What happened to Aloïs Delcon, my great-grandfather, on 10 September 1914, when German troops overran the Belgian village of Haacht?

As I grew up, my grandfather’s wartime stories became darker and more complex. One day he told me a story he had never even told his wife.

Little did I know at the time that his tale would continue to dog me with surprising insistence, and that moving to the other side of the world would bring me closer to my family’s history in an unforeseen way…

The coincidences didn’t end there. Stranger than fiction was a title I briefly considered for this short story. Stalked by history was another.

In the end I decided to stick with Fate and Asparagus. Its juxtaposition of the abstract and the concrete reflects the tension in the story between the broad canvass of history and the plight of the individual caught up in the turmoil. And those soft white stalks of white asparagus, kept in the dark, but growing towards the light. Trying to break out through the sandy soil, like a story yearning for the light of day…

When I published my first short story last month I felt a sense of achievement. This time around, my main emotion was relief, that this story was now finally in the public domain. I had fulfilled my duty as its custodian.

Cryptic, these comments? I am sure they are. In fact, I hope you are sufficiently intrigued to check out my story. You can preview or buy it at all major e-book distributors. See my Fate and Asparagus page for a hyperlink to your favourite store.