Curiosity by Saifun Hassam

She remembered that glorious day so well.

Running headlong with the wind along Great Bay’s sandy shores. Stopping abruptly where an abandoned kite lay, the incoming tide tugging at its string.

“Come, come into the ocean” the waves beckoned.

She picked up the kite and ran with it. The wind caught at it! Curious. Would it lift her into the sky too?

She kicked up sand. How many grains of sand on the shores? in her hand? A gazillion.

At night: how many stars? A gazillion.

A dream to explore the stars lightyears away in a sail spaceship.

🥕🥕🥕

Waking Adventure by Ann Edall-Robson

Eyes smile

Welcoming the early ​

morning glow of colour

What escapades

will this day bring

Baileys splashed

in morning coffee

Feet tucked under

reading books

A charcuterie platter

offering treats

Perhaps a wander

Snippets of this and that

to directions unknown

Or a calming glide

on the water

Dip, paddle, silence

Nature’s fingers caress

Is it the gravel roads

enticing the soul

The glory of life

erupting at each

hill crested

Yet the land with

minuscule life welcomes

The scent of sunshine

through the trees

The wonders of life

giving and forgiving

Morsels of celebration

for each waking

adventure

🥕🥕🥕

Birthday Celebrations by Ruchira Khanna

“Did you hear me, Joe?” Patty inquired.

“Yes! I got it. I have to be home on time,” said Joe irritably as he walked out the door.

“I bet he’ll be late, and there goes all my preparation for his birthday party,” Patty whispered to herself as she pulled out the many bowls she had hidden in the oven, away from Joe’s sight. “Oh! I know, how about I move the party to his workplace. That way, I won’t have to fret over him coming on time,” she said with a wide grin and was quick to text all.

🥕🥕🥕

Right Place, Right Time by M J Mallon

The right place at the right time, at ninety-one, that’s a feat. My dad’s ninety-two today. At his birthday celebration last year he astonished us all by serenading the pretty waitress in Russian! Dad’s a Scotsman with one known fear: the snow! He’s always preferred sunny climates. It’s no wonder that he escaped to Malaysia and married my mum, who’s from Kuching, a place that stole his heart too. He always has a tale to tell, or a song to sing and still dreads the snow! Bless him.

🥕🥕🥕

Something To Celebrate by Anita Dawes

Turning 75, something to celebrate, you think?

Not me.

The morning went slow,

dragging my mind further into darkness

Deciding on a fresh cup of coffee to pull myself together,

walk around the Friday market.

I notice a face, my best friend, a sister I should have had.

We lost touch twenty years ago.

Thoughts rush my mind.

Why had we lost touch?

Would she want to speak to me?

Would we have anything to say after so long?

I need not have worried.

My 75th party went like a sixties disco,

With my best friend by my side…

🥕🥕🥕

The Fall Guy by Liz Husebye Hartmann

“I don’t understand what you want from me.” Trevor was mystified. Heather was leaving him. Again.

“That’s it!” she huffed, jaw clenched. “I just can’t trust you’ll be there when I need you.”

“It wasn’t my fault that you drank too much at the party!”

“You should’ve been there to stop me.” A tear slid down as she walked away.

Trevor flipped his hand, palm up, in a bent elbow gesture. “Why did you keep accepting Kevin’s drinks?”

“Because HE was there!”

Just then, a baby bird dropped into his palm and peered up at him, annoyed but grateful.

🥕🥕🥕

The Harsh Truth by Sue Spitulnik

Over coffee, Lexi said, “Mom, I never thought I’d say this, but I’m glad you left Dad. You’re happy now. Would you mind sharing what gave you the guts to make the move?”

Tessa looked away, remembering, then smiled at her oldest daughter. “I overheard a conversation between the wives of your father’s higher-ups. One wondered to the other if I knew your father’s continual unaccompanied tours were by request. I was shocked at first then soon decided I had been at the right place at the right time to learn the truth.”

“That’s harsh.”

“It was, but beneficial.”

🥕🥕🥕

A Serendipitous Discovery by Nicole Horlings

“Where ends the street, there shall we meet,” the slip of paper stated.

Jack chuckled, paused his exploration of the old mansion, and followed the road out of town, strolling along until it finally ended at the edge of the forest. A fairy flew down from a tree. “You found my note.”

“You can predict where I’ll go to explore next too well,” he grinned.

“Is that a problem?” she flirted, fluttering her lashes.

“No,” he laughed, then kissed her. “Your little game is fine. I’m glad I met you while exploring the forest,” he sighed, hugging her close.

