Scramble

“Amanda …Amanda. Yo Amanda wake up! Are you ok why are you so hard to wake up?”

“wait ...What? Who’s Amanda? Where the hell am I “

“yo babe are you ok you kind of scaring me “

“Vic?!, Victor Brendan ?

“um yeah ? glad to know you know my name bae but I think you bumped your head or something because you are tripping “

“Vic it me ,Tyler, why the hell you keep calling me Amanda I …I’m…..Oh hell”

And there you have it, a mirror, the answer to one out of a million questions I have right now and million questions slowly turning into a billion. How the hell is this happening to me? I remember making dinner for Zoey and everything was good I thought…at least as good as it could get. I just buried my wife , so why the hell am I here , why the hell am I here in this body !?!?

“ Ha , funny Manda you are hilarious. I don’t know why you would bring him up out of the blue like that but he was a bit of a goof nut .But your impression needs a bit of work “

“No Vic its me man its …..Never mind “

Who am I kidding; I barely believe what’s going on here so why would he believe it any sooner or better than me. I’m totally screwed here …wait…oh no I could be totally screwed. I need to get out of here and I need to get out of here fast. This situation is getting worst as my mind keep tumbling down the rabbit hole. I got to get the fuck out of here.

“babe are you ok cause you have this blanked face expression right now that is very concerning , and are you sweating ?! Yo talk to me. Are you good?”

“No …no no … I am far from good. I think I need some air right now.”

“ O ok then , well don’t forget we have dinner with Sally and Frank tonight , if you don’t feel up for it just let me know so we don’t let them waste food or anything”

Frank and Sally , Vic and Amanda...what’s going on ,these are our friends …so why am I…and look like… I need answers and I don’t think I’m getting them from Vic.

“O I’ll be fine by then just going out for some air is all “

“ O okay then yea…I’ll leave you too it “( muah )

Gross I just kissed Vic. Nope, nah son this shit is ending now. I’m going to find my body and … shit Zoey doesn’t know this is me. Fuck. Fuck Fuck, what am I supposed to do? Wait is Amanda in my body ? Shit, Fuck it, I’m going and that final, I need to know what’s going it on before this gets out of hand more so. The fact that this could get worst is freaking horrifying. Where are the car keys?

“Um babe, are you looking for these?”

“O, yes! Sorry I am losing my mind apparently, of course the keys are in the key dish bowl”

“Dish tray “

“Say what now?”

“It’s a dish tray , you corrected me so many times that I no longer fight you on and now I call it a dish tray .Matter of fact you uses to correct me and Tyler… huh you sure you are ok ?”

“Ha right , yea I just need so air time that’s all “

“Okay then love you “

“Aaahhhh loooove you too”

“Honey… that’s the family truck …you car is right there “

“….right … the Toyota “

“Yep… sure you should be driving?”

“O I am good to go, be back before dinner love you bunches bye!”

“OOOO…kay”

Poor Vic , he didn’t deserve this . I promise to fix this for you man, you will be getting your wife back cause I'm not spooning you or doing any of those things you told the guys what Amanda does to you. Fuck No. I need to get home to my baby girl and let her know daddy is ok...or something… I need to check on her at least. I don’t think seeing me like this will make anything better. Showing up as auntie Manda will be weird but it’s going to happen just hope she’s okay. Wait, is that the car? Sweet, it’s still the driveway so Amanda is probably freaking out here. Wait…what’s going on. Where’s my wife car?

“Hello…Zoey, are you there Baby Girl? Hey Zoey!?”

Where is she? Come on man, I have enough going on right now but to not know where my little girl is ,is not something I’m ready for right now . I’m shitty enough of a father as it is … Becca baby I need you …I don’t know how to handle this. Baby I need you right now. Our baby girl is missing .Becca…is that the phone? Shit maybe its Zoey.

“HELLO, ZOEY?! Is that you baby?! Zoey?”

“Mister McWhorter”

“Who’s this? Where’s Zoey?! Do you have here?! Who is this?!”

“Calm down Zoey is fine, she’s in good hands … its Saturday so she’s at soccer practice, she’s one hell of a goalie “

“You sick fuck! When I get my hands on you …”

“OH but you won’t, because I don’t have her. You see I’m what you call a Wish-Master , I simply grant wishes to those who want certain things and are of pure heart, if the heart is pure then the wish is granted , if the heart is not pure then I suggest some Hail Marys’ and some volunteer work to humble yourself”

“ Yo! Are you fucking with me right now ?! I am not in the mood I’m really not in the fucking mood .Put Zoey on the phone right now !?!?”

“Shhhhhh, calm down . like I said I do not have Zoey but she’s in good hands , I am but a simple Wish-Master fulfilling a wish and promise and that is why I’m calling you sir . I have on a good authority that you woke up a little different today “

“How the hell you about this? What did you do to me? Why would you …”

“I don’t know maybe somebody wished for you to suffer a freaky Friday fate on a fucking Saturday yeesh!!Shit man! Damn! Shut the fuck up and listen. Your wife reached out to me some time ago and made a wish to help you out and find peace now I don’t know all the nooks and crannies of it all but this was part of her wish and that’s all I’m allowed to say on the matter “

“All you are allowed to say?! You better get the talking before I start the star six nine trail and come find yo ass”

“Don’t bother because I have a private number and I’m currently heading out of the country for some much needed R&R. Just stay calm and go with the flow. With that I bid you adieu”

“Wait! Where are you going?! Hello? Hello?!”

