30 Years vs. 3 Days

A calendar hanging on the ceiling read May 4th, 1962.

I rubbed my eyes and giggled but then I thought, who came into my home to play a dumb joke?

I went back to sleep. When I re-woke my floor plan was the same but all of my furniture changed. Stove clock read 06:55 am and that calendar was still there.

I ran around the house for a note explaining this ransom or ignorant gag, there was none. I did 50 jump’n’jacks, 100 squats, 25 push-ups, 100 crunches. After, I turned on the fireplace and cried till my nose was so clogged I had to breathe through my mouth. My panting made me light headed. When my eyes burning became overwhelming, I turned the fire off and jolted my body around until I fell asleep.

My breakdown didn’t get me out of this. 06:12 pm, I was hungry!

I opened the front door to test the weather. It was really 1962 outside and so cold. Inside the coat closet was a black trench and a black wide wool fedora.

Outside was beautiful. An untiring electric trolley, buildings with purposeful intention, smiling faces - happy to be smiling, clean air, and honesty.

Even I was walking joyfully with no reason to be.

Sunday Special, 3 hot cakes, 3 eggs, 3 sausage, and 1 OJ. The place was called Old Bixby. The way it lit up spoke to me. Plus there were only 3 customers inside. I didn’t want any attention. I sat, I ordered, and I began eating the best breakfast I’d ever had. Half way through my meal, music began playing. Loud tubas in a 3 part harmony made me look around. No one else seemed to be bothered or even take notice. Maybe this was a regular thing, so happily, I kept eating.

The tubas kept going and in walked a white trench coat with a white wide wool fedora. The person's head is hidden by this glowing mystique. The mystique walked behind the counter and made a plate. The tubas began to lower in volume but intensity began to raise. My heart beat melded with the 3 part harmony as I realized the white trench coat with the white wide wool fedora was coming to me. I screamed in my head, WHY?

White trench sat down and said “How long will it take you?”

I saw the face! White trench was me. My tongue was taped to my bottom teeth. White trench mimicked my facial expression while clapping. White trench added, “don't forget to drink your OJ.” The waitress came to me and said “Would you like your other plate to-go?”.

White trench was gone and I’m the only one that saw.

A kid no more than 15 bumped into me when I was headed back home. This kid was so focused it was hard to tell if they were headed to or from something, or someone. I nodded to let the kid know it was fine and I watched that kid sprint away like legs and lungs didn’t exist. When I turned back to continue my path, a pole had a poster, typist needed.

May 5th, 1962, 7:00 am, I arrived at Good Jefferson's. The owner is a connoisseur of renaissance living. Selling movies, cameras, music, books, popular snacks, paintings, science experiments, and tools. The slogan was, we aren't a one stop shop, we are the one shop so stop. I first had to prove I too was renaissance. I believe I answered 87 questions. After the questions Mr. Jefferson introduced me to his wife, son, two daughters, cat, and dog. Mr. Jefferson walked me to the front and said, “I want to be the best around here, this place is all I have to give when it’s my time to go. I think we can revolutionize sale tracking. I pay $18 a week and you’re more than welcome to rent items in the store up to 60days free of charge, and lastly, you must be here every day at 06:58.”

Being from 2021 I laughed. We shook hands and at 08:08 am, I worked my first day as the typist for Good Jefferson's.

Work shift ended. Didn’t want to go back to the house so I sat on a nearby bench. My mind became fixated on a small bush across the street. Like poof, white trench appeared and was hustling across to me. I spoke, “Will I be here forever?”. White trench said, “You're very calm for someone who isn’t in control.” I responded, “I like it here but it feels wrong.” White trench projected words my soul would carry forever, “How do you know what you like, if you don’t know who you're? Go home and eat the other plate. Don’t buy anything with the money. Keep it safe.”

White trench did that magical goodbye again.

I hated myself. Found it hard deciphering if it was an inherited feeling or an accumulation.

Made it home and approached the kitchen islander. Placed that Sunday Special in center position then stepped back to pace for courage. Slowly opened the food while asking my intestines for forgiveness. First bite and I was given the rollercoaster that wasn’t allowed in parks for safety reasons. My body experienced vibration like an iPhone. The tubas are back and backed by an internal screaming harmony. I kept trying to catch my breath but another voice in my head said it's meant to be.

Abruptly, everything I’d suppressed for 10 years rushed over me and now I understood. I’d learned more in 2 days than I'd learned in 20 years. Once my heart and mind agreed to this understanding, my body powered down, just like an iPhone.

Passed out cold for 2 hours. I woke to barking at the door. I'm still in 1962.

