The
day began as any other day; I was at home with my wife and kids. Then I began
to notice strange things going on. In conversation with my wife, we said:
“Sorry
honey I have to go, work waits for me.”
“Don’t forget your lunch sweetie.”
“Wait
isn’t that Mr. Jameson and didn’t I just help him up the stairs just
yesterday?”
“Yes
you did dear.”
“Well
now he looks like he’s 17. What’s going on here?”
“It could be Mr. Jameson grandson dear you
know.”
“I
agree Susan. I’m off to work.”
Driving
home from work on January 31, 2011 I just miss hitting a deer instead I hit a
pole and boy is Susan going to be mad I totaled another car. My eyes seem
blurry and the world around me seems to be half black and white and half color.
But instead of the regular colors they almost seem cartoon like. I think I’m
having a bad dream nothing around me seems to make sense. I decided to examine
my surroundings.
As
I try to get up I felt weak kneed and I fall back into the driver seat. Then I
think my vision is playing tricks on me because now instead my 2011 Honda
Odyssey is now a 1936 Ford model 68. The steering wheel of
my Honda Odyssey is huge and chunky instead of small and sleek. But that
doesn’t seem to fit my car neither does the fact that my tires are now white
washed. In the Ford model 68 there is no air conditioner or radio. Since I
can’t drive this car or any car right now I get up and decide to walk to the
local food store.
In
the store I pick up today’s paper and see it’s 1936. To be more precise it’s
January 31, 1936. I am shocked to find myself in 1936. How did I get here and
how do I get back 2011? I also buy some food as I am hungry.
Walking
around the store in shock I bump into a woman.
“I’m
sorry miss I didn’t see you there.”
“That’s
okay I’m fine.”
“What’s
your name? I am Michael.”
“Nice
to meet you Michael I am Maria.”
“I’m
completely lost as I’m not from here. Can you help me find a place to stay?”
“There’s
a charming little hotel around here called the El Rey Court in Santa Fe, New Mexico.”
“Sounds
nice I’ll think I’ll head there. My car is broken is there a cab around here.”
“Yes
there’s one that stops here every fifteen minutes. You’d better hurry the next
one will be here in two minutes.”
I
rush to buy my food. Then I happen to think my money might happen to look like I
used in 2011. I pulled it out and quickly realize it has changed too. I heave a
sigh of relief.
I
arrive at the El Rey Court around seven p.m. I know I don’t have a reservation
but I ask for a room at the front desk. They have one room available and they
give it to me.
I
was wearing a red shirt, blue tie, and a gray suit. As a Professor of History I
recognize that my simple suit from 2011 is now a drape cut suit and tie. The drape
cut suit has folds upon folds so it looks like it overlaps at points.
In
2011 I teach at New Mexico Highlands University and yet somehow I find myself
trapped in 1936. With a wife and kids in
2011 I wonder what will happen between me and Maria. I hardly know her yet, I
feel some deep connection to her.
Somehow
I time traveled back in time and I still have memories of the future.
I
can’t seem to figure out where I know Maria from. I get this feeling that I’ve
seen her before. She reminds me of my Grandma Maria. One day I find myself
thinking she is pretty.
The
next day I went to the park to talk to Maria.
“So
Maria what do you do for a living?”
“Well
right now I’m a school teacher. So what do you do for a living?”
“Well
right now I’m unemployed. Do you know if anyone is hiring?”
“Yes
the local grocery store is hiring right now.”
“Okay
thank you, I think I’ll go apply for the job.”
So the next day I head to the local
grocery store Smith’s Food and Drug to apply for a job. The job they are hiring for is cashier to
which I used to do while going to college to get my degree as a history
professor. Even though I’ve got some experience I fill out the application with
trepidation as I never worked a manual cash register before and my math skills
are horrible.
That night I meet Maria in the hotel
dining room for dinner and we talk about my day.
“Well I applied for a job at Smith’s
Food and Drug today. I hope I get the job.”
“You’ll get the job because your
smart and I bet you’re a fast leaner.”
“Well I may be a fast learner but my
math isn’t so good.”
“Oh I bet you pick it up really
fast.”
“I don’t know about that Maria but
thanks for the vote of confidence.”
I fall in love with Maria but she
seems to have this grandmotherly feel about like she is my grandmother. Oh no
she can’t be my grandmother my grandma Maria Katko died on February 22, 1995 I
was eighteen. Then I remember I’m in 1936. I decided to ask Maria some
questions.
“So how old are you Maria?”
“Don’t you know it’s rude to ask a
lady her age?”
“I’m just wondering because you mind
me of someone I knew.”
“Wow in that case I’m 30. I’m
married to a great man.”
“Who
are you married to?”
“I
am married to a guy named Charles Katko, why?
“Just
wondering and you remind me of my grandmother Maria Katko.”
“We
just got married two days ago. We’ve been saving up for the big day.”
Then I think about my wife and kids
in 2011. How do I get back to 2011? The more I think about my wife and kids in
2011 the more I realize that I need to get back to that time.
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