Forgot to Remember

Wednesday / Thursday

Wednesday / Thursday

"Ma'am you're kidding me, right? It can't be 2005" Anthony said scowling at the lady sitting across the desk.
"I'm sorry Mr McPartlin, but it's true," the lady said apologetically.
"I got old." Ant sneered in disgust. He was completely pissed off with his current situation.
"30 isn't old! You're quite young." Adrian soothed him
"What do you know? You're nearly antique." Ant said rudely. Adrian laughed. The boy had taken in his predicament quite calmly. Like any other teenager the fear of old age outweighed the problem that he had lost a major chunk of his memory. Adrian escorted Ant back to his hospital room. As he sat watching the man climb into the bed, he sent up a silent prayer of thanks that luckily there had been no injury to the man's brain. This assured the elderly physician that it was only a matter of time before Ant would remember something. All that he needed was a trigger. But what was Ant supposed to do until the time he regained his memory. An injured arm ruled out any kind of physical work, maybe he could entertain the other patients.
"Can you tell jokes?" Adrian asked the young man once Ant had settled down in the bed.
"Of course I can. My ambition is to become an entertainment presenter."
Ant's mood instantly brightened and he chirped "Hey if I'm 30 then I must have completed college and maybe my career evolved from 'Why don't you' and I am now a proper presenter."
"Could be." Adrian answered slowly, having no idea what 'Why don't you?' is supposed to be and what a twelve year old might have been doing there.
"Wow! A presenter! I wonder what show I present."

"We found a key chain of A&D Productions, which would mean we have a clue to where you might belong. I've looked it up, it is situated in Chiswick, London.
"Wow. That must mean I made it, if I've got a key to a production company. I bet Sarha must be proud of me.
"Who is Sarha?" Adrian got excited as well, this was finally going somewhere.
"My younger sister. She always told me that I would make it sometime."
"Let's not get too excited yet. It might not be what you think it is." Adrian said extracting Ant's key ring from his coat pocket and handed them to the younger man.
Anthony stared at the key ring intently, it definitely looked familiar
Adrian was mentally congratulating himself. By the look on Ant's face, he was helping this patient. This was something he hadn't done since he was forced to retire due to his failing health. He remembered how his wife Tanja had almost dragged him out of the house, to go walking along the river side with her.
"To rescue a man and then have him turn out to be from Chiswick, it definitely wasn't a coincidence. God had definitely sent this man to him on purpose. Tanja was the religious one, so God must be testing him if he was really worth his wife. He would go back home tomorrow and this man would be going along with him. Helping Anthony was Adrian's mission now.

Ant looked out of the taxi's window and watched the passing scenery. He couldn't wait to go to Chiswick and find out if he really made it as a presenter. He wondered what he had done all these years. Arriving in his new 'home', he looked around the simple room, that the kind doctor and his wife would let him stay in. They said it had belonged to their son who now went back to America. He looked at the clothes he was wearing.
*Adrian's son must be quiet tall* Ant thought as he cuffed the bottom of the jeans. The kind couple had said they would take him round Chiswick later in the evening hoping to jog his memory or at least elicit some information about his family.
Ant hated not knowing if he really belonged in Chiswick or not. Adrian had called his parent's number in Newcastle but the phone had been disconnected. They must have moved to another house. Ant wanted to punch something, the wall was not an option so he punched the mattress. The action sent a jolt coursing through his body. Suddenly the face of a nasty looking bald man emerged in his mind.
Then the mocking face said "Hit me you little faggot" making Ant growl. Then instantly a second image came to his mind. It was of a man with a plaster on his left eyebrow and he was smiling at him. That latter image of that smiling, gentle, trusting face somehow made Ant feel calmer. He felt like a homing pigeon that had to fly just another few miles before it reached home. It was a little after six when the Smiths finally set out for a walk with Ant in tow. Nothing in particular stood out or even looked familiar to him. They had just crossed a park when Ant's eyes fell on a burnt building. Beside the charred entryway lay a blackened sign which told the three of them that it used to be a photo studio. The image of a girl with long dark brown hair came to his mind.
"This building," Ant pointed at the abandoned structure, "I've been here."
Adrian felt slightly elated.
*So the boy's brain is slowly rewiring itself. It's a good sign*
But since he didn't want to get Ant's hopes up, he said in a neutral physician's tone that he had perfected over many decades, "That's good, son. That means you either live around here or have friends in this area."
He then looked at his watch.
"It's 8pm already. Time we headed back home."
"Okay" Ant mumbled dejectedly. Tanja saw Anthony's downcast look and gently patted his cheek, "Pet, tomorrow is a new day. You can continue your hunt tomorrow."
Ant submissively nodded.

Back home the couple watched Ant eat.
"He sure has a very healthy appetite," Tanja remarked to her husband in a whisper as they stood together washing the dishes. "I just hope he isn't tricking us."
"Tanja all we can do is trust our instincts. But just to be on the safe side put away your jewellery in the strong box and make sure it's properly locked." Adrian whispered back and threw a secret glance at Ant. He was relieved when he saw that the dark haired man was lost in savouring his food. Taking a last look around the room he was to stay in, Ant switched off the lights. He lay down on the bed and instantly fell into a restful sleep. He saw a man in a red jacket and dark blue jeans dancing around in a familiar kitchen to the cheery beats of a Lily Allen song.
*Why do I know Lily Allen's music* Ant couldn't help but wonder. The man in his mind was now waving a box of yogurt at Ant and approached him,
"I even bought your favourite yogurt," the stranger said. For some reason this comment made Anthony feel like giggling. Ant knew he answered the man but he couldn't make out his own words. Then suddenly he was kissing the man. Ant jolted awake but he could still feel the warmth of those soft lips on his own.