Josephine Andersen

“About Turn” by Josephine Andersen

Submitted to Contest #72

About-turn There were many things Sara was afraid of, things of which she knew, she should not be afraid. She was afraid of spiders, afraid of frogs, afraid of insects with antennae. She could handle all these fears, as long as the things she feared, remained outside of her space. She was also afraid of Joshua!  He was very often in her space because they were neighbours and their parents were friendly. They were neighbours in town and neighbours on the coast where they had holiday cottages. Joshua and Sara attended the same school....

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“A Sweet Tooth” by Josephine Andersen

Submitted to Contest #71

A Sweet Tooth“Now I know why people hate me!”“Why do people hate you, Cathy?”“Because I don’t have a sweet tooth and I like savoury food.”“So what has sweet and savoury food got to do with hate, for goodness sake?”“If you eat sweet food like you do, Maria, you have a sweet disposition, and then people love you. If you eat savoury/ spicy food like me, you are: judgemental, manipulative, unhelpful, insensitive, anti-social and bordering on the psychopathic, the list grows.”“Where did you find all that out, about your qualities?”“On t...

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“Throw the Dice” by Josephine Andersen

Submitted to Contest #70

Throw the diceThe phone rang in her office, the early morning sun was just beginning to filter through the blinds, still drawn, from the night before.“Hello, Amanda speaking. What? I’ll be along right away.”Seated around the table were the Director Joe Dobson, the Chief Accountant Alan Kramer and the Secretary Mike Davies.“Please be seated.”Amanda looked at the serious faces in front of her. She waited.“It has come to our attention that R900 000 is missing from the accounts department . Your signature is on the documents. What have...

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“"-and he made the children laugh"” by Josephine Andersen

Submitted to Contest #69

“-and he made the children laugh” “Oh no! Luca is due home on Saturday. He will create pandemonium again. It has been peaceful to have him away for a year.” “Maybe he has calmed down Dad,” said Hannah. “We can only hope so. What was the worst thing he did, last summer?” “There were so many ‘worst things,’  but I remember when he made a sculpture on his bed, covered it with a white sheet  and left it on his bed. We all thought he had died in the night,” replied  Diana. “ He said he was going to fix the car in the...

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“Playing Darts” by Josephine Andersen

Submitted to Contest #68

Playing DartsTwenty four years would pass before she would see the place again and see it unchanged but now Lucy came out of the tunnel and swung the van around on to the gravel road leading down to the river. It was the last week of work on the bridge and they were going to celebrate. It had been a long, difficult year, driving sixty two kilometres to work and back home every day, taking up two hours in travelling time. It was a nice drive, though and once through the tunnel you got sight of the river with its clear water, rippling and...

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“Murder she Thought” by Josephine Andersen

Submitted to Contest #67

Murder she Thought Jane had come to the Beach Cottage after being diagnosed by her Doctor, Donald Harris an old family friend, as being on the verge of a nervous breakdown. “I think it advisable that you spend a week or two on the North Coast with my cousin Wendy. She runs a B and B and not only is she a qualified nurse but a very good hostess as well. She often has weeks set aside for people who need to recuperate from some kind of trauma.” “Oh, but I don’t have enough money to go away on a holiday. I will have to wait until I ha...

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“"The Dainties that are bred in a Book"” by Josephine Andersen

Submitted to Contest #66

“The Dainties that are bred in a Book” Caro looked at her watch, she had twenty minutes to get to her meeting in town and would have to hurry. She had a reputation for being on time. Her crisp white blouse and figure hugging trousers added to her air of efficiency. She was proud of the way she had climbed to the top in the engineering firm where she had worked since graduating. Her shoulder length hair and fine features, added to her image that she strived for, one of achievement and beauty. Caro expected the same kind of dedication...

