Terrible, Horrible, Very Good Day

Waking up to the blaring alarm, I crawled out of bed. Shivering in the cold, I glanced outside at a blanket of snow. Shaking my head, cursing, and muttering, knowing this was going to be the start of a bad day. Stumbling through the kitchen calling Kane, my dog, as I go to let him out before I rush off to work. My toes found themselves slipping into a warm pile of something clearly made by an animal.

Now openly cursing, I look over and see Kane had just finished putting his leg down next to the sofa. Now the floor and sofa are repugnant and wet. I watched Kane run back into the bed I had just left. Burying himself into the blankets since he obviously didn't need to go outside anymore. I picked up the droppings, still muttering at Kane, and jumped in the shower.

After cleaning up myself, the sofa, and the floor, I noticed that because of the added cleaning I was running late to work. So quickly, I got dressed, grabbed my keys, and ran out the door toward the 300,000 miles+, rebuilt v8, rust bucket, which was on its last legs. While running out the door, I tripped over a box I couldn’t make out before. Grumbling even more, now that I was covered in snow. Wondering how a mailman would have delivered this package in my backyard without leaving tracks in the fresh snow. I turned the box over in my hands and saw “JoComo” written on it. Now curious, I happened to glance at my watch.

Curiosity forgotten. I opened the door and tossed the box in the kitchen. By the time I had locked the door, the box had been completely forgotten about.

On my way to work, my muttering started up once more as I glanced at the arrow pointing past ‘E’. Now the mutterings turned into prayers “that I just make it to work”. Maybe the prayers, nope, definitely because of the prayers. I made it to work, slid into the last parking spot, and started sprinting toward the time clock.

Throwing the door open and grabbing my time card I watch the time go from 5:00 to 5:01. Cursing openly, I slammed the time card in place and watched for the first time as it punched a late number. Walking into the morning meeting that had already started, I grabbed the run list, listened to my boss finish his morning routine, and got to work.

As the day progressed, it could only be described as the worst day in the history of my time at this company. Anything that could go wrong, did. Machines broke down, equipment suddenly stopped, and the tool crib was constantly bombarded with new problems.

Finally nearing the time allowed for us to give up, go home, and try again tomorrow, my best work jeans snagged a random piece of metal and a loud rip was heard followed by ”Sh”...DING! The bell to go home and deal with the state of undress that I had now found myself in, and whatever else mess the dog made.

“Hopefully, it wasn't much,'' I muttered to myself.

Wearily walking to the sink, cleaning off the mess of the day, and starting to feel slightly more human. I clocked out and noticed the late minute from this morning, grimacing, the frustration of the day returned.

Looking forward to finally putting my feet up, and reading, with something cold in my hand. I rushed over to my rust-red beater and climbed in. Barely cranking it over and without waiting for the engine to heat up, I cruised out of the parking lot and booked it, thinking only about the cold beer waiting in the fridge.

Passing all the gas stations and being only a minute away from my house, I started to hear sputtering coming from the engine. Looking down, my face dropped, and I realized I forgot to get gas. I started to pray once more. The sputtering did not stop this time, and only blocks away from home, the truck finally gave up and stalled out, slowly creaking to a stop. Starting to smile, I realized there was only a block left to my house. So I grabbed my belongings, locked the door, and finished the short walk to my house.

Upon opening the door, it looked like a tornado blew through the kitchen. A slew of torn-up cardboard was littered throughout the kitchen and looking further into the house it only went on and on.

Yelling loudly for Kane, I heard him tearing through the house, barreling towards the door, he came to a stop right at my feet, his tail wagging as hard as it could with it down between his legs. While giving me the saddest puppy dog eyes one could only deign to imagine, he walked passed me to his tie-out and continued wagging his tail so hard it started displacing the grass and snow. Shaking my head, I vaguely noticed green amongst the cardboard debris. Unthinkingly putting Kane on the tie-out, I wondered where it came from. I suddenly remembered the box from that morning. Walking in, I looked harder at the green pieces of trash.....

“Wait does that say $100?”

Bending over, even a little chewed and slobbery, it was indeed a $100 bill.

Looking around, a smile slowly spreading across my face I realized there were a lot of little green pieces of paper in and amongst the cardboard. Starting to clean the floor of the trash while separating the money, all while keeping a lookout for anything that could indicate who sent this to me. I continued making my way through the house. The living room, if it could be said, was worse, if only because it looked as if most of the money was in there. It was hard for me to even think of being mad while I kept picking up the bills, there was always another underneath.

Finally reaching the floor, and getting every nook and cranny; when I was bending over to get the bills under the coffee table, my hand mashed against another box. This time getting on my hands and knees I reached under and pull out a PS5 box that the dog must've pushed under the table. Looking further, I see another tiny box. Wondering if this finally had a note or something to indicate who sent it, I pulled it out only to see the Z Flip in my hand.

Truly bewildered at this point. I went through all the cardboard with a fine tooth comb. I finally found what could have, at one point, been considered a note, however, this was one of the parts Kane had chewed vigorously.

Finally counting all the bills, I unbelievably counted 996 hundred dollar bills. Putting the money up and going out to let in Kane, I realized had I opened the box this morning I would have been late, yes, but the day would have gone infinitely better just knowing about the present I received. Petting Kane, I realized work wasn't as important as I thought it was but only because I value my time in terms of the hours I work instead of what truly matters, which is the hours I live. Smiling, I made sure Kane was done, and wouldn't you know it, there was a piece of green sticking out of a pile on the ground. Letting Kane in and grabbing a bag, I grabbed the bill and proceeded to clean it. Laughing now that I had 997 hundred dollar bills.

"Worth it," I say out loud.

Finally getting around to unboxing the PS5 and the new phone, I realized the phone was already opened. Unfolding it, I saw a contact in it already. Hoping I finally found the mystery benefactor, I click on it and a picture pops up of MR. BEAST™.

*This is a work of fiction. I have no rights to the name MR. BEAST™*