A New Winter Jacket

The doorbell rang and rang and rang.

“Yes, yes, yes,” I said as I walked to the door.

The doorbell rang and rang and rang again.

“Okay, okay, okay, I’m coming.”

The doorbell rang once more then stopped abruptly. I opened the door.

Beth was standing there with a jacket in her hand. “Josh, Josh, do you want this jacket?”

“Huh?”

“It’s a good jacket, good quality, I reckon it would fit you.”

I held out my hand to take it.

“Um, er, hi Beth.”

“It was my brother’s and he only bought good stuff.”

“It looks kind of nice.”

“That’s the brother who died, not the one who is still alive.”

“Okay.”

“I mean, he didn’t die in this jacket.”

“Good to know.”

“Well, um, no, they would have said.”

“Who would have said?”

“The family.”

“If he died wearing this jacket.”

“Yes, they would have said.”

“Okay.”

“Oh, of course he didn’t die in this jacket.”

“Okay.” I took the jacket from Beth.”

“He blew his brains out with a gun.”

“He what?”

“And if he’d been wearing this jacket it would be covered in blood.”

“You are really selling it, Beth.”

“Don’t worry, he wasn’t wearing it.”

I slipped my arm into it, 

“It looks like you, don’t you think?”

And then the other arm.

“You know suity, you know like you wear.”

“It’s double breasted.”

“Yes, you do these buttons up.”

“Yes…”

“And these buttons.”

“I know.”

“Like this.”

And then I was standing in my hallway being dressed by my next door neighbour Beth.”

“Thanks mum.”

“You are so funny, Josh.”

“Hysterical.”

“See, it fits you good, once you are buttoned up.”

“I love being buttoned up in jackets in winter. I like that feeling of being snug, strapped in, protected against the cold.”

“There you go,” said Beth.

“It's like mother's love.”

“Dressed like a little boy.”

“That's the one thing I like about the winter.”

“Making yourself all snug and warm.”

“Oh and the cold on my face in the mornings.”

“Fresh,” said Beth.

“It's bracing, it reminds me that I am alive.

“Well, there you go,” said Beth. “A new jacket just for you.”

“Thanks Beth.”

“It’s okay.” Then she turned, opened the front door, and left, banging the front door closed behind her.