When Iron Turns To Rust @ the Caff

When Iron Turns To Rust - first published in Northwords Now #22.

Written in Greece.
Published in Scotland.
Now being read in Greece.

Many thanks to everyone at Northwords Now. When Iron Turns To Rust is the penultimate story in my new collection, A Man's Hands, which is available for download at all Amazon domains.

A short extract from the story:

Trying to boil water in a small, long-handled pot. The flame was tiny, sputtering. There was hardly any gas left in the canister. The water had to be boiled, and boiled well. It was orange, the colour of old iron. He tried to tell himself it was nothing bad. There is nothing harmful about iron. It is supposed to be good for the blood. Maybe it would make a man of him. But he was careful. You never knew. Germs. It is never wise to give them a head start.

   The flame wheezed. He would have to risk it. He added a teaspoon of coffee and stirred vigorously. Perhaps friction would speed things along.

   Someone was at the door.

   He wiped the spoon on his vest.

   A woman was standing out in the passageway. She looked vaguely familiar. The expression she wore was tearful, apologetic. A suitcase was at her side. He became aware of his heart beating as vague familiarity welled up into something else.

   ‘You can’t be fucking serious,’ he said.