Mail and Gadgets

Chapter Twenty Two - Closure

Hi Readers here's another update.
sorry it took longer then I thought it would.
Hopefully this will be the last sad chapter.
Picture taken off Google.
Dedicated to T for their constant support. ;-p.
Hope everyone enjoys it.
:-)

'Ironically, we use seeking closure to avoid closure.
Sometimes we don't want to be 'done' because then we have to 'do'.
                                                        - Anonymous.

-‘BK152,
Dear Friend,
Why do people always insist that change is good? That you will get past what is happening to you and move on. I suppose in some cases it is and you will but I get the feeling that what their really saying is that something has happened. You didn’t want it to happen but it has so get over it. My store is closing. Yes, I own a store. I don’t know if I ever told you that. It’s a store that has been in my family for years and I have to close it. In a week it will be something depressing and empty. A distance memory of what used to be and in years to come a distance tribute to the city. In a way that the city keeps changing on you and you can never count on it. The truth is I’m heartbroken. I feel like a part of me has died and my parents along with it. Both of them dying all over again and no-one can ever make it right.’-

A ray of sunlight was coming through the window, sending a beam of light into the store. The place was almost bare. The metal shelving that lined the full length of the walls and had once been packed full with gadgets, were now mostly empty as most of the left over merchandise had already been packed up into boxes ready to be shipped off to be auctioned. Along the wooden counter and behind it, most things had either been thrown away or packed up into boxes. The shelves behind now empty. The small box of bits was still there along with the out of date register was still there too. The one that his Ma had installed not long after he was born and only recently upgraded, now covered in a green plastic sheet.

The day was clear and bright when Arthit had got to the store that morning, a complete opposite contrast to his mood, ready for the next task of packing up the last of the merchandise and cleaning out the back rooms. One more day left. One more day of packing everything up. One last day of clearing out everything that still held a deep memory of his parents.  

Arthit places an empty cardboard box onto the counter, unfolding the flaps and placing a pile of comic books inside. He picks up another pile and places that inside too. He keeps on going until that box is full, sealing it up before picking it up and placing it with a pile of other filled boxes. He repeats the process. Picking up an empty box, filling it up and sealing it.

He knew he was working almost robotically, filling up box after box with either comic books or with gadgets but it keeps his mind on his task. He didn’t have to think about anything else just how many things he could fit into each box until it was full. He was concentrating so much he had totally forgotten that he wasn’t alone until a hand gently pats his shoulder and he looks over to see Bertie smiling at him. He’s holding out his C3PO mug towards him, the strong scent of sweet strawberry quickly invading Arthit’s senses and for a moment, relaxing his mind. Bertie is holding his own mug with the scent of Camomile coming from it. Smiling back at his father figure, Arthit takes the C3PO mug and quickly takes a sip. He sighs as the beverage takes effect immediately.

“You know,” Bertie starts, taking a sip from his own mug, “I used to laugh at people who drank herbal tea’s. I used to think they were mad for even thinking that this way of helping to detox the body was ridicules and all just tripe. I thought there was no real proof and what not. Do you know what changed my mind?”. He gives Arthit a side look.

Arthit takes another sip but shrugs his shoulders.

“I ran out of coffee and PG Tips one day and the only thing the closest store had was herbal tea’s so I thought I’d give it a go. I mean what was there to loose. If it does anything then great, if it doesn’t then....” Bertie sweeps his hand. “And do you know what happened?”
Arthit looks over at him.