At This Moment
By Earvin Eugene
Copyright © 2020 by Earvin P Eugene
All rights reserved.
Outside the grass was green. People were shopping around at a garage sale. There were some precious mementos and some boring objects. The thing that caught the eye of one particular shopper was a pair of shoes. They were black and white sneakers. It appeared to be a set of typical everyday sneakers. It was the perfect size for him. He asked the seller, "How much for those shoes?" The man replied, "These are strange shoes. I have owned them for years. The last person that bought these shoes, returned them to me. How much are you willing to pay?" The guy stated, "How about twenty dollars? I really need some shoes. Plus, they look vintage!" The man responded, "Let's settle at twenty-two dollars." The guy accepted the deal.
The guy returned home with his new sneakers. He decided to test them out by playing basketball with his friends. He changed outfits and put on his gear. He matched his basketball shorts with the sneakers. The guy felt confident and ready to play. His friends arrived and waited outside to play on his driveway. They took several shots and rejoiced when the guy came outside his house to join them. One friend notified him that a package arrived. He was confused because he was not expecting any deliveries. He left the parcel on his steps. He would tend to it later, after playing two versus two basketball with his friends. There was friendly competition between the players.
After calling plays, running around, lay ups, and shooting they were exhausted. The guy invited his friends inside for refreshments. They discussed about the game to be on television tonight. They were not going to spend the night as they had to return to other things. They were going to shower and watch the game with their girlfriends. The guy was single and liked it that way, at least for now. He was focused on the package. He thought to himself, "What could it be?" The friends noticed him staring at the package during conversation. One pal suggested, "Dude, just open the package!" Another friend mentioned, "It could be from that new girl, you are talking to." The guy decided to open the package. It was a pair of white socks. He was astonished. His friend said, "The socks match your new sneakers!" The guy replied, "You are right" One pal stated, "Where is the package from?" The guy checked the address, it appeared the package was from Maine. The guy stated, "I do not know anyone from Maine?" The other friend said, "Just be happy that you got a free gift." All the friends conversed on current events for a short period of time. "Nobody ever goes to malls or shops in-person anymore. Everything is delivered to homes. I think social distancing will make people more cold. People are so awkward when greeted nowadays." The friends agreed. One pal, stated "You pay for convenience." It was getting late. It was dark outside now. They left. The guy was alone with his thoughts. To stay busy, he watched television and made food. He showered after the game. He prepared for bed and wore the new socks.
In the coming days, the guy performed errands and continued with his normal routine. He went for a drive and walked into a coffee shop in the town. In the city, he viewed the cars passing by and the citizens walking on the sidewalks. What caught his eye was mailman vehicle. The postman looked familiar. He waved hello to the guy with a smile. The guy found this peculiar but returned the gesture. The delivery man was far away, across the street. At that moment there plenty of traffic. The guy continued with his day. The guy was on the phone with his older brother, as he sat outside a café. They talked about their family. He mentioned the fact that he received a package from Maine. The brother found this weird. The brother reminded him that he was going to visit him in a few days. They said their salutations. The guy returned home. He received an unknown number call. The voice was creepy. It said, "You got mail coming to you…" The guy was upset. He did not like someone playing a prank on him. He calmed his nerves by listening to some music. He used his headphones and went to bed.
Several days passed. Each day he angrily waited for the mail. Everyday it was regular mail. Today, there was a package! The guy quickly saw where it was from. The parcel stated it was from Arizona. The guy thought, I do not know anyone from Arizona. He stared at the package with vexation. He received a phone call. Before answering, he was irritated. He thought it would be an unknown caller. The guy checked the phone and it was his brother. The brother said, "Are you home?" He replied, "Yeah, I received another package! This time it is from Arizona." The brother said, "Do not open the package yet, I am on my way. We'll open it together and get to the bottom of this." They agreed.
The guy questioned the purpose of these packages. The brothers opened the package. It was sweatpants! They were confused. The sweatpants matched the socks, and the sneakers. The guy noticed this, as he wore the socks and shoes. The brother not taking the matter seriously said, "Try on the sweatpants." The guy, replied, "That is not funny". The brother stated, "Did you see who delivered the package?" The guy said, "I suppose it was the mailman? Who else could it be?" The brother brought something important to his sibling's attention. "You never paid attention to who has been dropping off your packages?" The guy stated, "No." The older brother established a plan. He said, "Next time you get any package, see who delivers it. Plant a camera on the front door." The brothers agreed.
