Ruben or August

Chapter 6

The days went by. My wrist didn't hurt me as much anymore and I was starting to get more autonomous and spilling things so much. My mother had stayed at my place for two days just to help me out a bit, but I had quickly sent her home after I had nearly pulled my hair out with the mess.

She never usually listens to me when I ask her to put a coaster under her cup of tea, or when I ask her to only use one squirt of the cleaning up product. She also likes to put her feet up on my coffee table and to listen to the television with the sound on really high. Since I had developed all of these habits as she called them, she had done everything to get me out of them, she used to leave dirty washing on the floor, rummage through my room to make me understand that a little mess is alright. But I preferred tiding up after her and couldn't bare the sight of something misplaced.

Ruben. Ever since I had seen him and my doctor hug in front of the emergency department, I hadn't seen him or heard of him. I had left my bag with him meaning that I now had no purse or no phone. I had begged my mother to go by the fish counter and pick it up, but she had laughed and told me I was old enough to go by myself. I don't disagree with her, I am old enough, and I just feel unease going to see him. He only hugged the doctor and then never bothered to check up on me and my poor wrist. He gave me the impression that maybe I did ruing our date by falling over, and I didn't want to face him. But then again I hoped that maybe he would turn up at my house to give me my bag back.

After a rapid and thorough clean of my house, with one hand, which made things difficult, I decided I should maybe go out for a walk. I hadn't been out in three days expect from my garden but I was feeling rather imprisoned. I had just hoovered the lounge and propped up the cushions, setting them strait and in place when the doorbell rang. It resonated through the house, and I could feel my heart beat faster. I stood there for a second and started to panic. Nobody usually rang the bell because my mother had her key, and Kate knew I hated the bell and preferred people to knock. I slowly walked around the sofa, and put my hand on the door handle. I closed my eyes taking eight deep breaths and slowly opened the door. I didn't realise my eyes were closed until I heard my mother laughing away.

'You... You're so funny baby bear.' She said calling me the same way she used to call me when I was a little girl. She gently pushed me aside and went to sit down on the sofa I had just tidied up. I let out a deep sigh and followed. 'Why didn't you use your key?' I asked staring at her. 'I'm helping you progress. I could have knocked but I now you hate the doorbell.' She said pulling out her phone and checking her texts.

'So... why are you here?' I asked slowly looking down at her. She was texting someone and it took her a minute before she answered me. 'Lunch. We taking you out to lunch with Kate.' She said 'Now go and get ready we're leaving in ten minutes.' She added before returning her attention to her phone.

I slowly got ready just to annoy her. I even thought about having a shower just to take even longer but then I decided she was only trying to help me. She had acted like this all of my life and sometimes it did work. 'I'm ready.' I announced walking down the stairs. I put on my shoes and couldn't help but wonder if maybe I'd come across Ruben in town. And I wasn't wrong.

She drove me in, going on about how I should pass my driving licence. I ignore her all along and gladly got out of the car as soon as she parked. I started to walk over to the normal café we went to thinking about the meal I was going to choose. The same one as always; quiche, brownie and a tea. I was set in my habits even when I went out.

'We're going down here.' She said pointing out towards the lanes. I looked at her with a puzzled look on my face. 'I thought we could try something new.' She answered my quiet question. 'What?' I asked wondering if she was messing around with me.