Winston laid his head on the car window, allowing it to slam repeatedly against the car door. It brought him a strange ease as if the window were an old friend shuddering with him. “Stop laughing,” his father barked. His father smelled like alcohol, odor, and human waste. Winston could smell his breath from the distance between them, each breath sloppy and wet, the humidity of each slow air lapse increasing as they continued to drive. The nighttime darkness obscured his father’s face, the smell stinging Winston’s eyes. So, Winston stopped laughing. It was an effort to stop making noise, bracing himself for every leap the car made down the rocky path. He listened to the car hum and thud every time it hit the path. His father was curious, demanding so much harshly without specifying what he wanted. Jamie started fussing in her baby seat, her face contorting as…
The scenic byway of Joshua Tree National Park could take as long as three hours to reach from Charlie’s rental in Pacific Palisades. But…
It was the day after my ninth birthday. Being at the end of May the weather was decent, and my dad suggested a walk…
I had no reason to suspect that the cute little girl who was the waitress at the only so-called restaurant on North Beach was…
Ramesh Babu was a classical singer. With acknowledged achievements, this Padma awardee had turned 60. One day after returning from a performance, he changed…
Cracks grew deep in the barren, parched soil; baked hard like a wrinkled old face. Hot and dusty – the sort of dust that…
Only in Holywood do people pull open a few drawers, stuff crumpled clothes into a suitcase, and slam out the front door. In Jackson…
“Sushila, do not cry anymore. You will go with your uncle to Mumbai and stay there. You know well that Auntie and Uncle love…
My father peered ahead towards the moonlit backroad, his hands firm on the beaten leather of the steering wheel. He raised one to scratch…