Shit! Who the hell was that guy and what did he mean Becca reached out to him for me ? For what?! I feel sick to my stomach . He said Zoey’s ok and is in good hands? If he doesn’t have her then who does? Fuck it, I’m going to get my baby. I’ve been so freaked out I didn’t even realize it was Saturday or my birthday, I just hope she’s ok , but who took her to practice …in my body ? Something isn’t sitting right with me, there’s no way Zoe went with a stranger she’s too smart for that . Damn this traffic, always doing construction when its least convent for the people who got to go places on the weekend. Tax dollars hard at work, and working on my last nerve. Shit , fuck fuck . Give me zombies , give me war of the worlds , give me anything other than a Freaky Friday genie. Oh no . Oh no, damnit ! Practice is over ?! Where is everybody. Shit!

“Excuse me do you work here , I was supposed to pick up my niece from little league soccer “

“ Oh they went to a different school to scrimmage at St.Boniface over at Northside”

“ Oh thank you so much “

There you have it they are on the other side of town and I wont make it in time maybe I can call up there to see if they’ve seen my body at least. I don’t know what else to too do . my stomach is killing me I need to stop at a Walgreens or something to get some to calm my nerves. I’m in my best mate wife’s body and can’t help but think only about my Baby Girl I really can’t do anything right and it sucks. It fucking sucks cause I don’t …I don’t have Becca… I’m fucking lost without her …hell, I’m lost without Zoey. This is sad man .Can’t do shit right man …And why the hell is it so hard to find a parking space! Ugh, I don’t know if I need Tums or Pepto Bismol but this pain has to go . Makes matters worst everyone keeps staring at me for what reason I do not know but I also do not care! Where the hell is the Bismol

“um ma’am ?”

“What the fuck do you want …and why they hell is everyone staring at me !? You would think since its 2021 people would learn the tell tell signs of leaving a person the fuck alone but nooooo, let’s all just stand and stare and point at little ole me for your evens entertainment is that what gets you off huh?! Is that your kink!? What the hell do you want from me!?”

“……um …I was just going to show you to the pads and tampons in the next aisle… you’re um… (cough)”

“….oh…I see … next aisle you say?”

“Yes…”

Welp… that just fucking happened. And I don’t know if it was me freaking out about what's going on or the hormones but that … was embarrassing ...I just want to see Zoey . Vic is probably worried about his wife right now and there nothing I can do about it. I really feel like shit. Man I really just need a win. Just go home and think this through. I left in such hurry I didn’t even clean up the broken glass from the window I busted out early to get in my own house. Of course Amanda wouldn’t have a key why would she, it’s not her house, but if she’s with Zoe why hasn’t she called me or freaked out or something. Wait… what’s this ? Is that my… what is this doing out ? My little black book that had every trip and planned vacation went and was going to go on in it. Becca uses to fuss that I depended on it too much like I couldn’t live it up without the guide of the Little Black Book. She was right though. I mean look at me. I’m complete lost and don’t know how to find my way. Zoey puts on a smile but she sees right through me, she knows I’m trying my best to put on the everything is ok dad face. She knows I’m barely hanging on. I miss her mother so much …wait what’s this?

Dear Tyler

Hey hubby I miss you. I know I said I had to go out of town for work but that wasn’t the truth . After we got the news about my health I started to worry …a lot. About Zoey , our friends and family but mainly about you babe…I know you always go to this little black book for answers and guidance but we got served a curved ball that no one was prepared for . Lately you’ve been staying far away from this book and I honestly don’t like it. Yeah I complain that you needed it a little too much and that you would be lost without it but honestly you’re a better person with it. you kept the budget just right ,the timing of whose coming and going , appointments, the number to every pizza place or hairdresser we liked , and the our future…goals , dreams, and everything in between . This book was a part of you and I hate to admit it but it one of many of the better parts of you. Zoey is gonna need her father, like a lot and if I know you which I do you’re going to start doubting yourself as a parent. Which you shouldn’t. You are an amazing man, a blessing as a husband and even better as a father. So I journeyed out here to Vegas …yes without you , in search of a man they call the Wish-Master . They say if your heart is pure he will grant any wish you ask of him. I know this sounds like something from a fairytale but if I’m to leave you and Zoe against my will then I still want to control how I leave this earth in some kind of way and matter that I'm content with . He wasn’t cheap either but no worries , mama was hot on the tables before I met with him . Two hundred grand and it will be sent to you on your birthday for the next ten years as twenty thousand dollars. Amanda help me set up the bank account since she works there and…she kind of knows about the Wish-Master and volunteered … I think part of her was in disbelief and thought it was a joke but if it was real it would be really funny …and I kind of agreed . don’t be mad honey ,definitely when I wished for…

“Daddy!!”

“Baby Girl?! Oh my Lord ! I worried sick about you. Are you okay ? No one hurt you did they ? wait…daddy? How...did you …”

“Today’s your birthday right?!

“Yea but …”

“Happy birthday daddy!”

Just like that the whole crew walked in. Doorway pored with familiar faces: Vic, Frank, Sally…and me …

“Amanda what the heck is going on why are you in my body “

…

“Hey hubby.”

“Becca!?”