Police came barging in asking to see ID. Neighbors complained about me setting a fire in my backyard, said it almost burned down their gate. I didn’t have ID. Hell, I had just wrapped my mind around my identity. I pleaded to offer apologies. I said I lost my wallet leaving work. Everyone knew Good Jefferson's, I thought it’d buy me some time. Luckily it did. I was told to show proof tomorrow or I’d spend 30 days in jail.

A quarrelsome spirit gave me chills. I yanked the backdoors curtain and saw no signs of fire. Why would the neighbors say that?

Slouched on the bathroom floor as bath water ran, loud thunder and rain began, and my stomach tickled when I pronounced, “I’ll be here forever.”

I said it again, my stomach tickled again. I said it in my head, my stomach tickled.

Naked, I left the bath to see if there was tea. Ransacking the kitchen with a bunched brow because I don’t even like tea. This blistering feeling of no control would happen where I’m calm then hastily bombarded with anxious desire.

Felt like I was getting clean from drugs, I assumed.

I needed to get some of that clean air.

I floated on every sidewalk my feet encountered like I was on high. Subsequently I stopped in front of the grocery store. Although this electrifying temptation was on my shoulder, I didn’t even bring money. I sat on the storefront's curb for about 10 minutes when a beat up oldster pulled parallel. I jumped up, you know, to save my knees and toes, and a man with all the shoulders in the world rushed me saying I owe him money from an alley dice game. And if I didn’t pay right then, I’d look like his car. Displayed my mustard seed with all the passion I had left, “I have no money. But I can bring it to you, same time tomorrow.”

The man's eyes turned light red, his nose snarled, he must have been a Taurus. He reached for my shoulders and dusted them off with a calm remark, “okay, no worries.” A juicy smile pushed his cheeks up under his eyes and he dug into my pockets. The man pulled out $18. My body was left on the curb looking like his car until 5:00am.

How did no one see, what am I invisible? The world is so cold and full of deceit. One second you’re giving your all. Next second you’re being robbed under duress for it.

I hallucinated white trench helping me walk back, I know because, when I got to the front porch white trench was sitting there. There I was, beat up, and white trench said to me, “You really loused up. How can you get home with no money?” I didn’t dare engage because if white trench knew what happened, then white trench knew what happened.

I turned on the fireplace and closed all the curtains. Following me to the kitchen, white trench jumped on the islander, in the center position. White trench’s final words to me, “alright, let's say you’ve got the $18. You’re ready to go and you realize, you have no idea where you’re going.”

I belt, “What are you talking about? Home. My old house and life and job. I know where I'd be going.”

Someone has to feel what I'm feeling. I’ve had it up to here. I flung open the back door and grabbed a shovel sitting in the lawn. Two whacks and the neighbors gate was damaged just like they said. The man of the house came walking so calm with this little black book in his hand. Before grabbing it, we exchanged these I’ll risk it all for revenge facial expressions.

The neighbor walked into his house. I broke down in tears, just like day one. Only this time I was ready. I used the shovel like a crutch. Dug my grave for about 10 minutes then found myself pitiful. I threatened the sky, “If I’m no one then let me die.”

Slouched next to my grave, the kid with no legs and lungs came running by. I mumbled, “keep going kid.” I thought I wasn’t heard but that kid shouted back, “you too!”

Time to get ready for work. Once my wounds were presentable, I ate my final bites from white trench. Within the walk way of the back door I stared at my grave. I saw a twinkle, inside myself and my grave.

Puzzled over the hole, the corner of a clear box is poking out.

I dug up more money than I'd ever had at one time, $20,000 to be exact. The case was locked but who’d have a key?, Mr. Jefferson.

Mr. Jefferson had gotten a new safe. It was the first of its kind in the area. He couldn’t stop talking about it. I needed that key. Mrs. Jefferson asked me did I wanted some fresh squeezed juice. I said yes.

FINALLY! Ranting about the safe ceased. Without examination, he instinctively got me the key to that lock. When it opened I realized, I couldn’t celebrate with no thing to celebrate.

Mrs. Jefferson brought me the OJ. I slid it back and forth between hands.

Mr. Jefferson said, “hey why don’t you get familiar with the safe.”

A lady in a white dress and white hat comes in clapping and praising, “Oh Mr. Jefferson you and your wife are miracle workers.”

Mr. Jefferson said, “Oh Ms. Pear, The only way out is the way through.”

I swiveled in the stool and looked at the safe. I unbelievingly turned the knob 0-6-5-5.

Mrs. Jefferson putting her hand on my shoulder gave me self diagnosed arrhythmia. She said, “You know what you’re doing?”

I gaped back blankly and said, “Yes.”

The safe opened and I locked the money inside. Nothing happened.

I thought I was going home.

A band went by, Tubas were leading.

Oh, my OJ.

I wish I had more time to tell you what this was truly about.