🥕🥕🥕

Lockdown Literary Launch by Anne Goodwin

The kids needed the laptop for their schoolwork. I needed it to practice addressing the camera instead of the screen. I’d neglected them, constantly checking the joining link and time zones. Learning my lines. But they were good kids, they’d forgive me. They’d have my attention once the book was launched. “Good evening, and welcome!” On Zoom, no-one would see me wipe my sweaty palms on my jeans. Gaze fixed on the camera, I didn’t immediately notice the kids had taken revenge. Rubbish at tech, I couldn’t cancel the filter. I read out my poignant passages as a cat.

🥕🥕🥕

Pu-Chai by Colleen Chesebro

“How much is the black puppy?” I pointed to the fuzzy Pomeranian in the cage.

“That one? I’ll have to check. He’s been here for months.”

Dark, soulful eyes stared at me as if the pup understood the conversation.

“Pure black Pomeranians are rare. Is he papered?”

“Yup. Two champions in his line. Nobody wants him because he’s all black. You know, bad-luck.”

He nosed my hand through the cage.

“I’ll take him.”

“Looks like you are in the right place at the right time. He’s on sale, only $99.00.”

“Sold.”

In my arms, Pu-Chai found his new home.

🥕🥕🥕

We All Have A Purpose by Ritu Bhathal

Walking home, shoulders slumped, I wondered what my purpose was. No one really needed me. What use was I? Might as well just keep walking, until I walked off a cliff. No one would miss me.

A sound caught my ear. A whimper. I looked around. No one.

Another little yelp brought me closer to a box. The flap was open, and inside I found him. The runt of the litter, left, abandoned.

He looked up at me with those eyes, and it was in that moment I realised that I did have someone to live for, after all.

🥕🥕🥕

Not Cause for Celebration by Rebecca Glaessner

A metal ship crossed the perfect sector. Great Mind opened a path beside the ship as a youngling’s human host floated out. Great Mind pulled the host through and sealed the path. The ship drifted onward, oblivious.

“Ugh-” the host, a human female, stumbled beneath unexpected gravity. “We’re saved!” came a voice in her head. She stared at the alien structures, the creatures beyond.

“You are home,” began Great Mind, “we aren’t yet part of your second world. It’s not safe.”

“No-“

“When we supplant an Elder, you’ll be returned. For now, you are home.”

“This is not home.”

🥕🥕🥕

Right Place, Right Time by FloridaBorne

Atop the Ferris wheel, with no other riders, Marjorie felt free for a few minutes each day, compliments of her father, who owned this stately wonder. Father understood that each generation possessed a different gift. His charm attracted riders. In winter, when the park closed, Marjorie’s victims provided anything he asked. Her mother felt contentment inside their home, refusing to leave a vessel filled with her love. Today, Marjorie had walked among the crowd, implanting ideas and imparting suggestions into unsuspecting minds. Sherlock Holmes had appeared and she’d saved her family! Neither he nor his client remembered their investigation.

🥕🥕🥕

Just in Time! by Joanne Fisher

Jeremy’s car had broken down, so he walked to the creepy castle in the middle of a thunder storm for assistance. When he knocked on the door, it was answered by a creepy-looking old man who led him straight to his Master. While Jeremy explained to the Master about his car, everything suddenly went black and he collapsed onto the floor.

“That was fortunate. Talk about right place, right time!” the Master said as he looked down on his creation, now with Jeremy’s stretched face added. “Now Igor, let’s hook this up to the grid, and see what happens!”

🥕🥕🥕

No Mention by Simon

He wore it for the first time and looked in the mirror, he saw himself as his own mother wearing it. And something inevitable happened, his dad entered and saw his son standing in front of the mirror wearing his wife’s skirt. The rage in his eyes burned his son alive.

At the right time, his step mother entered and saved him, stating he was practising for the drama and helped him tie the skirt properly and placed a kiss on his cheek and said he looked pretty, Just like his mum.

He thanked her.

She said no mention.

🥕🥕🥕

A Million Dollar Question by Goldie

They stopped at the local bar on their evening walk around town.

“Wanna get a drink?” Scott asked.

“Sure,” Emily shrugged.

Inside, a live band played and patrons swayed to the beat. The music was loud, but the vocals decent and the songs classic.

“I said: ‘Hey! What’s going on?’” Scott belted out.

“Hmmm… but he only sings funny, made up lyrics,” Emily frowned.

When Linda Perry sat down next to the couple, everything changed. Scott now has a recording deal and Emily a new lover.

Which one of them was at the right place at the right time?

