INI · An independent literary spaceEnglish editionMy library

An ongoing series · Human stories

Henry & Margaret: Morning Coffee Chronicles

One morning. One small disaster. One story at a time.

Henry and Margaret have mastered the fine art of doing absolutely nothing — and somehow turning it into a full-time occupation. Their mornings begin with coffee and usually wander off into marriage, technology, politics, ageing, neighbours, family, and whatever fresh absurdity the modern world has delivered overnight. Henry has an opinion. Margaret usually has a better one. And Brutus, their chocolate Labrador, watches it all with the quiet wisdom of someone who has long since stopped expecting too much from humanity. Their stories belong to those unhurried mornings when coffee grows cold, conversations drift further than intended, and some perfectly ordinary domestic detail quietly opens the door to the larger absurdities of life. Between Henry’s theories, Margaret’s sharper observations, and Brutus’s silent reflections on the whole human performance, the ordinary has a habit of becoming something larger: marriage, ageing, progress, and the curious business of keeping up with a world that rarely slows down long enough to explain itself. There is no grand lesson waiting at the bottom of the cup. Just two people, one dog, a little irony, and the comforting suspicion that none of us quite knows what we are doing. One morning. One small disaster. One story at a time.

Morning Coffee Chronicles

Henry & Margaret: Morning Coffee Chronicles

Published writing

Mars Needs Politicians
Human storiesPaid writing · €1.99

Mars Needs Politicians

On New Worlds, Old Habits, and the Trouble with Starting Over

Henry had found an article about settling Mars. Future colonists, it said, would need exceptional adaptability, a talent for handling crises, and the ability to establish a functioning society. Margaret needed no time to consider the candidates. Scientists and engineers were clearly unsuitable. They might build something that worked. Within minutes, Mars had a provisional president, several ministers, and a committee to oversee construction. The settlement itself could be dealt with later. For a moment, a one-way ticket sounded like a remarkably sensible idea. Then Henry began to wonder what, exactly, it would solve.

Comments · …Share ↗
Exactly What We Expected
Human storiesPaid writing · €1.99

Exactly What We Expected

On Markets, Certainty, and the Fine Art of Being Right Afterwards

How hard can financial forecasting be? If the market rises, you saw it coming. If it falls, you warned everyone. And if nothing much happens, uncertainty remains elevated. Henry, Margaret and John may just have discovered the perfect profession — although Brutus still seems to have the more disciplined investment strategy.

Comments · …Share ↗
The Big Bang and April Fools’ Day
Culture & technologyPaid writing · €1.99

The Big Bang and April Fools’ Day

What if the Big Bang happened today? There would be a livestream, a hashtag, premium content, an auto-renewing subscription — and, naturally, millions of people explaining to physicists what had really happened. Over morning coffee, Henry, Margaret and John take on the universe, modern certainty and the strange confidence of people who know very little. Brutus, meanwhile, has other priorities.

Comments · …Share ↗
Civilisation at Half Past Eight
Human storiesFree to read

Civilisation at Half Past Eight

One Family, Two Generations, and a Suspiciously Innocent Labrador

A missing piece of toast. A suspicious Labrador. Two generations, one old coffee maker, and far too many opinions before breakfast is over. Welcome to Henry and Margaret’s morning — where civilisation is still standing, just not particularly steadily.

Comments · …Share ↗
The Art of Doing Absolutely Nothing
Human storiesPaid writing · €1.99

The Art of Doing Absolutely Nothing

How to Waste a Perfectly Good Saturday with Purpose

Henry and Margaret have a plan for the perfect Saturday: absolutely nothing. The problem is that doing nothing, as it turns out, takes a surprising amount of planning, discipline — and a certain talent for ignoring the outside world. Brutus, naturally, mastered all of this years ago.

Comments · …Share ↗
Before the Second Cup
Human storiesFree to read

Before the Second Cup

Every morning begins with coffee. Then comes Margaret. Before the second cup, Henry has already developed a theory, Margaret has corrected it, and Brutus has quietly lost faith in humanity once again. Welcome to the breakfast table — where marriage, modern life, and the world’s daily absurdities somehow arrive before the coffee gets cold.

Comments · …Share ↗
More writing in the archive →