while to figure this out — or rather, figure you ...
formidable.Dear Transport Authority / Underground Railway Section! (I was ...
Wardrobe of my lifeIt was not jealousy. Maybe a bit of admiration. But mostly it was ...
trust me.«You are unique.» «Seek your own way and look for a path ...
Frozen PathSnow covered the ground. Soon the flakes would dance in the air again, ...
my festive vertigo.Frankly, this is not the right moment for reflection. For multiple ...
Wild and FreeThey were blue, yellow and green. Moving so fast and smoothly. True ...
patek.So how does it all concern me? Me, as a person who comes here to enjoy ...
almost kitch.“OK. So you go first.” —— “Well, why? You said we needed to ...
pop.So how do you handle pressure? I, for my part, sort of manage. Perhaps ...
We are worth love and belongingWhy is it so hard to take help, yet so easy to help others? It could ...
white.This is the season for warmth, boundless understanding, caring for the ...
Become a movie starActors in daily life… well, we are! This way of thinking could make ...
return to sender.My Dear (or should I say my Dearest, but I guess that would not be ...
At nightly bridge of IsfahanWhere singing was forbidden, there echoed the chants. Where dating was ...
bear with me.Is your horizon too wide? Is it tiresome to always see the whole ...
big.When was the last time you bit off more than you could chew? ...
In the mountains of BulgariaIn the mountains of Bulgaria, we enjoyed the local wines and shopska ...
letterbox.I was away from home for exactly 83 hours, and these are the flyers ...
no shades of graySome cultures are known for their minimalism in their art and design. ...
Same topics – different storiesOften we post about the same topics, all around the world. But is it ...
and then we rested.So Charles brought me coffee in bed in the morning. Very sweet of him. ...
The Crossroad of My MindSome days my head is crowded like the busiest Japanese crossroad. ...
really?“Hey. Thought you might be missing me. This is a photo of my class. ...
Drops of meaning in our daily websHow to come up with something important to say? What a struggle, ha? ...
i recall.So that was the four of us, best friends forever. Ted and Josh in the ...
november.When you begin to read a sentence and you have genuinely no idea where ...
The tears that I cry13 years they said. Is it a long or a short time? Maybe long if ...
twenty laps.It’s not the speed you want, don’t push it. It’s the calories ...
Metro Ride of LifeSome days you may feel like you’re sitting alone in a metro on ...
saturday night.I’ll have them done real nice. Takes time and money, but time I have ...
Not-a-Lonely TreeIt was like a big mushroom, just standing by a little road in an empty ...
ImagineSummer colours, the fresh green grass and golden sun in the hair and ...
some of his thoughts during the game.It’s a good position. I’ll win this game. And then I’ll be ...
be the one?But then what if you are not? Almost 20 years ago, Igor N. (texting in ...
facial.And then you said that despite early failings and pathetic attempts, ...
inSignificanceA wise Buddhist said something along these lines: when you add a spoon ...
Beyond the stars…Photography is often referred to as the art of “catching the ...
Black and White – TogetherWe are black and white. We are the sky and the earth. We are a man and ...
A MemoryWhat would life be without memories? How could we survive in the ...
Downtown of YangonThe old downtown of Yangon is the place to soak up the authentic ...
any old day.a croissant with strawberry jam (not home made, but very decent), a ...
We will perish and Nature shall stay!All the campaigns say we need to “save” or ...
on photos and stories.Belgian veteran jet fighter pilot. I met him at the National Day ...
Recognizing LoveMaybe it’s not the wedding. Not the white dress and the black suit. ...
balmy breezetime for stories make believe will it last through woolly eyes for you ...
Too much loveSome bridges carry so much love that they are in danger to fall down. ...
sfynx.Take a moment to reflect. Where do you stand in the ...
surgeon general’s warning.love is in the air. so are ugly viruses that make you cough, sweat and ...
Mr. DragonThere was a flash of red light. People stopped their cars by the road ...
Towards freedomI was reaching up. Higher. Higher. Yet, I felt like I was falling. ...
DancersThe light was dancing. It embraced the whole place. A place not so ...
j’ai belga.Barman at Café Belga. The slow hours, just after lunch-time. I ...
To be a birdTo be a bird fly in the blue in the sky a life so true and high ...
Reclaimed by natureYou have reclaimed it You have waited so long And yet you have been ...
Hopeless dreams I had always dreamed of a garden. A garden full of flowers in ...
kitch.do you remember your first bike? or when you last stopped to marvel at ...
two to one.her birthday wish was to play ball until she could beat him. not ...
note to self.for one moment it almost looked like as if the day might have turned ...
Never mind.​Three things. One. It makes me mad that my boss cannot spell my ...
One day I’ll be a doctor10 year old shoeshine boy from Bolivia, it is estimated that one in ...
in case you were wondering.65 per cent of Belgians think their country’s EU membership is a ...
Peek in the pastMy great-grandfather owned a chocolate shop. It looked a bit like this ...
Who am I?Camera is capturing me and this amazing moment; I smile, but I don’t ...
Hidden StoryOnce upon a time there was a prince and a princess. They planted three ...
Mystery of the SunDo you ever wonder where the sun goes after it sets in our horizon? I ...
unforgettable EllaWe either didn’t know where Ella was born nor exactly when. It ...
Light at the end of the tunnelWoke up at 5 with a grumpy face to make our way to the Sagada hills. ...
paint it black.​ If you really feel you are Mick Jagger, does it matter that you ...
Forgiving parentsMaybe we didn’t have the best parents. Maybe they made some wrong ...
RidingI don’t remember what actually happened before the drama ...
Glory of SunriseRare are the moments of true beauty and our sleepy heads miss the ...
Spooked Butterfly“Good morning,” they wished to each other. “What a lovely day, ...
Closing the DayIt was already late when we reached this tiny motel in the middle of ...
The White SilenceIt came without warning… There was no indication on the abrupt ...
Reflections from the pastDid she exist? What was she like? Did she really look like this? I ...