A long time ago I saw a competition witht he theme identity and I thought about it a bit and then started writing this piece about a man who feels he's lost himself, who is and no body even notices. The competition came and went and I didn't get the piece finished but now it's about time I did. This is the first part (not going to call it half as it will probably not be) of this story I entitled
Identity? What identity
The house is quiet as Richard opens his eyes. He stares at the ceiling and listens to his wifes’ breathing, slow and steady. She moves slightly pulling the duvet with her. He turns his head towards the clock, five o’clock. Damn, far too early to get up, besides what do I need to get up for these days. He looks over at Sara still asleep next to him. Yeah what did he have to get up for, it wasn’t like she’d even see him over all the things she had to do before she rushed out the door. She didn’t even see what he did when she got home. He closed his eyes and tried to think of something happy, something to make him want to get up, but nothing came to mind.
The alarm sounded and he jolted awake, slammed his hand on the snooze button. Damn, time to get up.
Sara moved and groaned. Looked at the clock and then lay back. “ummph, you awake?”
Richard didn’t answer.
The alarm sounded again. “mmmph, I’m getting a shower.”
Richard lay still and silent as she got out of bed and shuffled off to the bathroom. He turned onto his side so she couldn’t see his face. It wouldn’t be long before he had to get up, had to speak to her and be sociable. She would want to talk to him, tell him what needed doing today and she would want a reply; she never seemed seem to care about what the reply was but she would want him to say something.
Another alarm went off, Laura’s probably; she was usually up before Courtney. Courtney tended to hang to bed. “Rich, you need to get up now,” said Sara
“Yeah will do.” He didn’t move and listened to her opening and closing draws and the wardrobe, and pulling on her clothes. She sat down on the bed. Now he had to get up.
Richard could hear the radio and shower as he dressed. Sara had already gone down stairs as he pulled on a jumper and started towards the landing. He knocked on Courtney’s door. “Come on, up you get.” There was no reply.
Sara pulled bowls from the dishwasher and then cereal from the cupboard, milk from the fridge; she seemed oblivious to his presence. She looked up briefly and then poured cereal into two bowls. “Morning.” She passed one over and sat down.
Yeah morning, thought Richard, but didn’t speak.
Sara was writing a list as she ate her cereal. “Don’t forget you need to pick up Laura from practise this evening at four thirty.” She ate more cereal. “You forgot the soap powder and shower gel yesterday.” She scribbled on her pad, took a mouthful of cereal and put the bowl in the sink. She’d barely eaten anything. “Don’t forget Courtney needs a lift to Rebeccas’ after school.” Sara was unloading the dishwasher. “We need some more bread and tomatoes. You should have got them when were shopping yesterday. Don’t forget to mow the lawn.”
At eight she paused and called up the stairs to Laura and Courtney to hurry them, then she started to load the washer.
“I can do that, you sit down.” Richard called form his seat at the table.
She continued loading the washer “We need to eat early tonight Trish is coming over.” She went into the hall and shouted, “Laura Courtney, you’re late, now come on you’ll miss the bus.”
Richard looked at his watch. “It’s all right I can give them a lift on my way in if they miss it, it’s not a problem.”
Sara pulled a disgusted face. “Don’t be stupid, they can go on the bus that’s what it’s for.” She looked at her watch, “Shit I’ve got to go. Here,” she thrust a piece of paper at him and started putting on her coat. “I don’t have time to explain. Don’t forget the car is being serviced.” She gave him a peck on the cheek, shouted up the stairs, “Get a shift on, you two I want tell you again”. Without looking around she walked out of the house.
Richard looked at the paper, yet another list of things she wanted him to do or to get, reminders about lifts and things he’d forgotten. Great now she can’t even be bothered to ask me to do things he thought as he pocketed it. “Come on you two.”
The girls came down the stairs, Laura oh so fashionable and Courtney barely awake. “What’s the fuss, we’ve got plenty of time,” said Laura as she passed him on the way to the kitchen.
“Sure, if you want to arrive for second lesson you are,” replied Richard. “Come on you’ll miss your bus.”
“Thought you were giving us a lift.”
He rolled his eyes. “Just hurry it up you haven’t missed your bus yet.”
Laura smirked and started to pour cereal into a bowl.
Oh yeah she was going to be late now wasn’t she.
