Welcome To August

Saturday

The sun is streaming into the bedroom when I wake up. A caressing warmth to my cheek. I lie there for a while. Staring up at the canopy of the bed. I didn't realize it was all going to be quite so nice. I men they said it used to be a holiday home so I was just expecting real basic stuff. But wow this place was perfect.

Gently stretching my still tired body I extricate myself from my encompassing sleeping bag. As I sit up  the see of boxes and bags greet me, and I internally cringe.  Because I had hoped that it would all be unpacked today but even just looking at the start of my room I am sure it will take all weekend.

***

Dressing into a pair of skins and my old University jumper, I move into the lounge. Nearly everything has been unpacked,  but the hardwood floor still has a layer of cardboard and bubble wrap.  It's strange the the photos I unpacked last night nearly all of them lack Him. For years he had been around me even in photos: my wallpaper on my phone, a collage in my dorm and on the pin board in my childhood room. Then when we moved in together it was his clothes his aftershave and his books, his presence was always there.

Moving to the kitchen, I open the fridge, and stair in disgust at the inadequate selection. The food that was left over from the trip is looking well past its best. Drates. I had hopped to avoid the supermarket today but it looks like I'm going to have to make time for it.

Back in the lounge I move to the huge bookshelf that fills the left wall. Multiple boxes have been stacked beside it each with a brief description on the side. Stating wheather it holds series' or miscellaneous or poetry. Open up a box I begin lining them up in the shelves. There order mostly random but with my favourites in the higher levels. All I care about really is having easy access to my regular reads.

Fourty minutes later the books are all shelved, with little room to spare. And I have begun to deconstruct the cardboard boxes and putting the rest in a rubbish bag. It's a small triumph, for the lounge to now posses a semblance of order, but it is only the start. The daunting task of unpacking the kitchen and bedroom is still exist.

After unpacking my first bag of clothes, I check the time and it is half past twelve and my stomach is rumbling. With cracking joints I get up off the ground. There's no way I can put off buying food anymore I'm absolutely starving. So I pull on my shoes from yesterday and grab my phone, wallet, and keys. Before heading out the door and climbing into the car.

***

Getting out of the car at the supermarket I feel slight nervous, daunted at the thought of meeting my new peers and neighbors. Walking in I am greeted by the typical Saturday rush, family's particularly are hurrying around buying the weeks groceries. It makes me feel less selfcounisious with everybody else in their own world's, but I am still frightfully aware of my position as an outsider in the community.

Grabbing a trolly, I begin to work my way through the shop. Collecting vegetables and fruits. Easy things that would not need many extra ingredients. I'm not ready to fill the pantry yet but I do need food so its a bit of a balancing act. Moving to the dairy section a young girl rushes past and is trying to get some mild from off the shelf.

"Here let me help," I say as I hand down a bottle.she gives me a picture bright but shy smile mumbling what I think is ment to be a thanks. Watching her disappear I shake my head, and wonder if she might be one of my students. She looks only five years old so it's quite likely.

I continue on getting the basics so I can live for this first week, but as I get to the coffee a sudden wave of sadness hits me. As I see the Red Frog Coffee. Every morning Jake would make me a cup and give it to me with breakfast and if I was running late then he would put it in a takeaway coffee cup.

God I miss him, it's been months sence I've seen him but I still do. God do I.  And I have to regin myself for fear of crying right there in the supermarket aisle.