Under my arm is a funny
little box. It’s carefully wrapped
in black and white comics sealed with clear tape. I’d rather recycle than immediately put wrapping paper in
the landfill. Inside is a broken
clock in the shape of a golden horse.
My grandpa mentioned Monica liked it last time she was over and that I
should give it to her. He’s been
giving things away as if he’s holding a liquidation sale.
It’s an unusually chilly
day. Nothing a hoodie can’t
fix. Even the sparrows are puffed
up while they search for food. At
least the sun is out to keep the plains dry. Only contrails in a perfectly blue sky.
Monica’s apartment complex
is old, but kept in decent condition.
It may not be constructed with high quality materials, but at least it
has a pleasant appearance. Her
place is up the stairs and the first door on the left. Mismatched mailbox stickers let me know
the units number: 2A. I knock on
the door.
There’s a sound of dishes
rattling. The distinct smell of
burnt toast. A few heavy
footsteps.
“Oh… Um… Is a Monica home?”
I’m startled that the door is answered by a guy about the same age and
build as myself. Doesn’t help that
he’s only wearing a band t-shirt and bright boxers either.
“Uh… Who are ya?” He scrutinizes everything about me in an instant and doesn’t
like what he sees. Most of his
attention is on my gift.
“Oh… Just a friend, I guess.”
“Well… She’s still sleepin’.” It’s barely perceivable that he’s
slowly closing the door. “Wanna
leave a message or somethin’?”
“Um… Sure.” I hold out the gift toward him. “Just give this ta her ‘nd tell her I said ‘thank you’.”
“Okay.” He takes the present in one hand. “Who do I say it’s from?”
“She’ll know who it’s
from.” An answer that just makes
him a bit more suspicious. Can’t
blame him. “It’s just a broken
clock.” This doesn’t help.
“Okay…”
“So, thanks.”
“Yeah man, see ya.” The door closes and I hear the clock
clang on the floor. Can’t hurt it
since it’s already broken, I guess.
Thank you for reading and your support. This would not be possible without you!
If you have any submissions, questions, comments, suggestions, or anything else, please feel free to contact me at: LukeArchaism@gmail.com
No comments:
Post a Comment