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“One who Knows” by Josephine Andersen

Submitted to Contest #65

One who Knows I had known from a young age that I was a witch. It was not something I had worked on. It just popped up one day and took me by surprise. Of course I had read stories about witches but did not believe in them with their cackling laughter and weird clothes, as depicted in the story books! The power revealed itself to me when I had coveted my best friend’s doll, the one with the flowing golden locks, that you could comb and brush up into different hairstyles. Sylvia kicked up a tremendous fuss when her mother said she had t...

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“The House with the Green Door” by Josephine Andersen

Submitted to Contest #64

The House with the Green Door It was Sunday again, and 5 o’clock. The gate swung open and two men walked up the path. The tall one knocked three times on the green door. The door opened a crack. “Who is it?” “Rudolf sent us.” The door opened wide enough to let them in. Half an hour later the door opened again and the two men walked down the path in the dusk, to a waiting car. This time they were not empty handed. They each carried a bag over their shoulders. It was time for supper inside the house. The mother served a dish o...

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“Apple Picking” by Josephine Andersen

Submitted to Contest #63

Apple Picking Annie picked up the phone, “Hello! Annie here.” “Hi there!” It was Ivan’s voice, which in spite of everything, sent a tingle down her spine. “Would you like to go apple picking? It is good weather for a run along the coast and it should only take an hour to get there. We can stop half way somewhere, for a picnic tea. I have a hamper from Farthings which should fill a gap.” He had chosen the one thing above all, that would entice her to accept the invitation. “Alright ,” said Annie, “but expect to carry on with the arg...

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“The Planning Process” by Josephine Andersen

Submitted to Contest #62

The Planning Process “If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will get you there.” (Lewis Carroll) But Elizabeth knew where she was going, or at least where she wanted to go. She had known immediately, after the first week with the company, that this was her destiny. She was not totally stupid. After all she had received a Masters degree in Management Consulting hadn’t she?  She realized that Troy was just a human being. A male human being at that, a male of the human species, with two arms , two legs , a head and all the thi...

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“Rag Dolls” by Josephine Andersen

Submitted to Contest #61

Rag Dolls There were whispered conversations about the flight plans.  The parents hurriedly put some of their belongings in packing cases. The question was,  what to take for the children. Emily and Celia‘s mother Frances, talked softly to Angel, Celia’s governess, about what to pack for the girls. “I think we have to take their rag dolls and I have an idea about how to doctor them up, (pas devant les enfants).  Angel can you help me there is not much time” Emily and her older sister Celia cried when they were told they coul...

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“What is the Music on your Desk Top? Enigma.” by Josephine Andersen

What is the music on your desk top? : Enigma The music on my desktop is enigmatic. It comes from Enigma Variations. It is called Nimrod. Every time I hear Nimrod I am transported to another world.  A world of fantasy and foolishness, a world of romance, a world of longing, a world of gentleness and  a world of love. Nimrod is another name for “idiot,” Nimrod is mentioned in the bible, Genesis 10:8-9. Nimrod has connotations of self adulation, rules of tyranny, rules of hunting. Cush was the father of Nimrod. Now, there is no w...

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“There was no Water” by Josephine Andersen

Submitted to Contest #59

There Was no Water There was no water in the rivers, there was no water in the dams, there was no water for the gardens , no water for the animals, no water for the Dusi marathon 2017. But still the entries kept coming in. There were more than 600 entries and still counting.  The news had been visible on Face Book. There were rules for low water in the river called ‘Low level rules’. Day One and Day Two of the marathon should be made good, with water let out up  river from the Henley Dam. It was Day Three that would be the&nb...

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“High off the ground” by Josephine Andersen

Submitted to Contest #58

High off the Ground The sun burned on to the back of her neck. Lisa sat on the passenger seat of the bakkie looking out on to the river. There was not another soul in sight but she knew that up on the mountains there were troops of baboons. Some of them might come lumbering down the escarpment to look for food. It was the humans’ fault for feeding them against regulations. Now when they saw a human it was an invitation to dinner, on bananas or bread or whatever  else there was in their back packs. Lisa was not going to get out o...

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