It’s hard / February

‘What’s that?’ she said, pointing at one of my paintings. I had a friend over to watch the finals of Sanremo.

‘Oh, that tracks my alcohol consumption,’ I said, ‘I want to cut it down.’

‘Ah I get it.’ She studied the painting. ‘I see a pattern emerging around the weekends.’ she said, laughing.

‘Yeah, Saturday Nights out. And on Sundays I make fish & chips, my son’s favorite meal. I make it with a beer batter, so I drink what’s left. Don’t want to let it go to waste!’

She looked at me understandingly.

‘Last Sunday my mind started playing with me, though.’ I lowered my voice as though I was revealing a dark secret, ‘I bought two bottles instead of one. I was thinking, if I already drink half a bottle, I might just add another one.’ I said, making a face reflecting my own stupidity.

She looked at me, puzzled. ‘But you include beer? It has only 5%. Don’t you think you should exclude beer?’

I caught my mind considering this attractive option, before resolutely putting an end to the thought.

‘Nah,’ I said, ‘I’m doing this for real.’