Use Your Loaf

"What did he do this time?" An exasperated David Charles stood with his son Jamie outside the Principal's office.

"He threw chairs at other kids." Mrs. MacDougal had become familiar to David, he had spent that much time in the outer office waiting to see Mr. Cuel. Right on cue the suited and booted Head of Woburn High dropped a stack of papers on his secretary's desk then held the door to his office open for father and son.

"Jamie, your behaviour has become intolerable. What happened this time?"

"They wouldn't let me work. I need quiet to work. They made noises." Jamie stared at the floor as he spoke.

"Mr. Charles, I really think your son needs a special unit equipped to deal with his autism."

"But he's doing so well. He scored highly in his mocks." David did not want Jamie to be labelled.

"Yes, if we work with him one to one. The unit would do that. There's no reason he can't take his GCSEs. But any more violent behaviour of this sort and I'll have no choice but to exclude him."

-*-

"We have to pick up a few bits from the shop on the way home." David started the engine.

"List?"

"No, I haven't got a list."

"We need a list." Jamie was getting anxious and started rocking.

"Ok." David switched off the engine and reached over to the glove box. He took out a note book and pen and handed them to Jamie. It really was not worth denying him, especially when driving. "You write. Milk ..."

"How much milk?"

"Two litres ... a dozen eggs ..."

"That's twelve isn't it?"

"Yes, twelve eggs ... and a loaf of bread ... wholemeal sliced."

"Ok." Jamie put the list in his pocket and returned the notebook and pen to the glovebox. David restarted the engine.

-*-

Jamie hated the supermarket - too big, too bright, too noisy, too many people. The local shop was different. He knew Mr. Bond, the shopkeeper, and more importantly Mr. Bond knew Jamie and his ways.

"Good morning Jamie. Have you got a list?" Mr. Bond grinned as Jamie pulled the sheet of paper from his pocket. "You're gonna need a basket."

"Basket. Yes."

"Off you go then." David encouraged Jamie to be independent. He and Mr. Bond watched as Jamie headed to the fridge, picked up a two litre carton of milk, and held it up for inspection. David gave him a thumbs up and he carried on round the corner to the eggs. "He's taking a while. I'd better go check."

David found Jamie staring at the eggs, but then he made a decision and picked up two cartons of six. "Twelve eggs. Six plus six." David nodded and walked back to the till. Suddenly they heard a loud shout of "No" from Jamie, who suddenly appeared from the bakery section. "No bread. We need bread. We gotta have bread."

"Sorry Jamie, the baker hasn't delivered yet. Try again later."

"Where's the baker? We gotta find him. We need bread."

Mr. Bond knew Jamie well enough to know he would not give up on his quest. "I get it from Phillips Bakery on the industrial estate. Actually I'd like to know where Phillips has got to myself."

-*-

"Can we be detectives Dad, go find the baker?" Jamie rarely used the terms Dad or Mum. David was only too happy to go along with it. He drove in the direction of the industrial estate. They were stopped when they got close by a temporary road closure. An accident scene was being cleared.

"That's the baker's van on the flatbed." The vehicle was crushed in at the front. David got out of the car and went to speak to a policeman. "The baker's been taken to the hospital."

"Then we go to the hospital."

"But we know why the baker didn't make the delivery."

"We need bread."

-*-

"I believe you've had a Mr. Phillips brought in. Can we speak to him please."

The receptionist looked David up and down. "Are you relatives?"

"Well no ..."

"We're customers. We need bread." Jamie was getting agitated.

A passing nurse realised Jamie's problem. "I'll go and ask Mr. Phillips if he will see you."

The baker agreed to see the pair, especially when he heard about Jamie's problems. "What can I do for you young man?"

"We need bread."

"Well, I've broken my leg quite badly. I'm afraid I won't be baking for a long time."

"We need bread."

"You could always make some. I can give you the recipe." The baker wrote out a recipe for wholemeal bread and gave it to Jamie.

-*-

David looked at the recipe. "We'll have to go to the big supermarket for these."

"That's okay. I'll wait in the car."

When they got home Jamie set to following the recipe. They soon had two loaves of bread. "Why two."

"Hospital food's yucky. This one's for Mr. Phillips."

When Jamie presented him with it he looked at the loaf. "Good colour, nice crust ..." then he broke of a piece and tasted it. "really good bread." He held his hand out for a shake and for once Jamie took it.

"Don't want to be a detective any more, I'm going to be a baker."