Stanley swore as he tried to pull his thick fairisle jumper free. It must be caught, he thought and tugged a little harder. A shot of pain reached his back and shoulder as a ripping sound accompanied the woolly garment.
“Dagnabit!” Stanley held the jumper by the collar and saw the arm hung limply, half-severed, precariously linked by a single strand of white woollen thread. Stanley shook his head. He felt inside the drawer and found an opened tin of picture hooks jammed in the corner. He could not remember why they were there. Thirty years he had that jumper, it was the last Christmas present from May, his wife. Not bearing to part with it just yet, he opened his wardrobe and fed a coat hanger through the wool placing it on the rail.
Stanley found a thin cardigan instead. A poor substitute. He moved his arm in circular movements to try and shift the pain. It was freezing outside, so Stanley put on his gloves, cap and scarf over his raincoat and opened the door. Stanley paused as he always did when leaving his home. He waited to feel warmth by his feet, an excited bark, but the cruel silence and presence of air was a stark reminder that no one was home. He felt in his pocket for the letter, nodded and closed the door.
Every day, late morning, Stanley Morris made the familiar trip from his house in Sunrise Close to Tescos. He would buy a sausage roll, a single banana and a red apple for his lunch and twice a week donate something to the food bank. Walking, he realised quite often he would walk automatically without thought, and wondered what the purpose of him actually was. Each day has been wasted really. He had old friends he saw once a year who travelled, took seaside coach trips or trips abroad but in truth, Stanley just couldn’t be bothered. He did question if his existence in the world had any effect on anyone.
Lost in thought Stanley was taken back to reality with a ping. Instinctively, Stanley patted his chest, and realised a button had become loose and dropped to the floor. He stood still, examining the pavement but couldn’t see anything. A car came past and the driver stared at him in a scowling manner. “Lubberwort.” Stanley muttered as the car drove out of view, and he moved closer to the kerb. Whilst looking he saw a spot of gold amongst some leaves. He groaned as he bent down and brushed the leaves away. He saw it was a type of ring, and held it up. It was a band of gold on a chain. But his coat button was nowhere to be seen. Stanley hung the chain on a pertrubing bush and carried on walking.
After a few minutes he diverted into a little road that led into an estate where he saw a young woman and a little boy. The woman was on the phone whilst the boy was singing Santa Claus is coming to Town and holding a balloon decorated with a big 4. Stanley felt his hand over his pocket and to check for the envelope. As the mum and child came closer, there was a rumble further down. It got louder, the boy yelled, and Stanley saw the latex four bouncing on the road. The boy ran into the street, Stanley quickly grabbed him and pulled him toward his mother, who clutched the crying child’s hand, met his eyes and smiled. Avoiding the spray of puddle as a lorry passed, Stanley turned into Sunrise Meadows as a chorus of acceleration roared behind him.
Stanley looked for number 3, found the letterbox and posted a misdirected letter. He walked back the way he came before the diversion and approached Tescos.
Inside, he found the hot counter and bagged a sausage roll before proceeding toward the fruit. On the way, he passed the cans of meals and saw macaroni cheese. Although it was not a usual food bank day, Stanley picked up two cans. He pulled a banana from the top bunch on display, placed it under his arm, and grabbed a Gala apple before making his way toward the till. The woman behind the counter was an older woman with kind eyes who greeted him with a smile. A man was pacing behind him forming a short queue.
Placing his items on the counter, on a whim Stanley asked for a number 7 Scratchcard. “You’re lucky already,” the woman said warmly. “It’s the last one.”
“Oh for fucks sake! Of course he’s going to go for number 7!”
Startled, Stanley turned and spoke. “Did you want the number 7?”
The man apologised, and believing in fate, Stanley told the cashier to forget the Scratchcard, took out his leather coin purse, and purchased the food. The woman placed the items in a bag and handled them to him.
“Thanks mate, sorry about that.” The man said as Stanley moved to leave. “It’s okay,” Stanley replied.They exchanged wishes of a Merry Christmas, as Stanley took out the two cans and placed them in the basket for the food bank.
Another customer came, as Stanley was leaving and held open the door. Stanley thanked them, and saw a man lying in a sleeping bag outside the shop. As his coin purse was still in his hand-the consequence of a jamming zip- Stanley took out £3 and handed it to him.
Whilst trying to unjam his coinpurse, Stanley bumped into a woman. She started shouting and yelling, Stanley apologised quickly, placed his purse in his pocket, and reached for his left ear. He turned off his hearing aid, and walked briskly carrying his carrier bag.
