Richard nibbles at a slice of pumpernickel; the flavour is earthy, almost rancid, the texture like glue in his mouth. The frustration he"s been feeling for days turns to fury with every swallow. He promises himself that one day soon, he"ll switch to white bread. He"s suffered the loaf long enough. How many years has it been? He reflects back and realises with a shock that half a century has passed since he adopted the habit, a habit born of grief and guilt over his mother"s tragic suicide. No one takes their own life because their son won"t eat the bread put in front of him. No one. Even if he"d gone into a full-blown tantrum. It"s time to let go and move on. Time to move on from a lot of things, in fact. He needs progress and it"s hard to come by. The pumpernickel, he decides with a measu
