Frankly, Bram didn’t particularly like mattresses. They were volatile things; even a high-end mattress would turn bumpy and rock-hard within a mere decade. Bram reflected on this, frowning, as he turned the doorknob of his store. The storefront wasn’t alluring in any sense, with its peeling green paint the color of a lime gone bad and the slightly smudged sign advertising “Cheap Mattresses” in his leaping sprawl.
When Bram got inside, he plopped himself onto one of his favorite mattresses—Veronica, he called her affectionately. She was one of the leftovers from Before. While Bram disliked most regular mattresses, he held a fondness for the ones from Before. Veronica herself had an upbeat disposition, and the worn placard next to her advertised that she filled her occupant’s slumber with dreams of picnics on hot summer days, cold cups of sweet lemonade, and the tingle of dipping one’s bare toes into water. Bram started to wish for Before, and tried to shed himself of this feeling. Nobody wanted his magical mattresses; he had already learned this, for that was the reason there was a Before and After.
Bram was tapping his fingers tenderly along Veronica’s silken surface when the bell at the door clanged. He startled,.
If Bram was surprised before, he was nothing short of astonished at the woman that walked through the door. Her step was bouncy and spirited, suggesting remnants of youthful energy; the plethora of bangles that she wore up her arms caused her to jangle with every step. In her hands, she clasped a worn newspaper.
“You’re Bram Williams?” she asked as he ogled at her. “Oh good. I was worried you wouldn’t still be here. At your age, most people are retired. Doing what of any importance, I can’t guess—my grandmother trained her pet ferret to do somersaults when she retired. What a waste of time.” She paused, realizing she might have insulted him. “I’m Sally Kirtridge, president of the University of Magical Pursuits. Nice to meet you.” She stuck out her hand to shake, then seemed to think better of it, shoving the newspaper at him instead. “I found this paper when I went through my old files. I was reading through it, and I found an article on a man selling mattresses that gave the occupant sweet dreams. I was, naturally, astounded at this; the control that one must have over one’s magical abilities! Meanwhile, our school is overrun with those silly agriculture professors. Trying to design the perfect genetic makeup for basil through their magic. You don’t even need powers to do that.” She scoffed. “Obviously, I wanted to meet this impressive man, so I came right over here. Mr. Williams, I want to offer you a job at my school. Your work is tremendously interesting to me and my school, and we would be honored to have you work with us.” She eyed him hopefully.
Bram grunted awkwardly. “Ah. Um, well, you see, I don’t do magic anymore. I stopped a long time ago. I’m just a normal mattress guy now.”
Sally stared at him. “Why would a man of such incredible power decide to stop performing his magic?”
Bram did not respond.
“Our school would be overjoyed to have you,” she added persuasively.
Bram looked down at the floor and steeled himself. “Actually, I’m retiring at the end of next month. I’ve had it planned for years now. I’m just too old for this job. I can’t even move the few mattresses that I sell. I haven’t been able to for five years.” His voice broke. “Unfortunately, I won’t be able to take your position. But it’s truly something of a dream for me to be offered it. I always thought that I was…I don’t know. Nobody ever wanted my magic in their house.” He blinked. “Did you actually just offer me a position at UMP? It’s been my dream college ever since I was a little boy. I didn’t get in when I applied. I don’t think they thought that magicking mattresses was a very profound skill.”
“Really?” Sally said quietly, looking him up and down. “Well, you’re all the talk at UMP these days. I shared the article that I found with a few colleagues, and the news spread like wildfire.” She frowned. “Would you at least be willing to give a talk once in a while? I’m sure the students would be overjoyed.”
A childish grin came over Bram’s face. “Actually?”
“Yeah, they’d love it.”
“Well, maybe,” Bram replied, still smiling wider than he had for a very long time.
“I’m glad to hear. This is my card,” Sally said, business-like, as she handed it over to him. “Please write to me with dates that will work for you and I’ll get back to you with more specifics. Now, I should be heading back. Thank you, Mr. Williams.” She shook his hand and left with a chorus of jangles. The door slammed shut behind her.
“Right, then,” Bram muttered under his breath, stroking his mattress. “That’s perfectly alright, isn’t it Veronica? More alright than anything’s ever been for me.” He smiled.
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