The Wish List

I didn’t plan on cleaning the attic of my deceased grandparents house in a Saturday morning, but here I am. Why? Because my mother claims she’s too old to climb up there and she’s bribed me with her famous meatloaf. I could eat it everyday. One day I will be immune to its charm and she’ll have to try something else. Clearly today isn’t that day. After a lot of sneezing, huffing and puffing I cleared a lot of dust, a box of clothes and a few dead rats out of the attic. As I climbed down the stairs the aroma of mom’s dinner hit me full force. I couldn’t get to the bathroom to get cleaned up fast enough.

Later that day my mother handed me a notebook. “I found this in your grandparent’s things. Thought you might want it”. I took it and looked over it. It was black with golden specks. There were four gold lines along the spine. The Wish List in golden cursive letter elegantly sprawled across the top. I opened it to find that it was empty. “Thanks ma”, I murmured. She smiled and went to the kitchen to help her clean up. For 20 minutes all you could hear was water running and I he clinking of dishes and utensils against each other. Finally it was time for to head to our house.

I never met my grandparents because they died before I was born in a boating accident. My mother never sold the house because she said it was the only connection she had left to them. Her suddenly wanting to sale the house and backpack around Europe seems like a midlife crisis or cry for help. I can’t tell which on yet. An hour later we walk in our house and dad is asleep on the couch, tv on ESPN. My dad is a freelance photographer so he does what he wants, even if it means being sleep in his pajama bottoms at 4 pm.

I go upstairs to play video games for a few hours before I go to bed. I have an interview in the morning. I’ll be starting my first year of college in the fall and my dad said that if I saved up half for the car I wanted, he would match it. A green Mitsubishi Eclipse is what I had my eye on. Luckily for me it was owned by one of my mom’s old Navy friends, so I didn’t have to worry too much about to being sold from under me. Boredom has taken place of me having fun, so I tell my online friends goodnight a jump into bed. Before switching off my lamp I see the little notebook I’d gotten today on the nightstand. I joking write, “I wish to win the lottery tomorrow”, chuckle to myself and fall asleep.

I’m sitting on a bench next to my crush, John, at a park a few blocks from my house. His caramel skin glistening in the sun. I watch him as he puts Carmex on his soft looking pink lips. I can’t help but want to kiss them. He leans forward, opens his mouth slightly and starts screeching like a banshee! I’m jolted out of my sleep knock my alarm clock over. I hate dreams like that. It felt so real. Oh well, no use in dwelling on it. The smell of bacon has wafted into my room, making my mouth water. I get dressed and check my reflection. I chose a simple white button up blouse, black slacks and completed my look with a pair of black Mary Janes. I grab some edge control and force my thick, shoulder length hair into a bun. I grab my wallet and join the parents downstairs. Dad looks up from his paper and smiled, “Baby girl you look so adorable!” I fake groan, “Dad cut it out.” Mom turned around from the sink and took a surprise picture of me. Could my parents be more embarrassing? I hope not. I eat my breakfast and small talk with them before leaving to catch the bus. I could have ride with one of them bus this makes me feel more adult-like. “If don’t hear from you in two hours, I’ll be tearing up the city!” Moon yelled as I walked out the front door. I laugh because she’s so dramatic that she probably would!

8:42 the city bus pulls in and I eagerly annoy with my bus pass. This is maybe the third time I’ve ridden the bus alone. My parents are pretty protective, so I’m actually surprised when they let me do anything on my own. The bus rides always feel like I’m going on an adventure to somewhere far and unknown. I think that comes from being an only child and having to keep myself occupied. I watch the cars and building we pass by until my stop approaches. DING DING!! Screams the button I pressed to stop the bus. I thank the bus driver and get off. I check my watch and I have 30 minutes to spare even though where I am headed is right across the street. I get being punctual from my mother. She is a “homemaker”, retired from the Navy. Picture a black Martha Stewart but with alarms for everything.

