4. Bread, Milk and a Bit of News
Bread, Milk and a Bit of News
There wasn’t much that scared Ben. He wasn’t afraid of insects or spiders, reptiles or rodents, inclosed spaces or heights. But when he woke up at 11:45 and saw that he’d forgotten to post his mother’s birthday present yesterday he freaked out. Ben was terribly afraid of forgetting things.
It was something that had come on him as he got older and started to understand the world a bit better. Until he turned seventeen he hadn’t really understood what his mother meant when she explained that Grandma didn’t recognise him because she had Alzheimer’s. The disease ran in both his mother’s and his father’s family and he had a huge chance of getting it himself. The thought of forgetting everyone he knew scared him badly.
Ben had spent a lot of his time, in the ten years since he’d began to understand Alzheimer’s, trying to improve his memory. As a result he had amazing visual recall and could put names to faces 99% of the time.
Given that he had a reputation for having a fantastic memory he couldn’t believe that he’d forgotten to post his mother’s present. Her birthday was on Wednesday and he’d wanted the present to arrive the day before so she could open it first thing in the morning. Now he’d have to send it by express post if he wanted her to get it in time.
It wasn’t a big deal. Or it wouldn’t have been to most people. But Ben was so afraid of losing his mind that forgetting anything terrified him. He couldn’t just brush it off and get on with the day. His thoughts just kept coming back to the fact that he’d forgotten something.
Ben stood looking at the package for almost ten minutes before he picked it up and put it on the floor in the front hall. He knew he’d have to see it there when he left for work on Monday and so he couldn’t forget to post it.
His stomach was telling him it was time to eat something and no matter how upset he was Ben was never one to ignore his stomach. It was almost lunch time so he thought he’d make himself a nice sandwich.
Before he’d taken even one step towards the kitchen he remembered that he didn’t have any bread. He hadn’t bothered to buy any on his way home yesterday. He’d been in such a hurry to get home, get changed and go out again that he thought he could do without bread.
As it turned out he’d have been better off to get the bread and forget the party. There hadn’t been anyone interesting at the party at all. He gone with a couple of his mates and they’d both hooked up with a pair of French backpackers. He hadn’t really been in the mood for a party anyway and he’d left around midnight.
Ben went into the kitchen and made himself a coffee while he decided whether or not to go out and buy some bread or just to eat something else. He munched on some corn chips while he looked in the fridge for something more substantial. He really wanted a ham and salad sandwich but he didn’t really want to drive to the shops.
He pulled the milk out of the fridge and poured the last of it into his coffee. That settled it. He could do without bread but he loved his coffee and he liked milk with it. He got dressed, finished his coffee, grabbed his keys and went out to get milk and bread.
It wasn’t far to the shops from his house. It was about a five minute drive. He liked to walk into town on the weekend but today he couldn’t be bothered. He was lucky to get a park straight away when he got there. Sometimes it was impossible to get a car park on the weekends. People came to town from everywhere because of its beautiful beaches.
Ben was just getting out of his car when his friend Josh grabbed him from behind.
“Benny!”
Ben turned and grinned at Josh, “Hey, man. What’s happening?”
Josh and Ben walked into the supermarket together as Josh started telling Ben about a woman he’d almost picked up the night before.
“And you should’ve seen her. Man, she was like amazing.”
“You didn’t even talk to her did you?”
“Of course not!”
The two of them burst out laughing. It was a joke they had. Josh had heard a couple of their friends comparing who’d seen the hottest woman and realised that they were describing movie stars. Ever since then him and Ben would joke about it every chance they got.
“Did you end up going to that party last night?” Josh asked.
“Yeah.”
“Any good?”
“Nah, it was such a waste of time.”
“Should’ve gone clubbing with me.”
“I should’ve stayed home.”
“Stayed home?” Josh said with mock shock. “You’re getting old, man.”
Ben smiled and shook his head, “Don’t I know it.”
Ben grabbed a loaf of bread and a litre of milk and headed for the checkout.
“I’ll catch you later, Josh.”
“Sure,” Josh said and was about to go about his own shopping when he remembered something.
“Hey, Ben!”
Ben was about halfway down the aisle when Josh called him back.
“What?”
“Look, I don’t know if this is true, but…”
“But…?”
Josh looked uncomfortable, “I heard Rachael was back in town.”
Any good humour that had been on Ben’s face vanished. Any thoughts of forgetting his mother’s present vanished. Any thoughts of his hunger vanished. All he could think of was Rachael and what she’d done to him.
“Sorry, man, but I thought you should know,” Josh said.
“Yeah. Thanks. I’ll see you later.”
Ben went to the checkout. This time Josh didn’t call him back. Josh knew that Ben would want to be alone with the news of Rachael. He’d never really got over what she’d done.
“Benny, Benny, Benny…” Josh mumbled as he got back to his own shopping.
