Stuart sat down on the plush leather sofa and took in his surroundings. He had never been in this house before yet it was supposedly the home of his best friend. He noticed a picture on the mantle showing Adam with his wife and kids. He recognised all of them and could recall a dozen times in the last twelve months when he and Lauren spent time with them at dinners, at BBQs and on days out. Lauren loved Adam’s kids and had brooded over them through the baby and toddler years. He could hear Adam whistling in the kitchen as he busied himself making the tea. He had hoped his friend would be able to help him unravel the mess he found himself in, yet everything he saw here just added to the confusion. He was dreading hearing the person he was closest to, other than his brother, dismiss the only life he knew. So, when Adam came back with the tea he decided to try a different tack. “Here you go mate,” his friend offered as he handed him the tea. Stuart noted Adam held the tea in his right hand and had probably stared at this a little longer than would be normal. He could see his friend look at him with a concerned expression on his face.
“You alright Stu? Do you want to talk about what’s been going on?”
“Shit, were do I start? How much have you already been told?”
“Well, Dave has filled me in the best he could but to be honest he’s a bit fucked up mate. He doesn’t know what to make of all this. I wanted to come and see you myself in hospital but he told me to wait until the doctors said the time was right. He said you’re barely speaking to him and think he’s involved in some sort of conspiracy against you. What’s going on mate? This is not like you at all.”
“I suppose I have been a bit hard on him.” Stuart said as much to himself as to Adam. “I’ve just been really struggling to remember how things should be.”
“Well from all accounts you’ve been through the mill, Stu. It’s not surprising you can’t remember everything. Don’t be too harsh on yourself.”
“It’s not that I can’t remember things Adam. I have absolute clarity in my mind of how things should be. It’s trying to fit what I actually see to what I think I should be seeing.” Stuart looked around the room hoping to see something that was familiar. He turned back to Adam. “Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?”
“Yeh, course, whatever helps.” Adam answered. He sat down on a chair opposite to where Stuart sat on the sofa.
“Ok, it might seem a bit odd but bear with me. How did we get to know each other?”
“We went to the same school. I used to protect you,” Adam added laughing.
“See. In my head we went to different schools but met after talking to each other on the CB radio!”
“No mate, I never had a CB. Are you thinking of Paul Dent? He had one.”
“Fuck knows. Ok, have you ever worked as a dispatch cyclist in London?”
“Absolutely not, you’d have to have a death wish to do that shit.”
“Yeh, you’re not wrong there pal! Right, here we go. Have you ever known me have a girlfriend called Lauren?”
“Lauren, Lauren, that name rings a bell. Ha-ha, get it? Rings a bell, Lauren Bell? Sorry, course I remember Lauren mate, that little stunner you got off with at that party years ago and never shut up about for months after. What happened to her anyway?”
“That’s the thing Adam. In my mind I have been married to Lauren for the past four years. We met up again seven years ago. You and Liz are as much a friend to her as you are to me. I don’t get it mate, I just don’t get it.”
“Shit, that is fucked Stu. Listen, get another brew on, I want to show you something.” Stuart headed for the kitchen and did as his friend asked. By the time he returned to the living room with two refills of tea, Adam had spread out a selection of photos on the coffee table. He told Stuart to look through them and point out any he remembered. Stuart scanned through them closely. There were shots of the two of them skiing and snowboarding, family shots at BBQs with Adam, Liz, the kids and Dave. There were some with Dave, Adam and a few other guys Stuart did not recognise in what looked like a street bar. He did not recall any of the scenes displayed. He felt the anxiety rising again. “Adam, I don’t remember a single one of these events, yet there I am. As far as I know I have never skied or snowboarded. Those two guys with us in that bar, never seen them before in my life! What is going on mate?” Adam was determined to help his friend remember. “Stu, look at him,” he pointed to a big guy in the photo in the bar. “You must remember Chunky! We still talk about him to this day. Look, remember this?” He rolled his sleeve up revealing the blue ink tattooed letters AMS09. Stuart just shrugged and shook his head. “Show me yours.” Adam patted the top of Stuart’s right arm. “I don’t have any tattoos,” Stuart said, looking questioningly at his friend. “Course you do, we all got them. Take your shirt off.”
“Ok then,” Stuart said looking somewhat indignant. He undid his shirt and slipped it off revealing two bare arms and no tattoo. Adam looked at his friend in amazement. It wasn’t just the missing tattoo, it was his physique. There was not an ounce of fat on him. Stuart had not exactly been overweight but like most men his age he had developed a middle-aged spread. “What’s going on Stuart? Have you been on some kind of fitness regime? Are you on steroids? That could be it mate. Those things really mess you up.”
“No, I’m not on steroids. I’ve been in a coma and under a lot of stress. That’s why I’ve lost weight.”
“But what about the tattoo?” his friend asked almost pleading for a rational explanation for this. “I’ve never had a tattoo Adam. Despite what you remember and what those photos suggest, I have never been to Amsterdam with you or those other guys who I don’t even know. I can’t explain it but look,” he patted the top of his arm, “no tattoo. Now can you appreciate what I’m going through?”
“Shit, this really is messed up,” his friend offered. “Ok listen, I have to go and get Liz and the kids from the grandparents. Why don’t you wait here and when we get back we’ll have dinner and try and figure out where we are getting our lines crossed. Liz is bound to be able to throw some light on it. You know what she’s like, always the voice of reason.”
“No mate, I appreciate your offer but this is just the tip of the iceberg. I’ll give you a call tomorrow after I’ve spoken with the doctor again.”
“Well just let me know if there’s anything at all I can do Stu.”
“Course mate, I’ll be in touch soon.” Stuart told him as he left feeling despondent.