I’Mani Sellers: Better Half

portrait of beautiful african american Upenn student

Red-Square

Posted on March 17, 2015, by I’Mani Sellers

Kass has been seeing Denny for a while now and their relationship is very serious. Kass prides herself in not worrying about what people think about her and not letting that influence her decisions about life. Kass also prides herself in not letting just anyone into her life.  Denny was a very different story.

She has known Denny and she has seen him grow and mature, just as he sees her grow and mature. They spend as much time together as they possibly can. Kass describes him as her better half.  Kass and Denny have planned everything about their future, and they would not let anything change or jeopardize that. At least that is what Kass thought.

Red-Square

IMANI-BLOG 2

Red-Square

Denny came to Kass one day and told her he had enlisted in the army and was leaving to boot camp in three weeks. Three weeks was all they had left together for a while. It hurt Kass so much, because she believed Denny betrayed her; he had betrayed their dreams. She was angry; she wanted nothing to do with him for a while. She was ready to erase him from her life.

As she counted down the days, she realized she would regret not speaking to him before he left, so she gave him one last goodbye. She sought comfort in her friends at school, but nothing was like the touch of his arms around her as she hugged him. Nothing else could complete her.  She writes him letters, and every time she signs them with, “How can you live without your better half of your heart?”

Red-Square

young woman looking at picture of her and her boyfriend

Red-Square

She still sits at home, waits for his return, does her daily routine of going to classes, but she does not feel like she is living. She is still looking for the answer, of how to live without her better half.

Red-Square

woman looking sad being comforted by friend

Red-Square

Photography and Text by I’Mani Sellers, Copyright 2015

.

About the Author: I’Mani Sellers is a sophomore with a focus on the field of STEM,  College of the University of Pennsylvania, Class of 2017.

Olga Ignatovets: What’s Cooking?

detail of meat being sliced with l large knife

Red-Square

Posted on March 11, 2015 by Olga Ignatovets

My hands are not cooperating as I stand there attempting to make dinner for the one who betrayed me. My fingers come close to the edge of the knife and that is when the most brilliant idea comes to mind. I should make him suffer the way he made me suffer. He broke my heart and now it is my turn to take something away from him.

It feels very moist and soft in my hands. The blood from it is all over my hands and my brand new white apron. A feeling of satisfaction comes over me as I thrust my knife deeper and deeper into his organ.

Red-Square

photo of blood stained apron in contemporary kitchen

Red-Square

After a few hours of fascinating experimentation with it I decide that it is time to take a break.I am so caught up in my thoughts of revenge that a loud creaking sound at the front door made me jump and drop my glass onto the floor. They were here for me!

Red-Square

woman dropping wine glass from kitchen table

Red-Square

My plan had failed and I was discovered. There was nothing I could do now but grab my suit case and make it out of the house without getting caught.

Red-Square

woman wearing red shoes and blood stained floor

Red-Square

As I ran out the door, I left everything behind – the kidney, the body, but most importantly my favorite white apron. I would never be able to get it back…

Red-Square

OLGA-BLOG 3

Red-Square

Photography and Text by Olga Ignatovets, Copyright 2015

.

About the Author: Olga Ignatovets is a sophomore in the school of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania, Class of 2017.

Jinxiang Wu: Love From a Distance

Portrait of happy young Asian woman

Red-Square

Posted on February 4, 2015 by Jinxiang Wu

It all started when Connie was in high school. She had this big crush on a guy who she never talked to. One day she was on Facebook lurking at random people, and she saw this picture of a guy who looked exactly like the guy she had the crush on, so she decided to friend request the random guy, a fellow by the name of Matt, from the USA.

Matt seemed nice, funny, had enormous charm and a great sense of humor. Connie started to have feelings for him. They entered a long distance relationship utilizing every tool and technology possible. Four months went by, and so she asked her dad if he could send her to the United States to study English. Her dad said, “Hey that’s a good idea.” She was so exited she told Matt right away. He was so happy, they started planning all the stuff they would do once they were to meet for the first time.

Red-Square

young pretty chinese woman looking sad

Red-Square

Time passed so fast. They started to have so many problems. She was so mad because he never called, not even once. Connie called him two times. The conversations were the same. He stopped sending her messages on Facebook. They only talked on MSN. He used to say he was busy and all. She felt so much pressure because two months ago she talked to her parents about him and they agreed for her to go to the U.S.  to meet him. So one night she came home very sad and frustrated because she thought about him all day long and  he wasn’t showing any real interest in the relationship. She communicated to him on MSN again and said, “This is over, I don’t want this anymore…it’s not the same I don’t know what to do this anymore” and he only replied with, “okay”~

Red-Square

sexy Asian girl looking sad

Red-Square

Another week passed and while she was logged in to her Facebook account she saw, “Matt is now in a relationship” in his status. Her first reaction was speechlessness, then her breathing started to raise, and the next minute tears were running down her face. She asked him why and he said, “It just happened”…

Red-Square

Wu_5-BLOG

Red-Square

She got depressed. Didn’t want to go out with friends and she stopped talking to her parents because she was ashamed. Connie chose to keep her words to herself. She chose to never talk about him again because everyone knew what he did, and she used to hear the same words from her friends every time she talked about him, that it wouldn’t have worked out  anyway as it was a long distance relationship. The friends said: ” Get over it!” “He’s a jerk move on!” Now she is faking a smile everyday.  It will take a long time for her to get over it.

Red-Square

beautiful asian girl in tears

 

Red-Square

Photography and Text by Jinxiang Wu

.

About the Author: Jinxiang Wu is a graduate student at the University of Pennsylvania.