Chapter 4
904 Words
Chapter 10: Horace
“You know, you have an impressive ability to nap through the entire episode but still keep up with what’s going on,” Horace said to her when they got halfway to the second season.
Acedia beamed at him. “Wow. Thank you! I try.”
They had gone through the night, took a nap, woke up, watched the end of the season, cursed at it for ending on a cliffhanger, then put on the second season, and now they were at episode 5. It was the next morning and they had barely moved a muscle, just a couple of trips to the bathroom.
Acedia had napped on and off the entire time. No wonder she kept wearing her light blue pyjamas.
Horace had to admit it was fun hanging out with her. They discussed the show, talked about the endless cliches, predicted whodunit and what would happen next, who would hook up with who. She was very relaxing to be around, and the guilt of doing nothing just seemed like an afterthought when he was around Acedia.
He knew this was the thing he and Evie did together, but it wasn’t such a bad thing, skipping it for a night. He’d make it up to her.
It was midday. “Come on, it will be fun,” he said.
Acedia sighed. “It sounds like a lot of work.”
“Going to the supermarket? Not really, people do it every week. Sometimes twice a week.”
Acedia looked shocked, as if someone had asked her to dig a hole for a grave. Twice.
“Okay, do this for me once. If you don’t like it, I’ll never even mention it again.”
She sighed audibly. “Fine. Is it far away?”
“Just around this corner, two streets down.”
She nodded, steeling herself. “So it is far.”
Horace couldn’t help but laugh. He was throwing groceries in the shopping cart while towing Acedia around. She was thin enough to fit in the baby seat, and she was having lots of fun while he pushed her around the shop. As long as she didn’t have to move, she was into everything.
“Wow. Grab these, they are precooked,” she said, pointing at some meals. She could have reached down and grabbed them herself, but nooo, he had to do it for her.
“We said we’re shopping healthy. Let’s not descend into the inevitable fast food diet from day 1 of being unemployed.” He crinkled the wrapping to read the instructions.
She pouted for a second then forgot all about it when they got to the cornflakes. “Horace, I have something to confess.”
“What?”
“I ate all your cornflakes.”
“I know. I was there. You eat them one at a time. It’s maddening to watch.”
“Can you get some more? Please?” She begged, gripping her hands before her chest.
Horace forced down a chuckle. Without breaking eye-contact, and without moving a muscle other than his shoulder and the accompanying ones in his arm, he grabbed a box of corn flakes and threw it in the shopping cart.
“Yay!” she beamed at him, clapping once.
“If only all girls were as easy to please as you,” Horace said, shaking his head.
The rest of the shopping run was pretty standard. He got some sandwich materials, then doubled them. Acedia didn’t eat much but he planned to offer it to her. He especially didn’t want her to avoid eating because of thinking she’d have his share.
At the little shop inside the supermarket where they give you cold cuts of various meats, his vision filled with a big woman. She wore a bright orange top and a billowy black skirt. She wore a little backpack with cartoons on. She turned straight towards him, looked him straight in the eye, then glanced at his shopping cart, scoffed at the contents, then emptied her groceries bag inside his cart.
“What- Who-” he said, dumbfounded.
“What is this, a meal for ants? These should get us through today. We’ll come around again tomorrow,” the fat woman said and ordered a couple of sausages. She was very cute, one of those big ladies that could pull off a killer selfie, provided they didn’t show the rest of the body. Her features were kind and inviting, and her smile was gorgeous. Her hair were wisps of brunette strands cut short.
“Wow. Sister, you forgot to introduce yourself again,” Acedia said, in the tone of voice of a person who kept reminding people of the same thing.
“Right. Sorry. I’m Gula Gastrimargia. Just call me Gula.” She was nice and friendly. Her various cuddly parts jiggled up and down as she moved.
“I’m Horace. You’re her sister?” He looked from one to the other, but there really was no resemblance.
“In a way, yes,” Acedia drolled.
“Come, Horace, let’s go back home and eat. All this food around is making me hungry,” Gula said and pulled him around while he gripped on the shopping cart like a train of crazy people.
Acedia squeed from delight, arms up in the air. Then she got tired and just sat there, contempt to just get carried along.
- Writer
