On a Sunday morning, as the first rays of sun bathed the church in golden light, an unexpected visitor made its appearance. Ignoring Father Gabriel, who tried to prevent him from entering the church and insisting on attending mass in a fixed place, this dog intrigued everyone in the parish. But what no one could imagine was what the presence of that furry creature would mean for this community. In a small town rooted in traditions and community, the Church of St. Francis stood as a beacon of faith and hope. Father Gabriel, known for his kindness and unwavering dedication,…
Author: town gist
A child walks up to her mother to give her a hug and say farewell, but she finds something strange and decides to interrupt the funeral. Little Katie’s life was full of joy until she was 9 years old. She lived with her mother and her stepfather, both of whom showered her with a great deal of love. She had received an enormous sum of money as an inheritance from her father. Nevertheless, everything came crashing down when she unexpectedly lost her mother. While she was at the funeral, she saw something that made her scream, causing the funeral to…
When this black girl opened her door to Deckard, a police officer, he cried so hard when he realized why she was staying there. Officer Deckard was heading home after a strenuous patrol shift. He had just taken a turn when he spotted a young black girl walking through a deserted path. She looked nervous and frightened. His instincts kicked into high gear. He immediately stepped on the brake pedal, keeping his eyes on her. He knew that particular street very well. Like many cops, it was well known for housing hoodlums and criminals. Deckard wondered what a girl her…
I visited my parents on Christmas Day. The plan was to stay for a day or two and then return to the city for more Christmas celebrations. This was in the early 90s, and even adults like me looked forward to Christmas. I came home and saw Adelaide. The first time I saw her, something inside me stirred. It felt like my ribs were saying, “This is what was missing. Take action.”I stayed up all night thinking about Adelaide and how to win her over. My ribs had spoken, and I believed in their message. The next day, I sat…
Tracy returned from the parent meeting, her emotions in turmoil. It was a chilly autumn evening, the drizzle adding to the cold discomfort she felt, though the chill inside her was even more pronounced. The issue wasn’t just her 13-year-old daughter, Celeste, struggling with math; that was a concern, but one she believed could be resolved. What bothered her more was when Celeste’s teacher, Mrs. Bell, suggested organizing an event for Grandmother’s Day. Tracy’s heart sank at the thought.All the parents eagerly embraced the idea of celebrating their grandmothers; some had one grandmother, others two. Tracy, however, remained silent. She…
A rich black man named David helped a blind old man in an airport. David had no idea who the old black man was, and what happened afterward left him in great shock. The situation at the airport was noisy and disorienting, especially for first-time travelers, but not for someone like David. As the state general manager of one of the biggest law firms in the country, he was accustomed to frequent air travel for numerous business meetings and conferences. That particular day, David was on his way to the National Association of Lawyers’ annual conference in another state capital.…
Andee and Grace’s struggles with intimacy after marriage are disheartening. I too chose to wait until marriage, not just for a future partner, but because of my faith in God. I promised to respect Him with my body, and despite temptations, I remained focused on pleasing Him. While on this journey, I worried that I might not find a partner who was also honoring God with their body. I was afraid that I would end up marrying someone who had experience and might be unhappy with my lack of it, especially if they compared me to their past partners. But…
Sometimes in life, there are such moments when complete despair sets in. You do not know what to do; you have to proceed. Such a period came in Sandra’s life at the end of the Fall. Her mother became seriously ill, and the girl stayed at her mother’s bedside for days and nights, caring for her as well as she could. Treatments required a large sum of money, and though her father was a military man, his salary was still insufficient for food and medicine. The medical expenses were such that the family could barely survive. But no one ever…
I’m a man in my 40s living in Seoul. When I was young, I couldn’t even date because all I did was work. My parents died early, and I had to raise my little sister. I think I only worked throughout my 20s as my younger sister studied hard and entered a good university. I felt my hard work paid off when she reached legal age. However, her nagging increased for me to date girls. “You had sacrificed for me so long, it’s time you meet a nice girl and settle down. Don’t worry about me anymore.”Of course, I also…
The neighbors were making loud noises all night again. Peter knocked a couple of times to no avail. It seemed that they only intensified even more. The woman who owned the apartment was laughing, a male voice muttered, and then there was more music. Peter barely got out of bed through his robot shuffling, naughty feet. He went out on the landing and rang the doorbell next door.“What do you want, old man?” a young woman with colorful makeup looked out the ajar door.“Linda, it’s two in the morning,” said Peter tiredly. “I can’t fall asleep, you’re so noisy.”“He can’t…