I wait for the cars to stop at the red light, cross the street and enter So Chic Nail Salon. “Hi can I help you?” Says I short black haired lady. “Um yes, my name is Ava Smith and I’m here for an interview for the receptionist position.” The lady with the name tag ‘Ginny’ tells me that the boss had an emergency this morning and they would have to call me back another day. She apologized and I left. I’ll admit I was actually A bit relieved. I was so nervous that I thought I was going to bomb the interview anyway. Guess I’ll grab a snack from the convenient store before I wait for the bus. Happy Cho’s was the name of the store and it smelled like lemons. I grab a bag of chips and wait in line. While waiting I see a guy cashing in a lottery ticket. He seems super happy for someone winning $20. I guess his excitement rubbed off on me because I decided to buy a scratch off called Seven Sexy Sevens. Where do they come up with these names? I pay for my items and hurry back to the bus stop.

I was so darn excited about this ticket, I don’t even remember the bus ride home. I practically ran straight home from the bus stop. “Calm down!”, I yell internally to myself. I slowed my breathing and walked in the front door. “Everything ok? Why are you back so soon?”, said my mom with a concerned look on her face. She such a worry wart. I explain what happened and head to my room. I pulled my scratch off ticket from my wallet and scratched it with my pinky nail. I blew the dust and I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. I’d just won twenty thousand dollars! I screamed so loud and jumped around my room. Both parents came bursting in the door thinking I’m saw a spider or something. I couldn’t even get the word out, so I just handed the ticket to my dad. His eyes bulged almost out the socket when he’d realized what I won. “$20,000? Girl you can take the summer off until you start school!” As we’re jumping around like fools my mom stops us in our tracks. “Ava this it’s so great but you’re still going to work. I’ll take you to cash it and open a bank account.” I groan. I knew it was the right thing to do but she could have let my dad and I enjoy the moment longer. “Yes ma’am. Can we go out to eat tonight? Please?” My dad joins in on pressing and my mom burst out laughing. “Ok ok. We’ll go to our spot for dinner”. There’s this little Mexican restaurant on the edge of town that makes the best enchiladas ever.

After my parents leave the room, sit on the bed to try and calm myself. I notice that in our excitement, my dad out I knocked over that black journal. I pick it up and see my entry from last night. “I wish to the the lottery tomorrow”. No way. It has to be a very weird coincidence that I win the day after writing that. “But what if it’s not?”, I ask myself. I decide to write in it again to test my theory. I’m going to write something even crazier than winning the lottery. I turn to the next page and write, “I wish John Freeman liked me and asked me out on a date”. John was this older guy I have had a crush on for about a year. He’s funny, handsome and athletic. I’d try to flirt with him before but acted oblivious to my advances. I’m just one of those girls guys see as homies and not girlfriends. I close the book and put on a movie until it’s time for us to go out.

I’m riding in the backseat as my parents sing sing from back in their day when I get a notification from MyChat. MyChat is a social media site where you can connect with people from school, work or wherever. I’m not really active on there, so who the heck is messaging me? I look and my mouth drops. It’s John Freeman!! I open the message to see that he wants to know if I’d go to the movies with him this Saturday. I am internally screaming. So much so that I accidentally squeal. “Everything ok?”, asks my mom. “Yes! Um, can I go to the movies Saturday?” Dad turns around in his seat with his eyebrows raised, “with a boy?” My face grows hot with embarrassment. “Yes, but you know his family. The Freemans. They were are mom’s retirement party”, I stammered. Before my dad could go into to full on dad mode, say no and lock me in a tower like a Disney princess, my mom said yes under the condition that they would go too. They wouldn’t watch the same movie but they’d be at the theater. It felt completely unnecessary but it’s John. THE JOHN FREEMAN. I would have said yes to almost anything to go. I respond to his message like I was cool and told him I looked forward to it. The rest of the night I’m in a dreamy haze. He asked me out! In the middle of dessert I remembered I wished for that to happen! I literally wrote that in a notebook and it came true. Just like me buying that winning scratch today. So that settles it. I have a magic wish granting notebook. Nothing bad could come from that. Right?