friendship

C.S Lewis got it right: friendship is born when one person says to another: "What! You too? I thought I was the only one!"

Bus Stop
Every morning, I wake up, get ready for the day, and make sure my cats are properly spoiled before departing my condo. It took me over a decade to settle into this morning routine. It’s ordinary, warm and comfortable, like mashed potatoes for the soul. Nothing fancy or exciting, but stable. It’s a lungful of fresh air after what felt like an eternity of grieving and wallowing amongst a bedrock of grief and endless sobbing. After I thought I lost everything. Marjorie.
By SD5 years ago in Humans
Lorelai’s Bed and Breakfast
Snow fell lightly across the windshield, stark against the dark country roads. Even though it was only 6:30 pm the sun had already set, making it seem more like midnight. Heather switched the old truck’s heater to defrost and leaned forward, her brights doing nothing to help her navigate her way. Lucky, Heather could make the track from town to Lorelai’s, her hidden Bed and Breakfast, with her eyes closed. The journey which normally would take her 25 minutes to complete was taking a bit longer due to her inexperience with driving in the snow.
By Gloria Hughes Weber5 years ago in Humans
On His List
She ran into the forest. Soaked to the core, her clothes were heavy with rain, and her bare feet began to numb from the autumn winds that had arrived early. The sun had not come out that day, as though it was in mourning with her. The raindrops on her cheeks disguised the tears that fell, and the black clouds resembled the hole in her heart that she believed would never heal again. It was her lover who had died. Like those men before him, he left her to rely on herself once again. She knew now that she had to be as strong as the White Cypress Pine tree she rested upon. She wished she had made a plan previously, when the unwanted tea leaves at the bottom of her cup foretold his death. The tea leaves had accurately predicted death before.
By Leah Brenchley5 years ago in Humans
The Little Black Book
“An invisible red thread connects those who are destined for each other, regardless of time, place, or circumstance. The thread may stretch or tangle, but it will never break.” -Ancient Chinese legend
By Aubry Karge5 years ago in Humans
Audrey's Problem
To Audrey May Brown, time stretched out for so long over the course of her life, as nothing had ever seemed to fill it lastingly enough for her to get the feeling of time “flying by”. The drive to her new house in the middle of nowhere was sadly no different. Even looking out the car window longingly and pretending to be the main character in a movie didn't satisfy her boredom long enough to fill 20 minutes of the three hour trip. Her books were discarded long ago, and music played through headphones dangling off the edge of the backseat nowhere near her ears. Eventually, it came to a point that whenever she checked the time, the minutes moved backwards, and she was in the same place of dread as she was two minutes prior. Two and a half hours into the drive, Audrey turned to counting the trees that flew past her window, and every time she reached one hundred she’d allow herself to check the time again. It was 12:32 pm when she decided to turn to her parents for entertainment.
By Wynter Baker5 years ago in Humans
Model Friend Sabrina Servance
Sabrina Servance is a woman who lights up a room. When I met her, it was at a mutual friend’s bachelorette in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. From working at David’s Bridal, I could tell she was at least a size 26 and stands at almost 6 ft tall. She had style for days as a plus-size model and floor manager at Dillard’s. I had never met someone black or white that was of her size and had her level of finesse, confidence, and congeniality. The bachelorette weekend went off without a hitch. She came up with the cutest nickname of “Van” for me. Why Van? We were up late for the bride-to-be’s last hoorah and I almost went into the van of a group of attractive men. We laughed and talked about how nice it was to find someone to be steady with and not have to be on the hunt constantly. I remember some of the other women were not excited about her being on the trip because of her size. It was not the fact that she is African American. It was not the fact she had rode up with the woman that showed up six hours late. It was because she is much larger than most women. It impressed me how even though there was this animosity towards her because of her size, she was able to captivate a room and soothe the mood to have everyone behave kindly and respectfully towards her. The next time I saw her was on the day of the wedding.
