The days are endless as you prepare to house the children who never call home and host the cousin you don’t like, since she stole your prized diamond stud. But you do it with a smile, because it’s Christmas. Everything has to be perfect. The nights stretch on as you string the tangled lights, decorate ...

Calm smoothed over the landscape as quickly as the turbulent weather erupted. I perched on my grandmother’s bedroom window and watched the sun’s rays battle the clouds for dominance. As it strained to break through, I struggled against the feeling of my lungs closing up. The fresh, earthy smell of Gran’s backyard after the recent ...

Shashi has been an inpatient at the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences for the last several months. Her mom, my paternal aunt, is her caretaker. Auntie stays with her day and night at the hospital, sleeping in a chair. She faces immense coercion from the staff to leave with her child, but she refuses to ...

A slow trickle of information, spanning years, helps me become more familiar with Pal Bhapaji and his household. The partition of India and Pakistan, displace the family. They lose their home and belongings, and arrive in Delhi as refugees. All of them, including Pal’s parents, wife Leela, and his sisters, Harsh and Santosh, comprise the ...

It’s the early fifties, and the city of Delhi is expanding outside its boundaries. It is advisable to return from distant sightseeing trips or visits before sundown. Despite this expansion over the past 500 years, the iconic Qutab Minar (tower) stands several miles away from city limits. New townships are sprouting far away from the ...

Years had collected into decades before Zach and Gina returned to their parents’ unfinished basement. The constant smell of mildew had kept them away during countless visits home. Once a refuge for friends, it now served as a time capsule. A chocolate-colored shag rug segmented the area as a rec room. Two ancient, faded plaid ...

It’s the day after Thanksgiving. The dishes done, the leftovers put away, and the table is back to normal. The last week I busied myself with cooking recipes that only get made once a year and writing in NaNoWriMo. I surprised myself by keeping to a writing schedule—something I haven’t done in a long while. ...

They say the dog days of summer tend to be in August. Unlike our neighbors in the western part of the United States, our summer here in Pennsylvania has been very mild. When I say “mild”, I’m talking about some nights getting down in the 40s where I live. Most nights have been in the ...

Read past chapters here Growing up on the streets of Brooklyn will always hold fond memories for Ramon. His parents immigrated from Puerto Rico looking for streets paved with gold. His dad told the story so well.  “Son, be careful when you pray to God.” The senior Rodriquez would tell him as he leaned into ...