He is in Amnesia Learn English through story level 2
that morning
my wife and i said our usual goodbyes
she left her second cup of tea
and she followed me to the front door
she did this every day
she took from my coat her hair which was
not there
and she told me to be careful
she always did this
i closed the door
and she went back to her tea
i am a lawyer and i work very hard
my friend dr volny
told me not to work so hard
you’ll be ill he said
a lot of people who work too hard get
very tired and suddenly they forget who
they are
they can’t remember anything
it’s called amnesia
you need a change and a rest
but i do rest i replied
on thursday nights my wife and i play a
game of cards
and on sundays she reads me her weekly
letter from her mother
that morning
when i was walking to work
i thought about dr volny’s words
i was feeling very well
and pleased with life
when i woke up
i was on a train and feeling
very uncomfortable after a long sleep
i sat back in my seat and i tried to
think
after a long time
i said to myself
i must have a name
i looked in my pockets
no letter
no papers
nothing with my name on
but i found three thousand dollars
i must be someone i thought
the train was crowded with men who were
all very friendly
one of them came and sat next to me
hi
my name’s rp boulder boulder and sun
from missouri
you’re going to the meeting in new york
of course
what’s your name
i had to reply to him
so i said quickly
edward pink hammer
from cornopolis kansas
he was reading a newspaper but every few
minutes he looked up from it to talk to
me
i understood from his conversation that
he was a druggist
and he thought that i was a druggist too
are all these men druggists i asked
yes they are he answered
like us
they’re all going to the yearly meeting
in new york
after a time he held out his newspaper
to me
look at that he said
here’s another of those men who run away
and then say that they have forgotten
who they are
a man gets tired of his business and his
family and he wants to have a good time
he goes away somewhere and when they
find him he says that he doesn’t know
who he is
and that he can’t remember anything
i took the paper
and read this
denver june 12th
elwyn c belford an important lawyer in
the town
left home three days ago and has not
come back
just before he left he took out a lot of
money from his bank
nobody has seen him since that day
he is a quiet man who enjoys his work
and is happily married
but mr belford works very hard
and it is possible that he has amnesia
but sometimes people do forget who they
are mr boulder i said
oh come on mr boulder answered
it’s not true you know
these men just want something more
exciting in their lives
another woman perhaps
something different
we arrived in new york at about 10
o’clock at night
i took a taxi to a hotel
and i wrote the name edward pinkhammer
in the hotel book
suddenly
i felt wild and happy
i was free
a man without a name can do anything
the young man behind the desk at the
hotel looked at me
a little strangely
i had no suitcase
i’m here for the druggists meeting i
said
uh my suitcase is lost
i took out some money and gave it to him
the next day i bought a suitcase and
some clothes
and i began to live the life
of edward pinkhammer
i didn’t try to remember who
or what i was
the next few days in manhattan were
wonderful the theaters the gardens the
music
the restaurants the nightlife
the beautiful girls
and during this time i learned something
very important
if you want to be happy you must be free
sometimes i went to quiet expensive
restaurants with soft music
sometimes i went on the river in boats
full of noisy young men and their
girlfriends
and then there was broadway with its
theaters and bright lights
one afternoon
i was going back into my hotel when a
fat man came and stood in front of me
hello belford he cried loudly
what are you doing in new york
is mrs b with you
i’m sorry
but you’re making a mistake sir i said
coldly
my name is pink hammer
please excuse me
the man moved away in surprise
and i walked over to the desk
behind me the man said something about a
telephone
give me my bill i said to the man behind
the desk
and
bring down my suitcase in half an hour
that afternoon
i moved to a quiet little hotel
on fifth avenue
one afternoon
in one of my favorite restaurants on
broadway
i was going to my table when somebody
pulled my arm
mr belford a sweet voice cried
i turned quickly and saw a woman who was
sitting alone
she was about 30
and she had very beautiful eyes
how can you walk past me like that she
said
didn’t you know me
i sat down at her table
her hair was a beautiful red gold color
are you sure you know me i asked
no she smiled
i never really knew you
well my name is edward pinkhammer i said
and i’m from
kansas so
you haven’t brought mrs belford with you
then she said and she laughed
you haven’t changed much in 15 years
erwin
her wonderful eyes looked carefully at
my face
no she said quietly
you haven’t forgotten
i told you that you could never forget
i’m sorry i answered
but that’s the trouble
i have forgotten i’ve forgotten
everything
she laughed
did you know that i’m married six months
after you did
it was in all the newspapers
she was silent for a minute
then she looked up at me again
tell me one thing elwynn she said softly
since that night 15 years ago
can you touch
smell or look at white roses
and not think of me
i can only say that i
don’t remember any of this i said
carefully
i’m very sorry
i tried to look away from her
she smiled
and stood up to leave
then she held out her hand to me
and i took it for a second
oh yes
you remember
she said
with a sweet unhappy smile
goodbye
elwyn belford
that night i went to the theater
and when i returned to my hotel a quiet
man in dark clothes was waiting for me
mr pink hammer he said
can i speak with you for a minute
there’s a room here
i followed him into a small room
a man and a woman were there
the woman was
still beautiful
but her face was unhappy and tired
i liked everything about her the man who
was about 40 came to meet me
belford he said
i’m happy to see you again
i told you that you were working too
hard
now you can come home with us
you’ll soon be all right
my name i said is edward pinkhammer i’ve
never seen you before in my life
the woman cried out oh
i’m your wife
she put her arms around me
but i pushed them away
oh
doctor folny what is the matter with him
the woman cried
go to your room the doctor said to her
you’ll soon be well again
the woman left
and so did the man in the dark clothes
the man who was a doctor
turned to me and said quietly
listen
your name is not edward pink hammer
i know that i replied
but a man must have a name
why not pink hammer
your name the doctor said is elwyn
belford
you are one of the best lawyers in
denver
and that woman is your wife
she’s a a very fine woman i said after a
minute
i love the color of her hair
she’s a very good wife the doctor
replied
when you left two weeks ago she was very
unhappy
then we had a telephone call from a man
who saw you in a hotel here
i
think i remember him i said
he called me belford
excuse me but
who are you
i’m bobby volney
i’ve been your friend for 20 years and
your doctor for 15 years elwynn try to
remember
you say you’re a doctor i said
how can i get better
does amnesia go slowly or suddenly
sometimes slowly sometimes suddenly
will you help me dr volny i asked
old friend he said i’ll do everything
possible
very well
and if you’re my doctor you can’t tell
anybody what i say
of course not dr vonnie answered
i stood up
there were some white roses on the table
i went over to the table
picked up the roses and threw them far
out of the window
then i sat down again
i
think it will be best bobby i said
to get better suddenly
i’m a little tired of it all now
go and bring my wife marion in now
but
oh doctor i said with a happy smile
oh my good old friend
it was wonderful
you