Envelope   I'm but a simple sheet of paper, folded and fashioned into a paper holder or cover for documents, money, greetings, letters, etc.  I’m usually functional and plain and not someone who would attract a lot of attention. You’ll find stacks of me in stationery stores and in your homes. I also usually live quietly in drawers, cupboards, or shelves to be picked up and used.  As I mentioned earlier, I have been created from paper and come in varying sizes and shapes. Some of my siblings are fashioned to be pretty and fancy because they carry gifts. I feel important and good about myself because I am a means of human connection. I convey both good and bad news, letters of acceptance and rejection, messages of hope, promise, disappointment, and everyday matters.  I get sealed, stamped, and sent off—I’m quite the traveller too, journeying on ships, trains, and aeroplanes across land, air, and sea. My journeys are not glamorous. I travel in bags and p...

    I’m the uninvited guest, The one you didn’t expect Or met.  I’m the slump in your shoulder, The quiet ache in your heart, The frown on your face. Its success You wish were on your plate.   I come from expectations that didn’t materialize. You hope the promotion at work is yours; you study hard, but your results are not what you expected, or your travel plans are cancelled, or life just doesn't go your way.  Then I slip in, and your happy face is gone. I may linger, but I’ll gradually disappear as you decide not to wallow in me but to pull up your socks and get on with your life. I'm not happy to hurt you. I simply reflect your hopes and dreams.  Try to see me differently—God never promised us a rose garden. Disappointments and change are an unavoidable part of life. Therefore, treat me as a teacher. Yes, I am the teacher you never wanted, but through experiencing me, you learn patience, you learn never to give up, and to alway...

  Bookmark.     "Hello! Are you going somewhere? I'm sorry, you cannot continue to read.  Don’t you want to mark the page so that when you return, you can pick up where you left off and not waste your precious time searching for it? Use me, I say." Yes, me, your bookmark. Let me tell you something about myself. I come from humble beginnings. I’m not made in some large factory, but more often, I’m crafted from a scrap of paper, a strip of card, or a piece of ribbon. Sometimes, I’m homemade, all fancy and pretty, sporting tassels, and often I’m just a bus or train ticket or a receipt. Today, you may find me in a new avatar, namely a ‘ magnetic bookmark. ’ As a magnetic bookmark, I’m small and foldable, fitted with an inside magnet that clips to a page, preventing me from slipping out. As a bookmark, magnetic or otherwise, I find myself stuck in a novel, a cookbook, a textbook, or a manual. I’ve travelled with you across lands and oceans; I’ve seen yo...

My name is Allwyn Prestcold.I am milky white in colour, and my name is boldly emblazoned across my chest. I was bought by a newlywed couple almost 60 years ago. A year into their marriage, the couple became the proud parents of a baby girl whom they named Marietta. I was always filled with goodies and food. The couple took good care of me. My door was never left open for long, and it was never, never banged shut. They treated me with the utmost care and gentleness. I defrosted and cleaned regularly. Marietta was, of course, forbidden from opening me. I lived in Mumbai for about 2 years, and then Marietta's father was transferred to Jamshedpur. They took me along. I, of course, was transported by truck together with their other belongings, but praise the Lord, I arrived in one piece. I spent 22 unbearably long summers in Jamshedpur, cooling food and drink and preventing it from spoiling. Fridge water and ice were a staple during the summer. Marietta's mother, Marie, was an ex...