Competition Twenty Shortlisted: The Box of Tears by Richard Hughes

Out of the corner of my eye I catch sight of the box of tears lurking behind a Boston fern, its pastel petal design replaced this week by ‘man-size’ tartan blue.

The box of tears inches towards me, its strong, crisp, white tissue thrusting through a perforated edge, taunting me. I look away, refusing to engage with its pomposity.

The warmth of my chair is a reminder that the woman I pass on the pavement every week was sitting in this very spot just minutes ago, yanking and grabbing at the box of tears whilst rivulets of muddy mascara pooled on her cheeks. All that is left is her fury which crackles around the cornicing, fizzing through the dust mites. I imagine an irresponsible sister – what, 46? – who is still being bailed out by their elderly parents. This sister offers to babysit, then hides bottles of Pinot under the kitchen sink before driving home. The kids love her though.

For the past few weeks, the box of tears has been redundant, its flourish flattened. Amazing what a weekend at Center Parcs and undisturbed morning sex can do for you. Or maybe all that talk of boundaries, vulnerability, and breaking down to break through was making a difference at last.

Of course, we have been here before. One time, my hand rested on a damp tissue which muddy mascara woman had stuffed down behind a cushion, a poo bag of shame she wanted someone else to pick up. I sat resenting her for an hour, guilty for hoping something bad would befall her kids as her sister cracked open the screw top.

Enough of other people’s tears. I look down at my hands that twist around crumpled toilet paper. Where do I begin today?

Richard Hughes is new to flash fiction and short stories. He has been published on Free Flash Fiction and the 2023 Anthology from Michael Terence Publishing. This year he intends to write for twenty minutes a day and finally get round to reading Crime and Punishment.

Photo courtesy of Richard Hughes

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