XXL

I have lost 20 pounds and I am very pleased with
myself.

My son can’t understand the difference though, he still thinks
I am fat. I realized that today when we walked down the
street.

William has started to read and he is keen on reading the
registration numbers of cars passing – to see if the first three
letters form a funny word. He is also getting interested in
cars.

Ten years ago when we moved to a new flat in the centre of
Stockholm we sold our car and we’ve been going by taxi the
few times we needed to go somewhere where the bus or
subway couldn’t take us.

William now realizes that all his friends’ parents have cars
and what he thought was the luxury of riding a taxi once in a
while is now overshadowed by friends getting picked up at
school in nice looking cars.

- “Dad, if you bought a new car..,” he said.

- “Yeah…”

- “I am sure the registration number would begin with XXL”.

Published in Weeks Like This (2005)