🥕🥕🥕

Cautiously Staged by JulesPaige

Convinced by prompting he

Chose kabuki to

Celebrate life – then he could hide in plain sight

Only a few close friends

Shared his deep secret

He loved to paint his face

And pretend to be

Heroines in plays to arouse audiences

He really had to

Act without costumes

Such was his lot not to

Incite the wrath that

Could befall any who were deemed different

At least in this year, this

Time of harsh judgements

🥕🥕🥕

Overboard by Donna Matthews

“Gonna be a nasty storm!” The captain declares.

Prophetically, it turns out. But he couldn’t know then. Could he?

Looking toward the horizon, I see the dark clouds gathering. The winds soon howl, and rain thrashes our fishing charter. Shaking below, I fear this will be the last of adventures. But hour by hour, the fearsome storm wears itself out and finally settles into a harmless drizzle. Coming up to deckside, I see the entire boat is taking on water! I grab a bucket and start scooping!

“Where is the captain??” my children shout behind me. “Overboard, my guess!”

🥕🥕🥕

A Fish Story by D. Avery

“Luckiest fishing day ever!”

“Hope! You and Cousin Bobby caught enough for a meal?”

He groaned when the children showed him their sleds loaded with pails of fresh perch along with the ice-fishing gear. “That’s a lot of perch to dress.”

“We found a hotspot, Daddy!”

Laughing, Hope’s mother headed back inside.

“Hey! Help skin.”

“After some phone calls.”

Throughout the afternoon people started dropping by, some chatting while peeling perch out of their scaly skins, some cooking fish over an outside fire. Fish stories old and new were told.

Hope beamed.

“This is the best perch dinner ever!”

🥕🥕🥕

Right Place, Right Time by Di @ pensitivity101

Right place, right time, right nurse, and a casual mention that I qualified for three months free membership with a slimming group.

I signed up, and within a few months had lost almost 3 stones in weight.

Something had been lurking under the flab, and if I hadn’t lost weight, we wouldn’t have found the lump.

Discovered early, it was analyzed and found to be treatable and curable.

Radiotherapy followed, and all was good until 2019.

Not quite so lucky this time, and a mastectomy was needed.

But, again, it was discovered, analyzed, dealt with.

And I’m still here.

🥕🥕🥕

Stargardts by Willow Willers

Norma knew her sight was failing ever since she was ten. But what really worried her was, had she passed this fate on to her daughter?

The day had arrived when they would get the test results. They’d been at the hospital two hours waiting. Finally they were called in. The doctor smiled at them both and without any preamble told them the Stargardts had been passed on.

Outside Jenny hugged Nora. “Mum you can help me through this. I have seen you cope, you have taught me so much already.”

They basked in the warmth of the sun.

🥕🥕🥕

Dominic to the Rescue by Annette Rochelle Aben

Annette loved her job at the Ambassador Bridge. Hers was a glorified secretarial position processing Import and Export paperwork for U.S. Customs. And the friendships formed with people from all walks of life were the best part.

As she did several times a day, Annette walked along the bridge plaza to the Customs dock office. Suddenly, she felt the ground give way under her feet. She screamed for help, and a nearby truck driver grabbed her and pulled her to safety.

It seems she had stepped on a loose manhole cover and that quick-thinking driver actually saved her life!

🥕🥕🥕

European Summer Bill Engleson

In 1963, along with 300 young Canadians, I was in Paris just before Bastille Day.

By July 14th, we had convoyed by Bus to Switzerland.

However, though only sixteen at the time, I immersed myself in the sounds and smells of Paris, acquainted my then lanky and totally unsophisticated self with baguettes, wine, strong coffee, and, to my shame, behaviour so Trump-like that I was tossed out of the Paris Opera.

Our chaperons, including my Art Teacher who ran the trip as a side business, threatened me with repatriation to Canada.

They relented.

I stayed.

Right decision!

Great summer!

🥕🥕🥕

Jack Shift

“Kid? Yer lookin’ a might discombobulated.”

“Kinda am Pal. Shorty’s cloistered away at Headquarters, schedule’s been shifty, guest hosts at the saloon, an’ a outta season Rodeo? How kin I know I’m in the right place, right time?”

“Thinkin’ we all jist end up where we’re at, when we need ta be there. Doin’ whut we do.”
“Reckon… uh, what is it we do?”

“Well, Colleen’s got the Saloon ever’ third Monday, hear tell Chel’s gonna guest host ever’ first Monday, an’ the Sue Vincent Rodeo’s wrappin’ up, winners’ll be ‘nounced March 22.”

“Yep. Agin, we do…?”

“Shush Kid.”

🥕🥕🥕