Swirl

1. Whites Only. (Time-jump)

Approaching the corner store, Achim walked through the entrance named 'Whites only' in large bold print.

As he browsed through the aisles of the store, he held the grocery list that his mum gave to him to make sure he had gotten all of the things she had asked for. He wouldn't want to make a return trip because he hated shopping. He only came willingly today because it was a special case.

Earlier that morning, he had asked his mum if she would be willing to make her famous homemade lasagna for dinner. It was his favorite and recently, he had been craving. She retorted by saying that she didn't have all the ingredients stocked in her pantry. And for the very first time in his life, he offered to go to the store for her. Obviously, being a mum, she milked the opportunity and gave him an extensive list of everything that they needed at home. To make it worthwhile for him, she even gave him the keys to their Volkswagen beetle.

Lasagna strips...,
Mozzarella and cheddar cheese...,
Minced meat...,
Garlic...,
Tomato sauce...,
Washing powder...,
Dishwashing paste...

Achim's mental checklist was disturbed by the sound of a familiar voice. He looked up and was face to face with Ronald, an old boyfriend of his mother's. He last saw him a good ten years ago. He wasn't particularly fond of him but he didn't despise him either. He treated him decently when he was around but his loyalties lay with his mother, as such, he wasn't in the mood for this conversation.

"Achim, my boy! I knew I recognized you," he said as he dropped a heavy palm on Achim's shoulder. "You've grown into a fine young lad." He smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes.

I'm a man now, but okay, thought Achim.

"Ronald! It's great to see you mate. How's Debbie?" The whore you cheated on my mother with.

"She's alright, we have a bun in the oven, and I'm excited! I can only hope he grows to be as fine as you," he said with slight remorse in his eyes. The crinkles that would normally show around the eyes of someone who was genuinely excited were missing in action.

Remorse about what, though? You said you were excited.

Curtly, Achim responded, "Good to know." With that he tried to make a smooth exit and slowly diverted his eyes and trolley towards the direction he was about to head to. Smiling briefly at Ronald, he nodded his head and turned towards his left, in the direction of the baking powder that he intended to get.

Before he could make his escape, Ronald grabbed his wrist. Shocked, Achim looked at Ronald with question marks in his eyes. He wasn't scared of Ronald, because he matched his height. Together, they stood at a height of nearly 6'3, give or take an inch.

He met with Ronald's gaze of angst. He looked like he had something he wanted to say but he was too scared to say it. Achim turned back to him, and Ronald dropped his hand.

"Is there something I can help you with, sir?" asked Achim.

Ronald giggled nervously, "Come on, my boy, you can drop the formalities. I was almost your step father after all."

Achim raised one of his almost perfect eyebrows. It was a very bold statement for someone who had done what he did to his so called 'almost wife.' Lucky enough, Achim was mild tempered and seldom reacted out of turn. He maintained his composure and asked, "Is there something you needed, Ronald?"

Ronald shifted his weight from foot to foot and looked at Achim as he fiddled with his fingers, "Tell me, son... how is your mother?"

Ah, the million-dollar question. Achim wondered why Ronald had been so afraid to ask. It wasn't a crime. They had, after all, shared beds at one point in time.