Ch 2: Hello Stranger
Sometimes we don’t notice how fast time flies until we look ourselves
in the mirror and notice that we’ve changed. Maybe it’s the hair style, the
loss of that baby fat in our cheeks or even a grey hair or two, regardless;
they’re all signs and symptoms of aging and what comes with it. Ten years flew
by quicker than he could’ve ever imagined, and still no reply from the person
he hoped he would get to know. He checked his email every day, just hoping to
get a reply, an email that wasn’t spam sent to his inbox at yours.truly.stranger@gmail.com
Raymond: Dude, you’re going to make us late for work
Ron: I’ll be out after I check my email
Raymond: What are you, 60? You can check your email on your phone! Data!
Ron: Ok, I’m done...let’s go
Raymond: Just synch up that email address on to your phone already...or
pick a better time to check your email...what’s with 8:00 AM, every day? Who in
the world sends emails that early anyways?
Ron: I get it...
Raymond: No...I don’t think so...because I’ve been telling you that
since we moved here, exactly three years ago
Ron: I didn’t have data then
Raymond: That’s not the point
Ron laughed: The longer we live together the more you sound like my sister
Raymond: Ha-ha, very funny...my voice is so much more soothing than
your sister’s
Ron: Speaking of my sister...she invited you over for dinner tomorrow
Raymond: I thought it’s a family dinner
Ron: Well...Leila’s going to be there too
Raymond: That’s because she’s your girlfriend, possibly your sister’s
future sister-in-law
Ron: But you and I, we live together...practically brothers...so my sister
considers you family
Raymond: Alright, I’ll be there...unless I have to work overtime again
Ron: I doubt it...
~Next day~
Ron logged onto his email at exactly 8 in the morning, and to his
surprise he received a response.
~Email~
Dear Stranger,
I was quite surprised when I found your bottle floating in the water
near the Bay area. I really didn’t expect to actually see a letter inside, but
somehow there it was. Originally, I thought it might’ve been a prop for a movie
that somehow got lost, but my friend told me to respond to you through the
email provided anyways. Hopefully, this letter isn’t a prop and you’ll promptly
reply to me.
Yours truly,
W.
~End~
Even though the person’s email was rather short, this was the best
feeling he had ever felt. It was the feeling of closure, however anticlimactic
it was and he was looking forward to their future exchanges. He immediately
responded
~Reply~
Hello W,
This is definitely not a prop from a movie set that got lost, that I
can assure you. It’s a little experiment of fate I wanted to try out as a
teenager. I didn’t expect to actually receive a response, but I always hoped
that one day I would. Thank you for taking your friend’s advice and replying to
the letter. I hope that we could continue these exchanges in the future and
maybe get to know one another a bit. Don’t worry; I’m not some old man trying
to prey on the young or some crazy person either...and by saying those things I
probably sound iffy to you. Anyways, I hope that you’ll email me back soon.
Yours truly,
Stranger
~end~
Raymond: Dude, hurry up! (He peeked into Ron’s room) Did you just send
an email?
Ron smirked: Yup
Raymond: No way! Someone found it
Ron: Yup
Raymond: Is she hot?
Ron: What?
Raymond: Uh, she’s probably a she
Ron: What type of conclusion is that?
Raymond: Ok, seriously, what guy would respond to some romantic letter
in a bottle about fate
Ron: It wasn’t romantic
Raymond: Fate...Ron, you wrote about fate
Ron: So? Guys can believe in fate
Raymond: Right...so, is she hot?
Ron: It was an email, not a twit pic
Raymond: What’s her name?
Ron: Don’t know, the Person just wrote W
Raymond: W...Wendy? Wanda? Wynona? No...Whitney, or Willow
Ron: Are we going over the possible girl names starting with a W for
your future daughter?
Raymond: Anyone of those could possibly be the person’s name
Ron: We didn’t even confirm that she’s female
Raymond: You know what I forgot...she could be using her last name
initial
Ron: Ok, you got to stop with your nonsense...I thought we were going
to be late
Raymond: It’s ok...we need to find out who she is and if she’s hot?
Ron: Really? Are you that desperate?
Raymond: Nope, just curious about what type of woman she is and whether
or not she’s hot, and whether or not she’s a threat to your relationship with
Leila and most importantly if she’s single
Ron: Hold up! How could this person be a threat to my relationship with
Leila?
Raymond: Well...haven’t you heard about all of those facebook
relationships becoming a reality? Like some man married another woman on
facebook and then divorced his wife. But the point is, if your exchanges with
this person continues, you guys bond, become friends and then start sharing
your deepest thoughts and all of that emotional stuff...Ron my friend, that is
what we call an emotional affair. See, men cannot tolerate their counterparts
having a physical affair, but women are most against their counterpart having
an emotional affair. So, heed my advice, and be very careful.
Ron: Wow, this is what I get for telling you about a letter and an
email
Raymond: Hello...I’m a shrink, and a very good one at that, mind you
Ron laughed: And how much will I be charged for my therapy session Dr.
Lam?
Raymond: It’s on the house, this time. But I swear, if you and Leila
run into some ‘relationship’ problems, or you realize that this person, who I’m
going to continue to assume is female by sex or gender, becomes more involved
in your life than she should be, we really should have a proper session
Ron: Fine...but until this person replies to my email, we’re going to
assume that none of this happened and tonight at dinner, you’re not going to
say anything about it at all
Raymond: Deal!
~ Dinner~
Leila: Jessica, you have to tell me the recipe to this, it’s amazing
Jessica: Really? I thought I’d give it a try
Raymond: Obviously, she’s using us to test a new recipe for her
restaurant
Jessica: The shrink always think I have an ulterior motive when I treat
my little brother and his friends to dinner
Ron laughed: Our shrink is always very suspicious, but sis that does
seem to fit the trend of a new dish that appears on your menu a few weeks after
we try it out
Jessica: Fine, I’ll admit that I needed a second, third and fourth
opinion on this, and from your girlfriend, this dish is definitely a good one
Ron put his arm around Leila: Her choices are always good
Leila: Are you trying to flatter yourself?
Ron smiled and kissed her
Raymond: Really guys, at the dinner table?
Jessica laughed: It’s ok Raymond, as long as it’s not on the dinner
table
=====================
I hope you enjoyed it...also, the email does work, I just thought that it would be interesting if you could email me like a response or something in the perspective of this mysterious person...or something...
Anyways, I hope you'll leave me a comment or two...and I'll try to update more frequently. Also, if you're interested, follow me on instagram @standingonchair
Randomness...OUT!!!
