Delivery Man

By Jonathan Kent

"When times are dark, you cling onto whatever light you can, no matter how twisted"

From Jonathan Kent, author of 'The Shael Chronicles' and the best selling short story 'The Waiting Room', comes 'Delivery Man', a dark and twisted psychological thriller.

In the space of four months, Robert Townsend lost his wife, his kids, his job and his house. When a bleary clarity finally returned, he knew he had to try and put the remains of his life back together. Taking up a position as a 'Delivery Assistant' in a local supermarket should have been just the tonic he needed to start the road to recovery, but what he hadn't accounted for was the sadistic boss he found himself working for. As the personal conflict escalated beyond his control, he is left with two very clear options: quit or stand up for himself.

God knows why he chose the latter.

'Delivery Man' shows exactly how far a man can go when pushed to the limit.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jonathan Kent
• Release date: Jun 14, 2017
• ISBN: 9781540188533

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Check out Jonathan’s other titles including his debut novel ‘Homecoming: Volume 1 of the Shael Chronicles’

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I suppose, if I ever get the chance to properly look back on the last nine months of my life, a part of me should be grateful. At the time though, it wasn't gratitude I was feeling, far from it. But if we are put on this world to learn a lesson, I can certainly say I've done that.

My lesson started when I hit absolute rock bottom. I've seen movies and read stories of people (normally middle aged men - like myself) who literally lose everything and how they either top themselves; start living on the streets or (miraculously) have some great revelation and turn their lives completely around.

Rest assured, this is not one of those stories.

Don't get me wrong, suicide did rear its ugly head on more than one occasion. But, probably down to cowardice more than anything, I never really saw it as a viable option. I think a part of me felt there was always a chance to get my old life back.

If only that were so.

I never sunk low enough to be living on the streets, but there were more than a handful of nights sleeping in my car. That was until it was taken from me. Then, I had an upgrade, if you can call my current one room bedsit for £50 a week, an upgrade. I mean, I'm pretty much left alone and I do have my own toilet, but the communal kitchen is a real drag. I'm glad I now work mostly evenings as I get to use the facilities without interruption from the drug addicts and unsavoury characters I share the building with. I also think the Russian girl in the next room is a prostitute, either that or she's got one serious addiction!

But I digress. I hit the bottom during the Autumn of 2016. Before that, I had a successful career as a regional manager and was bringing home just shy of £50k a year. The money was good, the company car was handy and for all intents and purposes, we were living the dream. Sally and I celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary in the Spring. Toby turned eight in June and Stephen six at the start of August. On the outside I was doing my best at being a dutiful husband and father.

But inside, I could feel myself losing grip and at some point those two sides were bound to come face to face. When that happened, there was only ever going to be one winner.

Stress, depression, anxiety - whatever label you want to put on it - I suppose it all amounts to the same thing; you body telling you to stop. For most of us though, we tend to just ignore what every sinew is telling us. It's all a very modern phenomenon and like the majority of us, you never think it's actually going to happen to you. I've sat in work meetings and been one of those laughing along when such-and-such has been signed off with stress or depression - isn't it funny how those words always comes with speech marks.

Speech marks and rolled eyes.

But it does come, and when it does, there is nothing you can do to stop its relentless progress. Denial can be a very strong convincer; chirping away in your ear for years until it gets to the point of no return. Which by September 2016 was where I was.

I wish I could pinpoint the exact point it happened. Doing that may be my best way to process it all. But the truth is, it didn't just happen, it was a gradual thing. I was a 43 year old doing the same job I had been doing for 27 years. People had come and gone, but I was still hanging around as younger, more talented people came through the ranks. I was hanging on to something that just wasn't there anymore. I knew it, they knew it, and more importantly my new manager (ten years my junior) knew it too.

I can't blame him for everything that came after - the seeds were already sown, as it were - but when he was put into position it certainly sped the downward spiral. But what to do? Like thousands of men out there, I was the breadwinner. I had a mortgage, a family, I had (that dreaded word) RESPONSIBILITIES!