"So what do you want to bring?"
I watch her folding clothes and packing them into a bag. She picks up my pillow, plumps it and holds it out to me.
"Do you want to bring this? A reminder of home?"
"They have pillows."
"Okay, not the pillow. What about this?"
She holds up a box of items, all from my mama, which she sent over the years; Postcards, birthday cards, get well soon notes, pebbles. Everything she gave me.
"Is it allowed?"
"They allow you to have personals. This counts."
"Okay."
"I'll tape the lid so that nothing falls out. I'm pretty sure I left it in the kitchen."
I nod and she leaves the room. I venture from my blanket to look at all the things she has put in the bag. There are shirts and underwear and socks. I think she is lying, saying I can wear my own clothes. I think they will give me a gown or maybe a strait jacket. It's not specified in the brochure. She's also put in books, paperbacks so I can't damage myself. The brochure told me that the food is nice there but I think that they will force feed me when I'm not hungry. If I resist, they could put me down... I think my drugs are making me paranoid.
"Is everything okay? I'm not missing anything?"
She's back. "No."
"The car's coming in 10 minutes. Are you sure you're okay with this?"
"I don't have a choice."
"Don't think of it like that. Think of it as a holiday."
"Okay."
"Are you sure nothing's missing?"
I think for a second.
"I want to bring the pillow."
"Okay," She looks at me and smiles sympathetically. "Okay."
YOU ARE READING
Ups and Downs
General FictionIan has depression. He feels pretty hopeless and doesn't know how he's going to cope with any of it.
