The childless couple did not name her, first because she was a dog and second because they didn’t own her. Nameless was just a tolerated scavenger, a pitied-upon beggar, an overstaying visitor, but never an adopted pet. All the same,…
Category: Southeast Asia
Prince Charming
An-an leaned down and pointed the tongs at the croissants. “This one, sir?” she asked the customer on the other side of the glass shelf. “No,” the man in pink shirt said. “The bread on the left.” “This?” An-an asked,…
Going Home
Dr. Tan removed the stethoscope from his ears and let it hang around his neck. “Can I go home, Doc?” Indo asked in a wheezing voice, buttoning up his shirt. “Not yet, Nong Indo,” the young doctor said. “We have…
Monsoon Melodies
“Grand ma, grand ma,” Tina came rushing up the stairs, one stormy evening. Grandma, who stood in the dining hall, setting a table for two, glanced at her and asked gravely. “What is it dear?” “Our cow has just given…
The Wait
Nine days after her husband left for another woman, Elda, after discovering she was pregnant, became worried. She knelt crouching over the chamber pot that morning, retching air, and spewing spit, her stomach contracting as though her innards were being…
SwaPPed
As Gautam walked through the security gate into the confines of the tech park, the only thing that was troubling him was the phone call that he received from his co worker previous night. There was seemingly a bug in…
‘Karen Love Song of Wha Pwo’ by George Diaz Evashuk (Canada)
While on an off-road trek in Karen hill tribe lands on Doi Inthanon in Thailand’s northern Chiang Mai province, I came across a remarkable young poet. After five hours of traversing difficult terrain during the rainy season with my guide,…
‘The Bad Spirit’ by Jude Ortega (The Philippines)
In the hinterlands of Cotabato region, among the Manobo people, roams a spirit called fegelilong. It is one of the most feared and despised spirits, for it makes fun of the human heart and kills mostly young men. The fegelilong…
‘Rats and Cats’ by Timothy Nakayama (Malaysia)
Short story selected for the 2013 New Asian Writing Short Story Anthology They say that if you find yourself in the slums of downtown Kuala Lumpur and if you hear the wind playing a haunting dirge on a starlit night,…
‘Museum for the Macabre’ by George Diaz Evashuk (Canada)
BANGKOK — The Kingdom’s most notorious serial killer used to cook and eat the organs of his victims, mostly children. I was on my way to have a look at him. He was in the Museum of Forensic Science which…
‘Dreams for Rita’ by Julia Tan (Malaysia)
Penang, Malaysia 1997 It was late afternoon, and Rita was in the kitchen. She was sweating through her sleeveless green blouse, which created dark patches on her chest and underarms. She wasn’t bothered – the humidity was nothing to her.…
‘Meat Market’ by Josephine Crimp (UK)
Blue eyes I’m walking along the chaotic road after my visit to a temple, feeling as if I’ve really played a part in Thai culture. So many Westerners in Bangkok, they only come here for – you know. You walk…