She lifted a spoonful towards her mouth as she said, “It’s not like you’ve got to be anywhere.”
“Hurry up.”
Identity? What identity
The house is quiet as Richard opens his eyes. He stares at the ceiling and listens to his wifes’ breathing, slow and steady. She moves slightly pulling the duvet with her. He turns his head towards the clock, five o’clock. Damn, far too early to get up, besides what do I need to get up for these days. He looks over at Sara still asleep next to him. Yeah what did he have to get up for, it wasn’t like she’d even see him over all the things she had to do before she rushed out the door. She didn’t even see what he did when she got home. He closed his eyes and tried to think of something happy, something to make him want to get up, but nothing came to mind.
The alarm sounded and he jolted awake, slammed his hand on the snooze button. Damn, time to get up.
Sara moved and groaned. Looked at the clock and then lay back. “ummph, you awake?”
Richard didn’t answer.
The alarm sounded again. “mmmph, I’m getting a shower.”
Richard lay still and silent as she got out of bed and shuffled off to the bathroom. He turned onto his side so she couldn’t see his face. It wouldn’t be long before he had to get up, had to speak to her and be sociable. She would want to talk to him, tell him what needed doing today and she would want a reply; she never seemed seem to care about what the reply was but she would want him to say something.
Another alarm went off, Laura’s probably; she was usually up before Courtney. Courtney tended to hang to bed. “Rich, you need to get up now,” said Sara
“Yeah will do.” He didn’t move and listened to her opening and closing draws and the wardrobe, and pulling on her clothes. She sat down on the bed. Now he had to get up.
Richard could hear the radio and shower as he dressed. Sara had already gone down stairs as he pulled on a jumper and started towards the landing. He knocked on Courtney’s door. “Come on, up you get.” There was no reply.
Sara pulled bowls from the dishwasher and then cereal from the cupboard, milk from the fridge; she seemed oblivious to his presence. She looked up briefly and then poured cereal into two bowls. “Morning.” She passed one over and sat down.
Yeah morning, thought Richard, but didn’t speak.
Sara was writing a list as she ate her cereal. “Don’t forget you need to pick up Laura from practise this evening at four thirty.” She ate more cereal. “You forgot the soap powder and shower gel yesterday.” She scribbled on her pad, took a mouthful of cereal and put the bowl in the sink. She’d barely eaten anything. “Don’t forget Courtney needs a lift to Rebeccas’ after school.” Sara was unloading the dishwasher. “We need some more bread and tomatoes. You should have got them when were shopping yesterday. Don’t forget to mow the lawn.”
At eight she paused and called up the stairs to Laura and Courtney to hurry them, then she started to load the washer.
“I can do that, you sit down.” Richard called form his seat at the table.
She continued loading the washer “We need to eat early tonight Trish is coming over.” She went into the hall and shouted, “Laura Courtney, you’re late, now come on you’ll miss the bus.”
Richard looked at his watch. “It’s all right I can give them a lift on my way in if they miss it, it’s not a problem.”
Sara pulled a disgusted face. “Don’t be stupid, they can go on the bus that’s what it’s for.” She looked at her watch, “Shit I’ve got to go. Here,” she thrust a piece of paper at him and started putting on her coat. “I don’t have time to explain. Don’t forget the car is being serviced.” She gave him a peck on the cheek, shouted up the stairs, “Get a shift on, you two I want tell you again”. Without looking around she walked out of the house.
Richard looked at the paper, yet another list of things she wanted him to do or to get, reminders about lifts and things he’d forgotten. Great now she can’t even be bothered to ask me to do things he thought as he pocketed it. “Come on you two.”
The girls came down the stairs, Laura oh so fashionable and Courtney barely awake. “What’s the fuss, we’ve got plenty of time,” said Laura as she passed him on the way to the kitchen.
“Sure, if you want to arrive for second lesson you are,” replied Richard. “Come on you’ll miss your bus.”
“Thought you were giving us a lift.”
He rolled his eyes. “Just hurry it up you haven’t missed your bus yet.”
Laura smirked and started to pour cereal into a bowl.
Oh yeah she was going to be late now wasn’t she.
She lifted a spoonful towards her mouth as she said, “It’s not like you’ve got to be anywhere.”
“Hurry up.”
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