There wasn’t much that scared Ben. He wasn’t afraid of insects or spiders, reptiles or rodents, inclosed spaces or heights. But when he woke up at 11:45 and saw that he’d forgotten to post his mother’s birthday present yesterday he freaked out. Ben was terribly afraid of forgetting things.
It was something that had come on him as he got older and started to understand the world a bit better. Until he turned seventeen he hadn’t really understood what his mother meant when she explained that Grandma didn’t recognise him because she had Alzheimer’s. The disease ran in both his mother’s and his father’s family and he had a huge chance of getting it himself. The thought of forgetting everyone he knew scared him badly.
Ben had spent a lot of his time, in the ten years since he’d began to understand Alzheimer’s, trying to improve his memory. As a result he had amazing visual recall and could put names to faces 99% of the time.
Given that he had a reputation for having a fantastic memory he couldn’t believe that he’d forgotten to post his mother’s present. Her birthday was on Wednesday and he’d wanted the present to arrive the day before so she could open it first thing in the morning. Now he’d have to send it by express post if he wanted her to get it in time.
It wasn’t a big deal. Or it wouldn’t have been to most people. But Ben was so afraid of losing his mind that forgetting anything terrified him. He couldn’t just brush it off and get on with the day. His thoughts just kept coming back to the fact that he’d forgotten something.
Ben stood looking at the package for almost ten minutes before he picked it up and put it on the floor in the front hall. He knew he’d have to see it there when he left for work on Monday and so he couldn’t forget to post it.
His stomach was telling him it was time to eat something and no matter how upset he was Ben was never one to ignore his stomach. It was almost lunch time so he thought he’d make himself a nice sandwich.
Before he’d taken even one step towards the kitchen he remembered that he didn’t have any bread. He hadn’t bothered to buy any on his way home yesterday. He’d been in such a hurry to get home, get changed and go out again that he thought he could do without bread.
As it turned out he’d have been better off to get the bread and forget the party. There hadn’t been anyone interesting at the party at all. He gone with a couple of his mates and they’d both hooked up with a pair of French backpackers. He hadn’t really been in the mood for a party anyway and he’d left around midnight.
Ben went into the kitchen and made himself a coffee while he decided whether or not to go out and buy some bread or just to eat something else. He munched on some corn chips while he looked in the fridge for something more substantial. He really wanted a ham and salad sandwich but he didn’t really want to drive to the shops.
He pulled the milk out of the fridge and poured the last of it into his coffee. That settled it. He could do without bread but he loved his coffee and he liked milk with it. He got dressed, finished his coffee, grabbed his keys and went out to get milk and bread.
It wasn’t far to the shops from his house. It was about a five minute drive. He liked to walk into town on the weekend but today he couldn’t be bothered. He was lucky to get a park straight away when he got there. Sometimes it was impossible to get a car park on the weekends. People came to town from everywhere because of its beautiful beaches.
Ben was just getting out of his car when his friend Josh grabbed him from behind.
“Benny!”
Ben turned and grinned at Josh, “Hey, man. What’s happening?”
Josh and Ben walked into the supermarket together as Josh started telling Ben about a woman he’d almost picked up the night before.
“And you should’ve seen her. Man, she was like amazing.”
“You didn’t even talk to her did you?”
“Of course not!”
The two of them burst out laughing. It was a joke they had. Josh had heard a couple of their friends comparing who’d seen the hottest woman and realised that they were describing movie stars. Ever since then him and Ben would joke about it every chance they got.
“Did you end up going to that party last night?” Josh asked.
“Yeah.”
“Any good?”
“Nah, it was such a waste of time.”
“Should’ve gone clubbing with me.”
“I should’ve stayed home.”
“Stayed home?” Josh said with mock shock. “You’re getting old, man.”
Ben smiled and shook his head, “Don’t I know it.”
Ben grabbed a loaf of bread and a litre of milk and headed for the checkout.
“I’ll catch you later, Josh.”
“Sure,” Josh said and was about to go about his own shopping when he remembered something.
“Hey, Ben!”
Ben was about halfway down the aisle when Josh called him back.
“What?”
“Look, I don’t know if this is true, but…”
“But…?”
Josh looked uncomfortable, “I heard Rachael was back in town.”
Any good humour that had been on Ben’s face vanished. Any thoughts of forgetting his mother’s present vanished. Any thoughts of his hunger vanished. All he could think of was Rachael and what she’d done to him.
“Sorry, man, but I thought you should know,” Josh said.
“Yeah. Thanks. I’ll see you later.”
Ben went to the checkout. This time Josh didn’t call him back. Josh knew that Ben would want to be alone with the news of Rachael. He’d never really got over what she’d done.
“Benny, Benny, Benny…” Josh mumbled as he got back to his own shopping.
posted by Supermarez at 5:32 pm
1 Comments:
oh, but what did she do to him?????
I want more marez, i really do! please???
Post a Comment
<< Home