Glad to be home, Stanley decided that was enough of outside and people for today. He felt unsettled that afternoon and evening, still thinking of his jumper and button. He switched on the television that night and watched Its a Wonderful Life remembering holding hands with May as Jimmy Stewart played his most famous role on screen. Their dog, Rolo snuggled by their feet. Stanley went to bed and settled down to sleep.
As he rested, Stanley dreamt he had a visitor. An old man like him, with a kind face. They walked together and in front Stanley could see himself. He was taken aback how old he looked as he watched himself pat his chest. A car went by, and he could just make out the word “lubberwort” as he watched himself groan and bend down. The ring was dangling from the bush and Stanley saw himself walkway but he was still beside the gold ring.
Moments later, a woman was walking a little dog. The canine seemed in later years and kept stopping. The woman seemed in a trance and had no colour in her cheeks. She came closer, saw the ring, and gasped. She took the chain off the bush and placed it round her neck clutching the ring as she walked.
Suddenly Stanley was in a cold barren room with chairs lined in a row. The same woman was barely standing up and her eyes were red. A nurse approached her, spoke and handed her an envelope whilst smoothing the woman’s arm, and left. The woman reached inside the envelope and took out a gold banded ring. Tears flowed down her cheeks. She placed it on her little finger and reached inside again. This time taking out a chain. She thread the chain through the ring and wore it around her neck. She held the ring with both hands and started crying, leant against the wall behind her and slid down into a ball.
The old companion with him held out his arm and Stanley moved toward it. Again, Stanley saw himself. This time along the estate, where the mother and child were approaching. The mother as before was on her phone, and Stanley watched as the balloon floated onto the road, the boy being grabbed and Stanley turning into Sunrise Meadows. A lorry thundered past as a motor bike sped vigorously on the other side of the road swerving just enough to miss the balloon.
Stanley and his companion witnessed the posting of the letter. Then they were inside, watching a young man open it, read, and place his hand to his mouth before slightly shaking. The kind old man with him spoke. “That letter is from his father. This young man was forced out of his home when his father couldn’t accept him for who he was. His dad has been poorly. While he was in hospital, he looked over to his bedside and realised the thing he wanted most of all was to see his son. He is asking for his son’s forgiveness for being a fool. He is telling his son he is loved.” Stanley turned away, thinking of his own son he lost.
The companion placed his hand on Stanley’s shoulder and they were now beside the till in Tescos. They heard the man swear, then Stanley was confronted with a vision of a family. Children had holes in school jumpers, a young girl forced her shoes off, and stretched her toes through soaked feet. The man who swore at the till and a woman was arguing. She was holding up red stamped letters and crying.
Stanley then had a vision of that same man finding a £2 coin on the pavement, switching the direction he was headed, and venturing into the shop. The man stood directly behind Stanley and bought nothing else but that scratchcard.
Outside, Stanley and the old companion watched as the man scratched off the silver, screamed and cried with happiness and relief. “That card was worth £50,000. It was the winning ticket,” the old man stated. Stanley’s eyes widened in disbelief.
They watched Stanley bump into the woman, As a spectator, Stanley realised how thin her body was. Her hair was unwashed, and her eyes were sunken. A bag of white powder fell down the drain. She started screaming and yelling. “What was she yelling about?” asked Stanley.
The kind old man smiled. They were now in a kitchen Stanley didn’t recognise, and the woman who yelled was faced away from them at the sink. “That woman was addicted to a drug. When you bumped into her, her last supply went down the drain. She couldn’t get anymore. She was forced to get clean. We are in her home now.” The woman looked healthy, her hair shone, she turned around so Stanley could see these beautiful bright blue eyes. He looked down as her hands circled her swollen belly. The sound of a door opened. “That’s her husband”, the old man said. “The boy you gave three pounds to outside the shop got to eat for the first time in three days. The food bank cans of macaroni cheese went to a family with an autistic child. Macaroni cheese is the only thing the child will eat. The family saved those cans for Christmas Day when they got to sit and eat together. The first time in six months.”
Stanley stood in silence trying to process everything. “All I did was take a walk.”
Stanley woke the next morning feeling refreshed. And for the first time in a long time he felt content. He walked to the kitchen to take his morning medication and brushed the Christmas tree. A twinkling filled the air and Stanley smiled. It was the angelic sound of a bell ringing.
Geek Girl Eats Cake 