The Unexpected Package

Mariah Wynn opened her front patio door and there was a medium sized package wrapped in Christmas wrapping on the first step. She thought, "Who sent this? I have not ordered anything." Let me give you a little background on Mariah. She lives in a large city. Mariah is an introvert. She is not a sociable 66 year old. Twenty years ago, she was married but her husband sadly passed away due to cancer absorbing his body. Since the passing of her beloved James, she has not welcomed the company of another man. He was the one and only love of her life. She has no other family so she is indeed a loner in this world.

She has no social outlets other than going to church on Sundays. Every Sunday, She gets up, enjoys her usual breakfast of oatmeal, one sausage patty, cucumbers and coffee. She picks from five of her Sunday outfits. Mariah does not drive anymore due to fear of the madness on the streets. Her mode of transportation is now Uber. Her husband left her in good fiancial shape, so she tips the uber driver well.

Mariah do believe in giving to the less fortunate. She supports several charities monetarily on a regular basis. Some of the charities have recognized her generosity by sending her plaques when she reached a certain plateau in giving. These honorable mentions are highly displayed in her home.

Getting back to the unexpected package left on Mariah's step, seeing that it was wrapped in Christmas wrapping, she decided to wait two more days to open it. Christmas was in two more days. Due to the fact that she had one unexpected package, she decided to put up her Christmas tree that she had not put up in six years. She dragged it and all the ornaments out of her patio storage. Mariah carefully and strategically placed the ornaments on the tree. She begun to get in the Christmas spirit. She turned on the radio and enjoyed holiday music.

Finally, Christmas morning came! In the spirit of a five year old, Mariah rushed to the "Unexpected Package." She non gracefully, tore off all wrappings. Inside the colorful box was a photo of a woman who looked familiar. She turned the photo over and it said, "I am the twin sister you never knew you had." A telephone number was included on the back of the photo. Mariah immediately called the number and she went from having no relative to having a twin sister. The two were separated at birth because their mother was a young single mother who could only care for one child. Mariah had grown up with no siblings. Mariah's new found sister had done all the leg work to finding relatives by way of a DNA kit. Mariah's mother got married when Mariah was five years old. Mariah and her twin bonded and began to become a vital part of each other's life. What an unexpected package!

The unexpected package delivered at Mariah's door opened up new avenues and experiences for Mariah. As a result of the delivery, she became more sociable. Prior to discovering that she had family, she did not feel comfortable being around others and hearing them talk about their families and other interests. She would stay at home instead of going to community meetings held by her neighborhood. After meeting her sister, she had nieces of which she could boast. One of her nieces is a Gynecologist and the other one is a college professor.

Mariah went to her niece's wedding in Canada. It was a beautiful affair. The niece and her new husband resided in Canada. The blooming social butterfly, Mariah, stayed in Canada another week to enjoy the view. Mariah's twin, Shauna, and her husband stayed the week in Canada along with Mariah.

Once back at home. Mariah became actively involved in a local Senior Citizen Group. She attended two days a week and she gradually emerged from her coon. She begun to take walks around her community.

The Senior Citizen Group had a senior formal the next year in June. Mariah attended and there she received another 'unexpected package.' She met a nice seventy something man. He was nicely dressed and could dance. She observed him secretly before he approached her. They made the dance floor their platform. Afterwards, he got her an uber and sent her home but not before exchanging phone numbers.

Mr. Jake came into Mariah's life decorated, wrapped and secure. He was a man of distinctness with good looks. He had been a 20 year widow and was looking for a companion with shared values. Mr. Jake was a retired defense attorney in the city. Their paths had never crossed but their eyes met on the dance floor at the formal. He begun a six month courtship with Mariah. Her sister flew in and met him. Mariah had never been on a cruise. He took her on a seven day Cruise. Mariah told her sister, "He makes me feel brand new. I never would have thought that I could feel this way again." Mr. Jake lived in an upscale community in a beautiful antique house. On her birthday, he had a catered dinner party in her honor. She invited all the individuals in her senior citizen group. He had a wrapped package with her name on it. He asked that she open it in front of all the guests. She gently opened the package and inside of it was a plaque that read, "Will you be my wife for the rest of my life?" She sat down in a nearby chair and tears rolled down her cheeks. She said, Mr. Jake, "I never would have imagined. Yes, I will marry you." She ran to get her cell phone and called Shauna to tell her the good news. Mariah said, "Shauna, "I just opened up another 'unexpected package.' I am getting married to Jake. I will call you later sis with more details."

I will end this story by saying an 'unexpected package' changed Mariah's life in a good way.

Author: Mary Kennedy Isaboke

November 30, 2021