A short story ...

Amy Screams: Joe wake up, please wake up Joe. Joe stays motionless

Cut back to May 31st 5:00pm Seattle…

Amy sits at the Starbucks coffee shop at the junction of pine and 1st street sipping a double shot espresso. It’s a beautiful evening. The summer has never been so beautiful at Seattle. Had it been Friday, she would have atleast enjoyed some novice rock group drumming to glory, and the attention of onlookers on her. Amy thinks, it can’t get worse than this. This is my birthday, Joe still hasn’t wished me and now he is late. Well when was he on-time anyway.

Her cell-phone beeps. It’s Joe, he might be somewhere arnd the corner fishing for the elusive parking space.

Joe: Hey baby
Amy: Joe, where are you. Its been an hour and you aren’t her still. We need to catch the Symphony at 5:30
Joe: Sorry babe, I have an urgent delivery to be made this evening.
Amy: Whaaaa???
Joe: Please pull in Christine. I promise I shall keep it up for the next time
Amy: Atleast be on-time for the dinner
Joe: Am terribly sorry again. Have to deliver the movie reels from Technicolor to the theaters. You know how important is that. All the incentives for on-time crucial delivery Sorry, babes.

Amy snaps the phone.. The line goes muted at Jo’s end

Joe is a driver with DHL and studies law(part-time) at the University of Washington. He met Amy there 2 years ago and today they stand committed. Joe wants to be a millionaire. He puts in 18 hours per day in work and school. Amy is a girl with small ambitions and gets hurt when she misses the small pleasures of life. But, today was no other day. It is Amy’s birthday today and she has every right to demand Joe’s exclusivity for the day. But Joe being Joe…….

6 days later…. Monday 9:00pm.

Joe’s cellphone beeps. Its Christine. Joe thinks why is Christine calling at this hour. Joe picks up the phone

Christine: Joe, its me
Joe: Yeah, Christine wassup?
Christine: Joe, Amy is hurt. Its been a week since you have met her outside school
Joe: You know Chris, how I have been working off-late and I thought Amy would understand
Christine: Yes Joe, I know and I am quite sure Amy does too. But it doesn’t mean you forget her bday, miss the Symphony and the dinner arranged by herself. The least you could have done is had dinner with her on her bday
Joe: ohhh maannnn… it totally got off my head… how could I, I mean how could I, this the second year in row… no wonder she aint talking to me properly.. Oh Christine ..I am so dumb.. isn’t there a way to get out of this.. there should be rite
Christine: there is one, but I don’t think it would workout
Joe: hey hey tell me what it is, I shall give in my best shot to make her happy
Chris: okies, tomorrow is her registered bday, the official one you seee. You might want to pull in some surprise on her…
Joe:how could that be possible… I always thot it was registered 31st only
Christine: Some mainframe glitch when she was born and they could register only for tomorrow
Joe: oh Christine you are a darling.. thanks a lot Christine .. I shall sneak in a surprise this midnight.

Joe switches out of his Pyjamas, wears a cool jeans and a T-shirt. He boards his DHL van and rushes towards the nearest Safeway. Picks a bunch of red roses, a yummy cheese cake, pays the bill and heads towards the Univ. He re-checks the backyard of the van to see the reels of the new movie are intact. He arrives at the woman’s hostel and parks his van safely. Checks the time on his watch 11:55 pm. Exact 3 mins to Amy’s room and perfecct Joe thinks. Joe takes his cellphone to wake Amy up. He gives up the idea half way. Plans to sneak into Amy’s room and throw a surprise. He walks around the lawn and peeks into Amy’s room. Amy is in a deep sleep. He opens the window and sneaks past. Checks the time again 11:58:06, the time glows on his Casio. He hurries inside, keeps the cake on the desk, lights a small candle. Checks his watch again 11:59:57, 58, 00:00:00.. Joe sings

‘Happy Birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you dear Amy, happy birthday to you’. Joe goes near her ear and say : “Happy bday Amy wake up, Amy”

Suddenly the door opens, Amy comes in from the front door. ‘Thank you Joe’. Joe is perplexed, if that’s Amy who is on the bed. He hears another voice ‘ Thank You Joe’. He turns quicky, He sees Amy inside the wardrobe. Joe is confused, he rubs his eyes. ‘Thank you Joe’, Amy in the bath tub. ‘ Thank you Joe’, ‘Thank you Joe’, ‘Thank you Joe’.. Amy everywhere.. Joe screames holds his head out, realizes something and panickly looks at his watch again .. he realizes he had missed something befoer, the date shows ’06.06.06 ‘– he realizes the Omen has arrived’… and Joe crashes to the floor with a loud thud