Personal Essay: A Fictional Narrative

Louie Nel catches himself thinking too much about the assignment, putting unnecessary angles and curves on something basically straight-forward. Dammit—that 's unusual. He 's always been level-headed on the job, except maybe right at the very beginning, when he was wetting his feet. That short apprenticeship and then after Bloemfontein it got easier, like passing through a gateway into another universe. Normally his circulation would be ice cool, his head clear. No scrambled egg thoughts breaking out of the shell. Not that he had doubts, not a single one. There was something though. Disconcertions ... was that a word? Recent visits to a company doctor in Jo 'burg. An elderly, soft spoken, competent gentleman, careful with words, especially when he was dropping them like dirty bombs. An explosive diagnosis which sounded like it had been named especially for him. In his honour. His affliction alone. Lewy Body Dementia. And now, here, on a foreign shore, could it be kicking …show more content…
In Billy 's scheme of things Thursday had been a doozy. He 'd left his wife, Marlene, after thirty-seven years together, thirty-four married. Some good times, but too much spent punishing each other in recent years. Too much jump and not enough jive. And now here he is, on his lonesome, like some bleak country and western song. Maybe he should buy a mournful dog, except his lease spells out no pets. Thursday he 'd packed what he could into his car, signed the lease form late afternoon and then moved in, partly. He 'd picked up the folding bed from the furniture shop down the road and would complete his move at the weekend. Can 't help thinking, fretting, what has he done? Going over it, again and again, in his head. Can 't lie still. Moves about gingerly. This poor excuse for a bed is flimsy, like lying on balsa wood. Why 'd he buy it? Feels down enough in his head without it being so close to the floor. How long is he going to feel sorry for himself? Why 'd he do it?