Category: Flash Fiction

Discipline

Mason Martin went from room to room calling his mother. He checked her bedroom, the kitchen, and even his grandfather’s library of dusty volumes.

He couldn’t find his school tie, and now he couldn’t find the person who could find it for him. He’d be late again. “Mom?” He went to the garden annoyed and yelling.

In the distance, he recognised his mother and the school headmistress deep in discussion. He watched them walk towards the house, his mother looking impassive, and the headmistress triumphant.

Two days later, Mason left for boarding school. The garden amble was to discipline him.

All parties agreed

Having realised that the partnership no longer brought happiness to either, both parties had terminated their once-mutual agreement. All was said and done on paper already. They were aware of the consequences and the implications well before they had signed on. Neither was surprised.

The same couldn’t be said about Neha, however. She had no idea what she had gotten into. It wasn’t her choice from the start. No one had consulted her or informed her. Until one day, her mother announced at dinner, her separation from her husband of eight years. Their daughter, Neha, would remain with her mother.

A good deed

“According to the survey, most of our nation’s population lives in substandard conditions. The home minister suggests outsourcing development efforts.” The reporter drew a breath, and Meera exhaled.

“Oh, these poor people,” she sighed, turning to her husband. Flipping through documents, he nodded without looking up. “Yeah…” he drifted off—construction business was taxing.

“Let’s do something about this.” Meera faced him, hands on her hips.
Prem looked at her, bemused. “Huh?”

“Try to get that government contract. This is our chance to do good to the country.”

Or, he calculated, to experiment the cheap material his friend had suggested.

Deep reasoning

Rebelling had landed him here. He was only one not to weep or shudder while they chained him and mauled him. We wailed. I remember my initial days—how I’d begged to get out and see the sky hang over my head. He did nothing of the sort. He walked held his head high, with complete disregard for the guards escorting him.

Dark, bald, non-christian — he resembled everything our captors despised. Despite that, he remained steadfast. Being in the gallows, he told me, was better than being shallow.

I recoiled. I served for attacking a classmate of different colour.

Fragrance

Drenched in sweat, Mike walked in with a smug face. Waving, he walked over to the pool table. Laying his backpack on the floor, he high-fived Mark, Paul, and Rud one at a time.

As always, they looked at him in jealousy. “Woah, you smell of sand and water. Where?” Rud asked passing him a beer.

“Oh, just a small hike,” Mike took a large swig before adding, “32 miles.”

The others looked inspired, and he cherished each second. Rud whistled. “Wow, man. Hiking, swimming, bushwalking—what a life!”

Mike smiled. All thanks to the girl down at the fragrance store.