this is nonfiction. – My strongest memory of loss goes like this: I, a young boy, fresh-faced (having recently turned thirteen), am in the school dormitory, drinking a cup of black tea with bread at break time when one of my classmates comes running into the dorm, completely out of breath. After regaining his composure,…
All posts by Solomon King
quietude
Note entry: 16th September 2023: quietude. It takes a while for the noise to die down. for the stillness to begin to seep through, and for the echoes in these echo chambers to quieten. — For almost a decade now, I’ve made it a habit to step away from the noise of social media. Some…
Hello Phrḗn / 1
The little voice in my head told me to start from the beginning, because, it said, this story was for you, not for me. I didn’t quite care. This is my story. “They don’t know where or when the beginning is”, the Voice insisted, “they don’t know you at all.” And I get it, I…
The Ian State – A (Short) Fiction Story
I’m sitting at a nice little cafe somewhere in the center of the town. It’s a small, quaint little town; one of those touristy places that has foreigners walking around in dirty sandals, feet dusty and unwashed, wearing “African print” that can only be the work of some bored Chinese screen-printer who downloads random stuff…
For Nev
I’m stuck at Monday, 5th of February 2018. We were at Cafe Pap, Parliament Avenue, a few meters away from what used to be Mateos. It was like the beginning and the end were fated to be right next to each other. We met for the first time at Mateos – if my memory serves…
Homecoming – A Short (fiction) Story
I laid my father to rest today. It wasn’t a big deal. I mean, it was. My father had died, so, obviously, it was a big deal. For me at least. But for the rest of the world, it wasn’t. He was just another village drunk, so his death — and funeral — barely made the village news. Of…
“Raw”: An Excerpt from Elijah’s Diary.
Elijah’s Diary. Entry Title “Raw.” Time: Undated. There’s a soft, pale moon glowing outside. It’s not quite the full moon we loved so much, but it’s almost the end of the month, so maybe the full moon will come soon enough. I hope. I miss rambling. We used to call it that; those moments when…
Henry & Ali. 19th Nov. 2016
Saturday, 12th November, 4:06 AM. Undisclosed Location “Henry. Dude. Shit. You know… if this had gone any other way, we’d both be dead… right?” Henry looked over at Ali, who was hunched over, hands resting on his knees, breathing in quick, urgent breaths, trying desperately to calm down, while also needing to get the words out. It…
Zachary. 19th Oct 2016.
1:13 PM. Naguru {Hello darkness my old friend, I’ve come to talk with you again.} Zachary smiled and started humming along. The music was fitting, the sombre lyrics drifting through his mind with the evanescent familiarity of a song that’s been listened to a thousand times. He gripped the note tightly in his hand, the soft crunch of…
Edith’s Redemption
[Fiction. Undated. Written ages ago, for a friend going through some stuff.] The sandals are beautifully embroidered, with little gemstones laced into the straps, held together by delicate silken threads, almost invisible. They shimmer in the bright sunlight, blindingly reflecting the the world around them in a kaleidoscopic rush of sun, sand and sea. She unlaces them,…