A lighthouse with a white tower and red-roofed building sits atop a dark rocky cliff against a purple twilight sky. A bright yellow beam of light extends from the lighthouse across the scene.

Ship Ahoy!

Mossel Bay shelters from the sea on the south coast of South Africa. The seaside of the land spear takes the brunt of the turbulent and unpredictable waters over the edge of the continental shelf, called the Agulhas Bank.

A line drawing illustration showing a queue of people walking in single file, with colorful accents including pink, yellow, and red highlights on some figures. An airplane is visible in the upper right corner of the image

Feet of Clay

The pitch of the engine noise rose to a crescendo as the plane went into a dive, roaring over the hospital, sending dental syringes clattering on the steel tray.

Two wooden crosses stand in a field of colorful wildflowers, including white daisies, orange and pink blooms, with green grass and foliage in the background.

Death & Dying

My initial idea was to hold back on this story until we got to know each other better. But then I thought, no, let’s get it over and done with. Death’s scary shadow lurking in the dark has caused enough chills in this place!

Illustration of a cow standing in profile, rendered in soft, earthy tones with visible fur texture and naturalistic details

Fake

The dust was glued to the skies and hung over the yards like bad news on a Sabbath. The vet was in a hurry to get back to his surgery, but the listless cattle were slow to move in the midday heat.

Sketch-style illustration of a baby in a red polka dot outfit and matching headband gently touching the face of an adult wearing glasses, creating a tender and intimate moment.

Frames and Silos

I bet you’ve felt boring and uninteresting at least a few times. Especially after looking in the mirror, right? And then some people seem to just stay on the merry-go-round, cruise around problems, find answers, invent solutions or talk infinitely about interesting things. This makes us feel even more incapable and boring. Well, at least, that is how I experience it.

Watercolor-style illustration of an elephant walking forward with its trunk hanging down. The image has a soft, muted color palette with subtle hints of grass around its feet.

Ubaba ('my father')

It’s just after midnight in the emergency department of the city hospital. The cleaner looks tired and frustrated. He kick-pushes the water bucket with his boot, dips the mop, and looks over his shoulder. The screaming and shouting have subsided a bit. He turns to clean up more of the vomit and blood on the floor.