Mrs Singh is in her wedding sari again
By Mary Francis
Danilo rolls the fishnet up the old lady's leg and thinks of fishing back home, out in the boat with his tiyo, casting out sheets of netting, dragging in the needlefish and squid. His uncle, a wiry man browned by the sun, never still, always at work like the waves on the shore.
"That good, Mrs H?" he says. She hitches the lace at the top of the stockings and nods.
Danilo knows how it started, but has not told. Not that anyone has asked, exactly, but the wondering is in the air.
"Want me to do your hair?" says Danilo.
He's a favourite on the second floor. He knows this and is pleased about it. They like his quiet voice and gentle manners. The ladies trust him to dress and undress them if they need it, to assist with showers and medications. Even the gentlemen, fewer and more resistant to care, relax when Danilo comes to help. Mr Chin gets confused and speaks Mandarin to him sometimes, but Danilo doesn't mind.
"More height," says Mrs H, examining herself in the hand mirror. Danilo obediently teases her hair further, with the gentlest turns of the comb. He shields her face when he uses the hairspray. The end result is perhaps a little lop-sided, a little unprofessional, but she's happy with it. Next time will be even better, he assures her. He's getting the knack.
"Pauline's wearing ... something," says Kayla in a low voice as they sort cups and saucers. High tea is a Calendar Event. Even Mrs Singh, who is struggling these days, has made it along.
Danilo darts a look over Kayla's shoulder and sees Pauline from number 208. She's in a gold flapper dress.
She has a peacock feather in her hair, and lines of pearls draped around her neck. She has bright red lipstick and teal eyeshadow. She drifts through the ground floor lounge like a tottering bird.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة September - October 2023 من Writer’s Digest.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة September - October 2023 من Writer’s Digest.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
Writing for a Warming World - Imagining the overwhelming, the ubiquitous, the world-shattering.
Climate change is one of those topics that can throw novelists—and everyone else—into a fearful and cowering silence. When the earth is losing its familiar shapes and consolations, changing drastically and in unpredictable ways beneath our feet, how can we summon our creative resources to engage in the imaginative world-building required to write a novel that takes on these threats in compelling ways? And how to avoid writing fiction that addresses irreversible climate change without letting our prose get too preachy, overly prescriptive, saturated with despair?
Kids' Author Meg Medina Inspires Readers
WD chats with the National Ambassador of Young People’s Literature.
The Horrors of Grief
Whether hot off the presses or on the shelves for years, a good book is worth talking about.
The Mystery of Growing Up
New York Times-bestselling author Jasmine Warga tackles a new genre with her signature blend of empathy for her readers, agency for her characters, and the belief that art is the great connector.
Education
Even if it's not your thing, you're probably familiar with the term dark academia.
A Do-Over Romance
Karin Patton, the first-place winner of the 24th Annual Writer's Digest Short Short Story Awards, shares a funny story about secondchance love and a brief Q&A.
Everyday Wonder
How to mine awe from the mundane
From Ordinary to Extraordinary
Unveil the hidden beauty in the facts and transform your nonfiction with the power of wonder.
Childhood: Our Touchstone for Wonder
How to get in touch with Little You and create big new work for today.
Agent Roundup
22 agents share details, about what kind of writing will pique their interest and offer tips for querying writers...
