Note to readers: There will be some Vietnamese words and phrases throughout the stories. There will not be direct translations, because my hope is that you will read closely and enjoy this language. Thank you.
I. RACE (THE UNIVERSE)
As the hospice nurse gently took away the ventilator and quietly left the room according to the patient’s wish, she gazed out the window to admire the lilac sunset upon the great flat-topped Table Mountains. The wind whispered, and she could hear the conversations of tropical seagulls. The writer realized life was not a race, but a journey. It was about savoring every moment. Why had she not known this sooner? Instead, she felt as if she had been in competition her entire life.
Turning her head from the... read more
Down in rags with a soiled stray bulldog puppy in her metallic arms, Cherie cried: “What does it take to be considered human?” Her words released into fog, vanished in the unwelcomed neighborhood of Chicago.
Across the street, there was a French bakery, doors wide opened to let in air. Its glow lit up the gloomy avenue, as it lit up a final grain of hope in Cherie’s beating heart. Her fleshy, purpled bare feet pushed against the... read more
“I don’t see what’s all the hype about,” Liz said, looking down to the shiny floor of the shopping mall, her newly layered dark brown hair fell over her eyes, one strand after the other sliding smoothly.
“It’s all fast fashion, and where do you get the money to shop so much?” She continued talking without breaking eye contact with the floor. The air was densified with high-end perfumes and thin clothes bearing heavy price tags.
“Do you maybe want to head out and explore the city? There are some Swedish candy stores.” Liz suggested and I agreed. We pierced through... read more