By Laura Steele5 years ago in Humans
Juniper Vision
The sun was just beginning to set on their third day of the road trip, and Carn had an arm out the window, rolling to the waves of the breeze. From her rearview mirror, Juniper snuck a look at the boy, who was grinning as usual, despite not being able to see the beautiful pink streaks shooting up from the horizon. They’d made it to the rolling hills of the Grand Canyon. Juniper turned down the classical music- their little inside joke- and pulled into a visitor’s lot in the middle of the National Park. She unbuckled and quickly grabbed Carn’s hand, dragging him out of the van and guiding him to various interesting rock formations in walking distance. She’d place his hands on one side of the oddly shaped boulders, and tell him to make his way around, feeling every nook and crevice. After an hour feeling it out, they hopped back into the van down an underdeveloped side road that Juniper’s parents had taken her when she’d visited as child. She pulled off at a viewpoint that seemed surrounded by canyon on either side. Guiding Carn to the middle of the U-shaped location, she whispered instructions into his ear and then ran a few hundred feet away to admire the scene. He then let out a wolf-like howl, and clapped as the echo spoke back. Carn tilted his head back, and for a moment, Juniper swore he could see the vastness of the Canyon, the natural beauty of an imperfect crack in the Earth.
By kazmyn 5 years ago in Humans
Stick Figures and Root Beer Floats
The cold air stung my nostrils as I peered out the back window. It was barred, like an old armored car or a circus truck. The interior was stark except for remnants of desperate graffiti scribbled out by previous passengers. “You won’t take me alive!" “I think… therefore I’m shit.”
By SJ Howe5 years ago in Humans
Fish & Chips
I’m so desperate for a break from this muddy and uncertain Spring of 2021 that the drive to the Berkshires seems like a vacation all its own. I’m setting off in the morning to solve a minor mystery. In high school and college I worked at a restaurant. A tiny place, a dozen tables, and a robust takeout business. Fish and chips cooked to order, to the specifications of a long dead Irishman. An online review once described it as having great food, but looking like someplace out of Deliverance. They were not wrong. My memories of my teens and early 20s are all tied up in the place. Sneaking cigarettes out back between orders. A beer at closing. The inevitable dating of the hot dishwasher. And last week, someone went there to find me and leave me a message.
By Alice Doore5 years ago in Humans
The Shake
Tat, tat-tat, tat her pen nervously taps the empty page. I’m not a singer. Poet? yes. Singer? No. What was I thinking? Anna ponders to herself, as she tosses the pen onto the table. “Ahhhha!” She pulls the pencil out of her bun, flips her head back, and her long brown curls waterfall over the iron chair; as her eyes yearn for inspiration in the sky.
By Tess Timmons5 years ago in Humans
Small Daily Words
Beth plopped down on the couch. She was tired. As much as she like being an RN, the 12hr shifts were just long. The sound of call lights and IV pump alarms echoed in her ears. It felt so good to put her aching feet up. She ran her finger through her short, black hair. At 42, this wasn’t getting any easier. After a moment and a few deep breaths, she grabbed her pen and her little black notebook. Time for her evening ritual. She enjoyed jotting down things she had noticed throughout the day, little things worth remembering. It was a habit she began in high school. Over the years, she had developed a collection of such books filled with everything from treasured personal moments; to nursing life anecdotes, usually involving her patients; to encounters at the coffee shop; or the way the leaves had fallen from the tree that morning. Once smartphones came along, she tried a couple of different apps, but it wasn’t the same. To her, there was just something about the visceral experience of pen and paper that made all the difference.
By Nancy Quinn5 years ago in Humans
Just Another Day
The Little Black Book Penny looked on in amusement as her co-worker danced around the kitchen. She always looked forward to her shift on a Friday. It was the only day of the week she and Wendy worked together and they made a good team. She loved a good work atmosphere, but then again, who didn't? It made the day pass quicker.
By Sian N. Clutton5 years ago in Humans