Story Therapy

As I sat stranded at the crack of dawn with a flat tyre, I couldn’t help but ponder the snowball effect of one issue, leading to several more. Story: S A Spencer Photo by  Robina Weermeijer Only one problem. There is a chance that my car’s tyre is flat. I quickly pull over to the side of the road and hop off. The nearest light post is playing hard to get and won’t turn on for me. The bulb is dead. When I light the mobile torch, I realise the problem count is not just one, but two. My half-asleep brain is slightly coming to sense. Yes, you are right. There is a second problem. My phone battery is actually dying. “No worries,” a assure myself, “I can manage to fix the tyre and get moving.” McDonalds should be only about a five minutes’ drive away. I feel the pit in my stomach. Urgency kicks in. I crouch and check that the rear right tyre looks different from the rest. I was right. It is flat. And need to be fixed before I can head to McDonalds. Oh, my god. I am really famishing.

 After months of wandering the streets, can this stray cat finally find a permanent and loving home? Story: S A Spencer Photo by   Akira   “What happened to her? Since last few days she is not coming to meet us.” Leena asks me while we are halfway through our evening walk. We’ve treaded the same route for almost ten years now, and it has become second nature. Most probably, she was not even born.           “Sounding like she is your second daughter!” I chortle.           Leena replies with a mild giggle. “Then you are also her father.”           “Maybe she is just a stray cat.” I reason to convince her, but my eyes circle around in case she would be hiding next to a parked car. Initially, we had thought she belonged to somebody. Possibly to the owner of the house in front of which we met her for the first time a few months ago. Whenever we passed through the house, she would be there to greet us, week after week.           “Mew”. The sound still rings inside my ears. She would

Meeting in person for the first time since they started working remotely, the two colleagues reminisced about the girl whose singing still echoed in their minds.   Story: S A Spencer Photo by  Elizeu Dias   “I am missing so many things I was enjoying near Townhall station. The coffee shop near my office, that Thai restaurant, what’s the name? Oh, yes, Chilli Box Thai Noodles, and that girl who regularly sings on the way to the station.”           “Come on Belinda, I understand about that coffee shop. You visited them almost twice daily on office days. Thai food joint, yes. That was my favourite too. But the girl who sings near Woolworths? No. I was with you most of the days. Did you ever spend a minute to listen to her melodies?”           After five months of adhering to strict Covid guidelines, Leena and I finally let loose with a fit of laughter. The free air around us tingles each of our nerves. Yes, the free air, which we probably never valued before Covid changed the lives of the

Can a man join in the festivities at a baby shower, or is it a strictly female-only event? A side-splitting story that actually happened. Story: S A Spencer Photo by  Tai’s Captures A chill runs down my spine as I arrive at the venue for my colleague’s wife’s baby shower. I was never so much jumpy even when I came to appear at the interview for the company I am employed now. I am flooded with a flashback of the interview. I had stated I am a person who can cultivate amicable relationships with others and can connect quickly. I believe this was one of my strengths that landed me in this temporary to permanent job. Temp to perm! That means I need to prove my performance from day one. Thar day has arrived. One of the guys I spoke to on Zoom for my interview is now hosting the baby shower. When he circulated the invitation to all the staff through the office WhatsApp group, I was the first one to RSVP. I should have realised that the invitation was open to everyone, and likely only f

When her owner caused her untold suffering, a goddess descended and offered the dog a new name and a fresh start. Story: S A Spencer Photo by Charles C. Collingwood   She hadn’t expected to drift off for so long and was surprised to feel the stiffness in her body. Instead of plush carpet, the floor was made of hardwood. There was no separate bed for her. But she was so exhausted even the uneven floor didn’t intervene in a long sleep.                “How are you, sis?”                She gave her a long, hard look. The smell of the native breed of dog was familiar to her. She had seen them sleeping on the side of the road. Fighting with other dogs to get a share of food thrown into the garbage bins. A glimpse of hope arose inside her–someone was kind to provide a home for some stray dogs.                The shelter had a few other dogs too. They were keenly watching her from a distance.                She tried to get up and sit, but whimpered, pain in her buttocks was beyond wo

  When her daughter slips into retardation after an accident, and the husband leaves her for another woman, a fairy comes into her life.  Story: S A Spencer Photo by Cosmic Timetraveler  “Mum, have you seen any fairy?” the three-year-old girl asks her mother, who is sitting to my side on the Sydney local train. The train has stopped for an indefinite period because of an accident somewhere ahead of us.                Passengers on the train begin chatting with their unknown co-passengers. Some like me keep the head buried in books.                “They are only in movies and books.” The mother answers the girl with a smile and continues surfing her tablet. The child also has an iPad with her. She is watching a cartoon.                “I have seen a fairy.” I say, looking sideways at her.                “Pardon?” the mother whips her head at me.                I have eavesdropped. Guilt rolls through me, but only for a moment. “I said, a fairy is my friend.”                “