Refraction by Christopher Hinz

Author:Christopher Hinz
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780857668660
Publisher: Watkins Media
Published: 2020-11-15T00:00:00+00:00

THIRTY-EIGHT

Body odor vanquished, Aiden changed his own dressings and joined Jessie and Mabeline at the kitchen table. Despite the hour, Mabeline had laid out a generous variety of breakfast staples. He dove in, sampled everything. He was hungrier than he’d imagined. The scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, wholewheat toast and silver-dollar pancakes went down with ease.

Ned wheeled himself to the table as Aiden and Jessie were finishing their coffee. He ate like a creature from the wild, hunched over his plate, his beard collecting scraps. At one point, he leaned back and allowed Mabeline to use an old toothbrush to comb out crumbs trapped in his facial growth.

“What’s for dessert?” Ned growled, handing her his empty plate.

“No dessert till supper. Remember what the doctor said?”

His cheeks flared crimson. He slammed his fist on the table, startling Aiden and Jessie. “Goddamn it, woman! I’ll be dead soon! A man needs his dessert.”

“The pancake syrup was sweet, dear.”

“Of course it was! Don’t you think I know that?”

Mabeline, unruffled, carried his plate to the sink. Ned picked up his fork to spear more food. Confusion bloomed on the grizzled face when he realized the plate was gone. His eyes betrayed growing panic.

“Mabeline?” he whimpered, sounding like a lost child. “Mabeline, where are you?”

“Right here, hon. I’m right here.” She hustled back to the table, gently massaged his shoulders. “You mustn’t let yourself get too excited.”

Ned came back from whatever dark place his mind had wandered into. He nodded to Aiden and Jessie. “Deke’s in the study. Join us when you’re done.”

He pivoted the wheelchair and accelerated from the room. Mabeline offered an apologetic smile.

“I hope my husband didn’t alarm you.”

“Alzheimer’s?” Jessie asked.

Mabeline nodded.

“I’m sorry.”

“He’s all right most of the time,” Mabeline said, clearing more plates from the table. “He just hits a few speed bumps now and then.”

Aiden knew that those speed bumps were destined to grow higher and more foreboding. The father of one of his high school friends had suffered from the early onset version of the disease.

They offered to help with the dishes. Mabeline shooed them away with a resolute smile.

“It’s all right. I can handle things.”

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