Learning to Remember

4. A Gift

"Oh, John. Hello." She breathed out a sigh of relief that it was someone familiar as she answered the door and invited him in.

"How are you doing?" He asked as he walked in, a couple hours after he had left her that same morning.

"Pretty much the same. I've been going through the desk and the filing cabinets in the office. No memories have returned yet but I feel lIke I have a small glimpse into who I am. At least at work, anyway."

"That's a good start." He offered.

"Exactly. And the more I dig, the more I'll discover." She smiled.

"That's the spirit." John smiled as he sat a bag onto her entry room table. "Here, I got something for you."

"You did?" She asked as she watched him pull something from the bag. " John, that's too much."

"It's just a pay as you go phone. I didn't like the idea of you not having anything here in case you needed help or anything."

"That is very thoughtful, John. I hate to accept something like that but that actually would make me feel a lot better. Especially since I have no idea what the password is for the laptop I found in the office. Thank you so much."

"I already programmed my cell in there in case you need me."

"Thank you. I promise once all of this is sorted, I will pay you back."

"It's really OK. It wasn't that much."

"No, I won't feel at peace until I pay you back. Especially after you've helped me so much and spent so much of your time."

John smiled as he looked down at her. "OK, if it will really make you feel better. But we can figure that out later."

She nodded as she looked down at the phone. She put it in her pocket and then looked up at him. "Do you have a few more minutes? Can I show you something?"

"Sure, what's up?"

She had him follow her into the office.

"Whoa, you have been busy. He chuckled as he looked at all of the boxes and files and papers strewn across the floor."

She shrugged a shoulder. "I just felt like it was helping me visualize everything. Anyway, I think most of this is for the school. Right?"

He bent down and glanced through a handful of the file folders on the floor. "Yeah, it looks like a lot of lesson plans and assignments."

"OK, that's what I was wondering. But I really wasn't sure. Honestly I don't understand most of what's on there. If I don't get my memory back, there's no way I could teach that to anyone when I don't understand it myself." She sighed.

"Unfortunately, I can't help you there. He said as he rubbed the back of his head."

"I didn't ask, what is it you teach?"

"Two different things, actually. For the past few years, I've done a morning US history class and then I have a couple blocks of physical Ed classes I teach. That, and I coach the guys JV soccer team."

"Oh, that's cool. I bet you are a great teacher and coach. You are certainly very patient with me."

He chuckled and then thanked her. "Have you tackled any of that in the corner yet?" He asked as he pointed to the piles of boxes that were stacked at her eye level.

"I glanced at a couple of them. Looks like Christmas decorations and some serving platters and stuff like that." But I'll get around to opening the rest of them eventually. Considering how long I've lived here, it seems I wasn't in too much of a hurry to unpack them so I'm guessing there's not anything too important in there."