laughed and continued, “We got rid of the blue walls almost five years ago. We just wanted a change. You chose the picture to go with the new aqua walls, but we got fed up with the aqua walls after about two months, and finally settled for keeping the walls cream. I didn’t get rid of your footstool, you did. Well, actually you tripped over it one day and the leg broke off. You tried to fix it, first with glue and then with screws. The glue didn’t hold and the screws just split the old wood. In the end you admitted defeat and gave your beloved stool a decent burial, in the trash.”
“Oh well, at least I still have my comfy sofa to lie on. Please tell me that’s here to stay?” Chris implored as he feigned melancholia.
“Of course it’s here to stay. There’s no way I’d part with it. Not because it took us forever to save for it, but because I don’t think we’ll ever find another one so comfortable. Despite the fact that it’s so comfortable you fell asleep on it almost every night after work, I’ll always love it.”
“Oh, I hadn’t even thought of that, work. Where do I work? Do I still work at the store? Is Kenny still my boss?”
“Yes, you still work at the store, and yes Kenny Blackett is still your boss. Before you ask, no, he hasn’t had a personality transplant, he’s still a grouch. Just wait till he hears you’re going to be off work for a while. I wouldn’t be surprised if he wants you back at work in your wheelchair. He’ll probably suggest that I come with you, so I can push you around while you talk to the customers.”
Sitting uncomfortably in his wheelchair and looking like a lost little boy, reality was hitting Chris hard. “Angie, I’ve just realized I must have lost around five years or more. I mean if I only remember the blue walls,” Chris exclaimed sadly.
“Oh yeah, it must be around about five years. We painted the walls blue soon after we moved in here, and that was just over six years ago. Don’t sound so sad, Chris. At least now we have something to work on. You only remember the blue walls, which disappeared almost five years ago. That narrows it down a lot, and with the help of the computer we can narrow it down a whole lot more.”
“How do you work that out, Angie?”
“Well, all we need to do is check out what was happening in the world around 2006 and 2007, and see what you remember.”
“Oh yeah, don’t you just love the Internet,” Chris responded. As he continued to talk, Chris was beginning to sound a lot chirpier.
“You make it sound so easy Angie, and I know in one way it is, but it’s a weird feeling not being able to remember a chunk of your life. Just remember what you’re like when you can’t remember where you put something then multiply that by a million. I keep on thinking if I really try then I’ll remember, but I don’t.”
“We’ll work it out Chris, don’t worry. Let’s just treat it a bit like a history lesson, you know what I mean?”
“Not really,” Chris replied looking rather perplexed.
“Well, when we were kids we learned about things that went on in history dating back hundreds of years or more. You’re just going to be doing a condensed version of the same. You just need a history lesson covering the last five or six years,” Angie said lovingly.
“But I stunk at history, it was so boring,” Chris sulked.
“OK, we’ll stick to the history you’re interested in and ditch the rest. I guess you’ll want to start with who’s running the country,” Angie giggled.
“Nooo way. I’d rather know how many Mission Impossible movie’s I need to catch up on.”
“That’s more like it,” Angie smiled, “we can get through this, Chris. It will take time and patience, but we can do it. I know we can. Now, let’s get you onto your favorite sofa and I’ll make us a drink.”
It had been a very long day for the couple and it would
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