Writing Prompt: There was a hole in his sweater.

Morning all. Its a rainy Friday today, but i can’t say I mind. I have scheduled to write today and for some reason I always write better in the rain. I think it is akin to getting great ideas in the shower. Anyway, let’s start off the morning prompt shall we? Timers at the ready and off we go.

I like John. As a character at least. He might get on my nerves as a person, but I think there is a lot to play with where he is concerned. I just need to figure out a story for our careful John to be slipped into. Kind of a fun way to end the week.

Friday, December 1^st: There was a hole in his sweater.

There was a hole in his sweater.  He stared at it.  How had he not seen this before?  He put his finger under the hole.  It was a small one like the pearl head of one of his grandmother’s straight pins. He glanced at the clock.  He was running late already and he knew he didn’t have any more clean clothes that would be appropriate. 

This would have to do.  He shifted his hand away from the hole and decided he would have to just do his best to forget about it until the end of the day.  He swung his suit jacked on over his sweater and sjirt combo and the jacket covered the hole completely.  It would have to do. 

‘Luckily the heater isn’t working well so the office is always cold.’

Today it would be his saving grace.  The jacket would not have to be removed.  No one would notice the hole.  As long as he could forget it, he would be fine. 

He swung his outer coat over the rest of his outfit and then slipped the strap of his briefcase over his head and across his body.  He took his keys from the hook by the door and let himself into the hall.  John locked the door behind himself and then turned.  His neighbor, Louise was already descending the stairwell.  Usually he walked past her as she was opening her apartment door. 

It was a measure of how far behind he was. 

‘A few steps to catch up quickly and I will be right back on track.’ He told himself, quelling the rising panic.  He hated being late.  It reminded him of things best left undisturbed in his memories.  John took ground eating strides to the door and followed Louise down the stairwell and into the lobby.  When they exited the building, she went left, and he went right. 

No one was ahead of him, as usual so he took the opportunity to increase his pace to make certain that he could make up the time he lost.  By the time he reached the corner, there were other people.  They were all the familiar faces and all of them arrived at the same time as usual.  He matched their pace, his timing exactly what it should be. 

John felt something inside him relax as he settled back into his normal rhythm.  He was back on track and his walk to work was paced at his normal speed.  He was no longer late.  As always there was a cart outside his office building.  He was the third in line as he stopped.  Nancy from Accounts, Mike from HR, and Parker from three cubicles down were all in line in front of him, as they were every day. 

The line moved at a steady pace and each got their coffee. With cup in hand they each made their way to the main office building.  John followed suit.  He held the warm cup in his hand as he went to the office door and stepped inside.  He hesitated with his first sip, wanting it to be after he settled in his cubicle and was waiting for his computer to run through it’s opening cycles.  John went to the security check point and again waited in line.  Nancy, Mike and Parker were in front of him. Alex was in front of Nancy.  It was as it should be.  They all shuffle stepped through and showed their badge to the electronic reader while the security guard watched them.  Then then walked through the metal detectors.  John waited his turn.  As always he held his breath as he went through the metal detector and tried not to think of brain tumors.  Then he was through and another day could begin.