humanity
For better or for worse, relationships reveal the core of the human condition.
Chance
“CHANCE” “Go ahead and get outta here cuz. Be safe out there.” Last words Yaseer heard from his cousin Art as he walked on the tip of his toes out of building 58. He spent the past 2 and a half years of a 9 year bid sharing a cell with his paternal cousin that he never met until fate would deem them worthy of this encounter. They built a strong bond in such a short time after being introduced to each other by cousin number 3. Unfortunately for young black boys who grow to be “men” it’s not rare to end up incarcerated with kin or a friend.
By Terrell Horton 5 years ago in Humans
May I Take Your Order?
All my life, I’ve given people secret nicknames. It’s not that I’m being an asshole or think less of them. Most of the time, I just think of people as characters in a movie, and I take creative liberties imagining their backstories. Like the nerd in high school algebra – Socks and Sandals – I always pictured him striking it rich in tech. Or the woman on the subway with the sweater sets – Tidy Joan – I imagine she works for a tyrant of a boss and is marching to a job she utterly hates. And the loudmouth guy talking on his cell phone – Sidewalk Talk – he’s covering up his failures in bed with extroverted bravado in everything else he does.
By Parker Green5 years ago in Humans
The Great Circus Parade
“Ha! There it is, the Irish Spring!”, says Kilo, “When they see you coming, they jump out of the way. You’re what they used to call a Big Goon. You’re just so damn big and mean-looking! You look like a Dick Tracy villain. The Irish Goon! Look out, everybody, here comes the Big Irish Goon! Grab your children! Cross the street!”
By Bert Kelley5 years ago in Humans
The Miracle Book
It was warm out as Faith walked down the sidewalk towards the parking lot of the old library. The sun felt good on her skin so she took her time going to her car. It wasn’t anything fancy but she loved her small VW bug. For her last birthday her mother had gotten the car painted the most perfect shade of pink. Faith smiled to herself thinking of all the small things her mother had done for her. Their bond was tighter than any other she had. Faith was an only child, or as her mother called her, a miracle child. Her mother had been told many times by many doctors that she would never have a child of her own. It was on a blind first date that Faith was created. After a very tricky nine months, Faith came into this world red-faced and screaming. When she was placed in her mother’s arms, she quieted and just stared at her mother.
By Barbara Beals5 years ago in Humans
Note to Self
This feeling… it’s like when you fall asleep in the backseat of the family car during a road trip, waking up in the familiar and uncomfortably warm interior of the old automobile while, at the same time, surrounded by an unfamiliar city’s streets and storefronts. Interludes of unfamiliarity weaving in and out, numbed somewhat by feelings deep inside of comfort and safety assuring you that you’re right where you’re supposed to be.
By Andrew SangHyun Park5 years ago in Humans
The Magician
There is no magic to manifestation. To endow all Of your trust in a whimsical affirmation is futile. Zero productivity will never transpire into dreams and beware if they do because karma is sure to align, afterwards. Hendrix, on the other hand, was unaware of this affirming ideology. He lived his life on a tight rope with God always on his side and the Devil unawakened in the avenging depths below. It’s not that life was handed to him on a silver spoon but, that he believed it should be. Hendrix walked 33rd street everyday with his magical black suede notebook tucked away in his satchel that lay seamlessly on his hip ready to be pulled out at any moment. He started his morning with gratitude. “I am thankful for waking up this morning.” “I am thankful that my cat woke me up this morning.” “I am thankful that I have the air in my lungs and my little black notebook to take on the world.” Of course, all of this was written down in his notebook readily available for the universe to rip the words right out of the confines of the paper and into Hendrix’s reality. Hendrix turned up his music and today he trotted with a smile down 33rd street like everyday this week. Suddenly, a feeble man, clothes riddled with holes and grime approached him steadily and asked “ay young, can I hold a cigarette?” Hendrix a bit startled but in a friendly tone responded “I’m sorry man! I don’t have one.” Hendrix continued walking but quickly sensed that the man was following him. Hendrix sped up but, the man preying on his inquisitive fear, leaped out at him and grabbed his satchel. Hendrix collapsed to the ground and clenched hard onto the worn handle of his satchel looking dead into the eyes of the man standing on top of him. The man’s eyes were glazed over and his hands trembled immensely as he grunted “gimme this bag. Please...I don’t want to hurt you.” Hendrix slowly began to consciously experience empathy and began to feel the fear transferring from the man’s body and attempting to penetrate his. Hendrix let go. The man ran. “Damn, all my hopes and dreams were in that notebook” Hendrix sighed. The thing is Hendrix had been spending every waking moment of his life attempting to be ultra positive in order to reap some sort of happiness but, this is what he was left with. Bruised knees, stolen items, and a broken spirit. Hendrix had now truly settled into reality. Because the truth is reality isn’t pretty and reality can get ugly real quick. Hendrix continued his trip down 33rd street with a smile. “I’ll get it back, someday! I just feel it.” But what ever happened to the notebook. The notebook had gotten into the hands of 43 year old Silas Givens. Silas had lost