The guy was surfing the internet on a particular evening. He was playing games online. He took a moment to order a book from a website. Suddenly, after the purchase he heard strange sounds in his backyard. The guy explored the premises. Nothing was found. He texted one of his friends to find comfort. There was no answer. For a minute, he relaxed in his room. Then, he went to use the bathroom. As soon as he finished, there was a similar weird sound again. This time, it appeared to come from the front of the house. He remembered the front door camera. The guy went to view the feedback of the camera on his computer. He noticed a silhouette approaching the front of the house. The guy grabbed a household weapon, a simple table knife to protect himself. He was agitated and anxious. He could not decipher the true identity of the person approaching. To make matters worse, he abruptly heard the notification from his cellphone. He thought to himself now or never. He slightly concealed the weapon and opened the front door and yelled "Who is that?" A great sense of relief came onto him as he heard a familiar, "What's going on bro?" It was his brother. He brought food and drinks for the last night of his stay. The guy said, "You scared me!" The brother entered the house with groceries and stated, "This is not healthy for you. These packages are getting to your head." The guy was calm now. He checked his phone. The notification was a text message from his friend saying, "Are you okay?" The guy believed he was becoming paranoid. He thought he was becoming a burden to his family and friends. The brothers enjoyed the last evening together, eating and watching videos online.
A few days passed. The guy received a notification that his book was to arrive today. He was glad. It was during the day. The guy invited his friend. She recommended the book to him. They were planning to enjoy the book together. A package arrived. They assumed it was the book. It was a package from New Mexico. The guy was upset. He said, "Not again!" The girl stated, "What is wrong?" The guy described the situation. The girl believed it was not a big issue. She believed he was overreacting. She said, "I would not mind receiving free stuff. Let us see what it is." The guy reluctantly opened the package. Now the gift was a blank T-shirt. She said, "I do not know if I like it, but it is free. Try it on." The shirt fit him perfectly. The girl inquired, "What else did you receive?" The guy showed her the socks and sweatpants. She was curious. The girl said, "Do you realize it all matches?" The guy sadly agreed. She suggested he try all the gifts at once. The girl said, "Make it a new outfit!" The guy wore the socks, the sweatpants, and the new shirt. The guy said, "Oh I forgot, I bought these classic sneakers! Now that I think of it, it goes along with the outfit." She said, "Put it on!" The guy wore everything. She said, "Cool, but it is missing something." The guy was clueless. He replied, "I don't know?" She said, "I don't know either. Let me think about it." Soon, another package arrived. It was the book. The guy found easement knowing it was simply the book. They went to the backyard and discussed the book. It was fun and relaxing.
After a few hours, the girl was excited. She said, "You're missing a hat! That's what would make your outfit perfect." The guy wanted to connect with the girl, so he agreed. They spent time entertaining one another. Time flies when you are having fun. It was nighttime now. It was time for the girl to leave. She kissed him goodbye and said, "I will buy you a matching hat!" The guy replied, "I look forward to it. Thank you." She went on her way.
Several days passed by. It was the guy's day off. There was not much to do. He would just amuse himself. The whole day went by slow. It was a boring day. It was quiet before the storm. He looked in the mirror. By some strange luck, he was wearing that same intriguing outfit. The guy did not pay much attention to fashion. He heard the doorbell ring. The guy looked around, it appeared to be typical day in the neighborhood. At his doorstep was a package! It was from Georgia. He showed no emotion to the predicament. He placed the package on the counter. The guy thought it is probably a hat. He realized it was, indeed, a hat! Of course, it matched the outfit. Instead of getting angry, he recalled the girl was planning to buy him a hat. The thing that puzzled him was, why Georgia? He did not obsess about it. Perhaps the hat company or some shipping factory resided in Georgia. He texted the girl and said, "Thanks for the hat" with a photo of him wearing the matching outfit. There was no immediate response. He thought nothing of it. The guy went on with his day.
It was night now. Pitch dark. Someone broke into the house. The guy heard a notification on his phone. There was no time to pay attention to that. He fought the intruder. It was of no use. The guy was murdered. He was in the dark with that matching outfit.
END