Becca

Becca’s eyes shot open as the sound of her alarm sent her dreams reeling off track and into reality. “Oh my god, not another day,” she whined like a child as she rolled out of bed and straight into her worn fuzzy slippers. She flipped off the sun peaking through the blinds. Mornings were not her thing.

It was a weekday. A workday. Becca was not feeling it, and why should she be? She splashed her face with water, made a microwaved cup of tea, threw on her clothes, and hit the door. A block down the road she decided to turn around and go back home. Like I said, she wasn’t feeling it. But then she changed her mind again and decided to go but to be extremely late. A full day’s presence at the office is unnecessary.

When she legitimately started to head to work, her phone began to buzz. Aunt Mertle. Oh my god. You never knew what she would say.

“Hey, hey, Aunt Mertle.”

“Hello, dear, it’s your Aunt Mertle.”

“Yeah, Auntie, I know. How are you?”

“Are you at work, dear? I can never remember if you’re employed or not.”

How annoying of her. Why does it matter? “Yeah, I’m on my way.”

“Are you still living with other people? People who aren’t family?”

“I have a couple of roommates, Auntie.”

“Hmmm. I see.”

“Auntie, I’m 26 and living in the city! Everyone has roommates.”

“Are you dating anyone? Will you be getting married soon? I know a boy. His name is Ryan. He’s boring, but he’s rich and nice to look at.”

“Auntie, I’m not interested. I’m just dating for fun.”

“Ugh. What a horrible life you’re living? It’s so late. Why are you not at work already?”

“I was running a little behind this morning. No big deal.”

“My god, Becca. Well, I’ll let you get on your way then. I don’t want to be used as an excuse for your failures.”

“Bye, Auntie.”

Here she was, in the middle of a crosswalk, she looked up at the sun and let out the biggest scream you have ever heard. The world stopped and stared at her. She let out a huff and kept on her way.

***********

The next day as Becca got home from work, she noticed the mailman putting a letter in her mailbox. “Oh, I’ll take that!” An actual letter. No one wrote her letters. And who, who of all people did her actual letter have to be from? Aunt Mertle.

She stepped into her apartment while opening it, not knowing what to expect. She unfolded the fancy letter paper. There was a check. Not just any check. A check with a lot of zeros. $20,000. The fancy letter paper had three words, “Get it together.”

Becca was in shock. On the one hand she wanted to yell, “That bitch!” while on the other she wanted to laugh and cry at the same time because she was holding an actual $20,000 check in her hand.

Aunt Mertle was rich, old-fashioned, and about as uppity as one could be. This resulted in many a frustrating but entertaining conversation at family gatherings. But this, nothing like this had ever happened. Both nothing and everything Mertle did were surprising.

This. There were no words for this.

**********

Becca slept with the check under her pillow as if that would give her some sort of insight as to what to do with this check. She tossed and turned not sleeping. Sleep deprived and looking deranged, at 4 AM she turned on her lamp and stared at the wall. She grabbed her small black notebook off her bedside table and did something she never has the focus or care to do. She made a pros and cons list.

Pros: duh

Cons: INSULTING. She would get more of a kick out of giving me the money and me still failing in her eyes than she would of me actually succeeding in her eyes.

Becca walked into the kitchen and lit a match.

**********

Despite her lack of sleep, Becca hopped out of bed the next morning with a smile on her face. She sent the sun a “rock on “ sign while sticking her tongue out, and she laughed. Today was a good day.

Today Becca went straight to the bank.

I mean she’s not crazy. She’s 26 and was just given $20,000. Duh.