his job about 8 months ago. The mother of his kids had assumed custody. The courts kept it plain and simple. “Get back on your feet and you can obtain partial custody, Mr.Givens.” These words were cemented into his mind. This would prove to be inconceivably difficult for Silas. You see, Silas had a terrible monster brooding inside of him. In him, sat the devil at full rage waiting for its next fix. Silas wanted to get clean but he lacked drive, motivation, and positive affirmation. One day in a dream a beautiful spirit reassured Silas “everything You want to know You already know!” This struck Silas heavy deep in his heart and it was in that moment he became so fed up and utterly disgusted with himself that he decided to quit. Quitting did not go as planned as Silas became terribly ill trying to quit cold turkey on his own. Silas began to see flashes of his universe breaking into fragments. Looming memories like short films played iridescently in his mind. He was getting weaker by the day and knew if he didn’t check himself into a facility, he may not wakeup. The fee to get into Broadview Drug Rehabilitation Center was just $45. That’s all he needed. Scared senseless, his only option at the time was to rob someone of their innocence. He scouted 33rd street and saw a curly haired, seemingly happy, man with a lackadaisical walk proceeding near an alleyway. Silas was trembling in fear so he proceeded to walk up to Silas and ask for a cigarette first to asses the danger. The man responded in a soft and inviting tone. The man begin to walk away. Silas realizing that if he didn’t take this chance he would most likely die alone on the streets, without his kids, leaped at the man and grabbed for his satchel. Silas saw no fear in the man’s eyes. It’s as almost if the man pitied him but the man still held tight on to the satchel. Silas grunted “gimme this bag! Please...I don’t want to hurt you!” He knew he didn’t have the strength to hurt him neither did he have the willpower to. But suddenly the man had just let go. Silas ran. He ran for about a mile before his body gave out. He tore open the satchel. There was only one thing in it, a small black notebook. “DAMMIT!” Silas screamed. Silas sat on the curb and began sobbing. His life was seemingly over. He was sick, in pain and mentally and emotionally unable to handle it all. He picked up the notebook and flipped to a page. “You are alive, Be grateful” the man let out a half smile because of the humor of the situation. Then he flipped the page. “You are rich, even if you’ve only saved $50” Silas gasped. There was an envelope glued to the page. He ripped it open and there it was. It was enough money to check himself in. Silas had found his silver lining afterwards and maybe the reality wasn’t so bleak. Maybe good things do happen to terrible people because they just have to realize the light within. We are all good deep down inside. As he trotted to the facility he yelled “I feel like I just won $20,000 yo!” Silas reborn into a life that he was in charge of, that he would lead, and that would always be by his side as long as he was able to stay positive. But he already knew this just as we all do. And one day he would write Hendrix and give him that $50 back and apologize for being a piece of scum but acknowledge that without Hendrix’s little black notebook, he would have been forgotten and long gone in a world full of what if’s.
By Diminya Brown5 years ago in Humans
The Little (once) Black Book
When you’re starving you don’t have the luxury of ethics, I told myself as I clutched the battered, weathered, little book that used to be black but was now more of a watery grey. I had the strong impression this book had been dragged behind a horse across a desert for some unknown reasons as I’d picked it up from the damp ground in the park where I found it ownerless.
By Margaret Gendreau5 years ago in Humans
Running Away
The grinding and pounding of the machine echoed in the concrete room. Javier stood quietly, scribbling notes to himself as the others stood around talking amongst themselves. The tedious task of resolving another issue fell upon him, and all it took was five minutes of adjusting a few dials, which he has shown the machine operators a hundred times before. Jotting down the final thoughts, he tapped the pen against the page and closed it firmly. He walked out of the room with a huff while the others spoke down on him as if he couldn’t hear them.
By Sergio Casanova5 years ago in Humans
Money Moves
WHEN IT FIRST STARTED: There was no problem when Shaylynnah meet Shawn at the Hess Express two years ago. Matter of fact, within the first two years of the relationship she thought they have bonded stronger than ever, and to think about it in her mind that made her happier than ever. Shawn was a foreigner to the United States of America and Shaylynnah was a traveler, no one place was her permanent home. Fixated on Shawn being the one and only. So, when it came too renting to own a huge five-bedroom house with a basement and attic; large backyard a garage for one vehicle, A wooden broken-down fence that had faded white paint on it, plus it wrapped around the whole back of the house. It was easy for Shaylynnah to say, “this house is ‘Ours’!”. Looking into Shawn’s hazel brown eyes, assured she would never be alone again.
By Chanequa Chavez-Williams5 years ago in Humans
The Miniature Lisa
Death often opens more doors than it closes. At least it did in my case. My grandmother, Nonna we called her, was the first in my family to leave this world after I had entered, eliciting my first experience of the profoundness of death. A wave of emotions that ends with a calm nostalgic fondness after time. Whilst my fondness could be described as nostalgic, it certainly was anything but calm.
By Holly Hensler5 years ago in Humans
