It seemed like a day just like any other, but Michael Spuutihed could sense that something was different. Something was going to happen today. Something big. Michael didn’t have a clue as to what would happen, really, but he could tell that today wouldn’t be just like the several thousand that proceeded it. When he was a child, Michael would wake up every day expecting something great to happen, and when he was a child, something great generally did. But as he grew older, the days in which great things happened became more and more rare. Michael Spuutihed could not remember the last day something great had happened, and he was beginning to wonder whether or not anything great ever had.
But today was different. Today, that air of expectancy was back. Michael Spuutihed could tell that whatever happened, by the end of today nothing would be the same. He jumped out of the same bed he had for years, but this morning he felt alive and refreshed. He showered in the same bathroom that he always did, but today the soap and water made him feel even more alive and refreshed. He dried himself off with the same old towel, and put on one of the same 5 suits he always wore, the last having been purchased about 10 months ago. The suit seemed to fit better somehow. He stopped at the same diner for the same breakfast and read the same paper with the same news as always. Nothing about the day so far was any different from any other, but, Michael Spuutihed thought, there is a long day ahead for something big to happen.
All day at work, Michael Spuutihed kept looking for clues for the really big thing that was going to happen. Perhaps today would be the day that Sally Fromaccounting would finally notice him. Perhaps today the seemingly endless list of cold calls would actually produce the Big Sale. Perhaps today would be the day that the boss would finally realize that he was too valuable an employee to be wasted in such a low level position. But nothing unusual happened. Sally Fromaccounting ignored him, all the calls were a bust, and the boss went out for drinks after work with Joey Prick.
The day at work left Michael Spuutihed feeling somewhat downtrodden, but still certain that today would be the day that would change everything. On his way home, he stopped of by the same grocery, picked up the same thing he always did: a frozen dinner, a six pack of whatever beer was on sale, and a pack of cigarettes. He got home, and after heating the frozen dinner in the same oven, he sat in the same chair, ate dinner, and watched the same evening news on the same TV. After dinner, he drank some beer, smoked a few cigarettes, and watched some more TV. He’d seen all the shows before, but watching TV helped pass the time, and anyway, what else did he have to do while waiting for something to happen?
It was 9 o’clock or so when he started feeling like he should get out of the house. He couldn’t remember something big ever happening while he just sat around, and it was getting pretty late. He took the last beer, and what was left of the cigarettes, and got in his car. He didn’t really know where he was going, he just knew he was looking for something, and he didn’t seem to be finding it. It was just the same streets in the same town that he had always lived. No matter where he went, everything was the same. After what must have been a few hours, he noticed he was getting low on gas. He stopped at the same gas station where he always got gas, and filled up the tank. He went inside and paid for the gas and a pack of cigarettes. It was the same clerk that always worked this time of night, and they exchanged the same pleasantries. On the way out the door, Michael Spuutihed glanced down at his watch. It was 11:59 PM. This can’t be, he thought. This was supposed to be the day something happened! He paused for a second or two, and then turned around and walked back to the counter. The clerk said something, but Michael Spuutihed didn’t hear it. He stared at the clerk for a second, and then pulled out his 9 mm and fired 3 rounds, 2 in the chest, and one in the head of the clerk, who slumped to the floor with a solid thud. He walked around behind the counter, opened the register and took all the cash. It totaled about $41, including the $17 or so he had just paid. On the way out the door, Michael Spuutihed glanced down at his watch again. Each hand was positioned squarely over the 12. He got in his car and drove home.
As he drifted off to sleep that night, Michael Spuutihed marveled at the wonderful experiences he had on this very unusual day.
