Blurred Lines

Selina walked the halls of the hotel.  The conference room beckoned, its table laden with food. Be calm … focus. Carefully, she approached and grabbed a roasted chicken. Pressing it close, the scene blurred and disappeared.  She woke with a start. When her parents left them, she and her brother ate through the food in the…

Thursday Doors: The Helena May

The Helena May sits along Garden Road in Central on Hong Kong Island, across the street from the US Consulate. In 1916, Lady Helena May, the wife of the Governor, Sir Henry May, established The Helena May for the promotion of the welfare of women and girls in Hong Kong.  To this day, members are…

Inside Out

He asked, “How’d you end up here?” “The wind swirled and lifted me into a tree.” “Oh my, how long were you stuck in the tree?” “Days! What about you?” “A fly-away branch broke my arm.” “Hey, you guys think you had it bad. My insides turned outside.” The others gasped. “I know, it was…

Suffocated

Princess Ratani stood next in line to rule, but the walls of the palace suffocated her. Her parents arranged her marriage.  Ratani longed to be free.  On the night of her betrothal, she donned commoner’s clothing and slipped through the gates.  Walking along the road, the earth trembled.  An elephant approached with a disheveled young…

Safe Harbor

Her mama told Nara to stay below deck.  Nara peeked from the window at the crowds on shore. Singsong voices drifted on the breeze as young and old greeted one another.  Vendors hawked their wares in the colorful market. Will this be the place? Returning to sit among her sisters, the gentle bobbing of the…

Thursday Doors: St. John’s Cathedral

Having lost my passport for the first time in thirty plus years of living overseas, I felt disgruntled making my way to the consulate to apply for a new one.  The trip from my flat took nearly two hours.  It involved a bus, a boat, a train and lots of walking.  The last bit included…