Tales of Accidental Genius Read Online Free

aren’t going to make it.”
    It was twenty minutes before the next bus, so Akin decided to pick up a snack from the supermarket for his ride home. Browsing a selection of recently reduced items, he noticed a gray figure bending over a freezer.
    â€œHello,” Akin said.
    The old man looked up. “You’re the lad from the pet shop.”
    â€œBuying peas for Piper?”
    â€œThat’s right,” said the old man. “But there’s too much of a selection, I don’t know which kind to get.”
    â€œGet organic ones.”
    â€œAre they better?”
    â€œThat’s what my mum gives us.”
    Akin and the old man left the shop together and found themselves walking in the same direction. It was raining and neither had an umbrella.
    When it began to pour, the old man asked Akin if he would like to come and meet Piper. His small pensioner’s flat was only one street away, and there was an umbrella he’d be willing to lend the young assistant.
    On the way there, Akin asked how long Piper had been upside down.
    â€œAbout three weeks,” the old man said. “He just hasn’t been himself.”
    As they approached the concrete tower where the old man lived, Akin suddenly stopped.
    â€œOh no,” he said, feeling his pockets. “I’ve forgotten my bus pass.”
    He knelt down and rummaged through his backpack.
    â€œBut we’re here,” the old man said, pointing to a sign that read GODWIN COURT . “This is where I live.”
    â€œYeah, I know, but if I left my bus pass in the shop, I have to get it before Gerald closes up.”
    â€œWell, if you must go, I’m number three. I’ll leave the door unlocked. You will come, won’t you?”
    T HE RAIN TURNED to snow on Akin’s journey back to the old man’s apartment. Cars crawled along with their headlights burning.
    There was a particular odor to 3 Godwin Court that Akin would forever associate with old age. Piles of newspapers rose up like small islands from a sea of carpet. Dirty clothes had been dumped in one corner, and in another, empty cereal boxes, egg cartons, and plastic ice cream containers with mold furring over the remains. The sink had not been touched for some time, andthe standing water was coated by a dark skin. On the stove, unwashed pots and pans were piled up, most stained with corrosion or decaying food. A Victorian cabinet tucked into a corner of the sitting room was crowded with ceramic statues that looked out with delicate, painted eyes.
    The fish tank was on a table next to a maroon armchair, and the old man was bending over it, fumbling with scissors and the bag of peas.
    â€œThey defrosted on the walk home,” he said, “so I thought I might get the ball rolling. Piper is in here, if you want to come and meet him.”
    Akin stepped over to the tank and lifted the lid.
    â€œPlease be extra careful,” the old man said. “As I told you, he’s not well at all.”
    A large goldfish on the surface of the water was in the early stages of decomposition. Akin reached in and nudged the body with his finger.
    â€œHe never used to be so white,” the old man said. “But I suspect that’s just old age.”
    When Akin swirled the water, the goldfish bobbed in the sudden current.
    â€œSee how he moves when you put your hand in?” said the old man.
    Akin cupped the fish in his hand and looked closely at its gills. “Hello,” he whispered. “Can you hear me, Piper?”
    After releasing the motionless body, Akin lowered the lid and washed his hands.
    The old man was squeezing peas from their shells and lining them up on the counter.
    â€œTwo a day, I think your boss said. Shall we—”
    â€œBefore you do that, let’s test the dopamine levels of the water.”
    The old man stopped what he was doing. “Dopamine levels?” he said incredulously. “What are