New Years Ever 2019 or 1919...

"I can't believe it's going to be 2020!” exclaimed Joseph. Little did Joseph know that he was in for a surprise of the decade! Joseph's wife, Bethany, was a nurse who worked at the hospital in the small town that they lived in. Bethany worked until 11:00 PM most evenings she always made sure she was home before the clock struck midnight. This had been their "tradition" since they've been married. Even though others thought it was seemingly a hassle, it was a perfect plan for Joseph and Bethany.  In fact they made it work for the last 8 years without fail!  

10:38 PM  

"Hi Bethany, do you think you'll make it home in time tonight"? Joseph asked. Bethany replied as she always had for the last 8 years, "Yes, I'll make it home in time tonight". Joseph decided that he would put on the television and attempt to rest for a bit before Bethany arrived home. His eye lids began to weigh heavily onto his tired eyes. Joseph thought to himself, "I can't fall asleep, it's the end of 2019, a new decade is about to begin and my wife will be home before I know it”. 10:38 PM quickly turned into New Years Day.

8:00 AM New Years Day

There was an unfamiliar sound ringing through the house that woke Joseph up out of a sound sleep. The alarm in the bedroom had been going off for at least 15 minutes. However, this wasn’t a traditional sounding alarm clock. It had more of a ring sound to it, almost like home telephone would sound.  Joseph sat up on the couch slightly confused and a little annoyed by the unfamiliar ringing. "Bethany can you please stop that ringing"? There was no response from Bethany. In fact, there was no sign that Bethany had ever existed in their home! Joseph got off of the couch and went to the bedroom to quiet this unfamiliar sound. While entering the bedroom, he stubbed his toe on the corner of a twin bed with bright white sheets on it. "Okay, this has got to be a dream". "My wife and I have a beautiful king bed". Even though Joseph thought he quieted the alarm, there was still a sound that wouldn’t quiet within his own head. Joseph thought that perhaps he was in a dream or that he was just exhausted from the work week. He returned to the couch where he had fallen asleep the night before. While making his way to the couch, he felt a slight tug on his right arm but didn’t think much of it. The couch was older than his grandmother and the afghan that was on it was one that was crocheted by his great, great grandmother in the year 1920. However, it looked as if it had been brand new, as if it had just been crocheted by the hands of Joseph's great, great grandmother. Joseph wrapped it around his shoulders and took in the scent of it for just a moment more. The light smell of Old Spice cologne comforted him as he attempted to fall back to sleep.

"Okay, this is definitely a dream", Joseph said. He attempted to close his eyes and try to get back to the evening before, where everything made perfect sense. Every time he would try to close his eyes, the alarm would sound from the bedroom. It wasn’t as quiet as it seemed in his head just moments ago. It was to the point where it felt nearly impossible to go back to sleep.

9:00 AM

Joseph opened his front door to see if anything outside had changed and boy did it change. Inside was definitely not 2020 but at least it was in color. Joseph rubbed his eyes thinking again, that maybe he was just tired. The entire outside was in black and white and a little fuzzy.  "This is something you'd see on TV", stated Joseph. Being that Joseph couldn't get back to where he was just the night before; he knew that there was something that had to be solved. Somewhere in this little town, there was an issue that needed fixing and Joseph was determined to be the one to fix it!

Joseph made his way back into his home and put his boots on and a warm coat. He knew that there was a journey lying ahead of him.

As Joseph walked down the cobblestone walkways, reality began to sink in. If this "something" wasn't solved, he may never be able to go back to the evening before. He may just be stuck in 1920 forever. Joseph began to retrace all the steps he has taken the previous evening. He visited the old mom and pop liquor store where he purchased a bottle of fine wine for himself and his wife to enjoy for NYE. This shop had been standing since Joseph could remember. In fact, as long as his Mother and Grandmother even remembered. ” Hi Sir, do you remember seeing me here last night"? Joseph asked with some hope in his voice. "Why, yes... yes I do, young man". "Weren't you the fellow that bought that decadent bottle of wine"? The older man asked.

"YES, yes, that was me"! Replied Joseph. "Why has everything changed"?

The clerk replied gently, “It’s not that everything has changed, it is you that changed”. Without thinking twice, Joseph ran out of the front doors that still had holiday decorations on it.  The only thing that Joseph could catch a glimpse of was the year on the New Year decoration. It wasn’t 2020, it was 1920!

In confusion, Joseph continued on his journey to see if he was able to figure this mystery out. It couldn’t be 1920! How could it be!? Even though nothing had been mentioned about time running out to fix whatever was Joseph had to “fix”, he felt as if there was a time restraint of some sort and he felt that his time was running out.

With a winded breath, Joseph said, “Okay, next stop”. You see, Joseph had forgotten that he has stopped for flowers just before stopping for a bottle of wine. However, that stop wasn’t as clear to him as the following stop to the liquor store. It was fog, almost as if it hadn’t happened. With some hesitation, Joseph opened the door to the flower shop just two blocks down the road from the liquor store. He looked around to see if someone was there to speak to. Joseph needed to retrace his steps. Every single step he made! Something had to clue him in onto what was happening. Joseph cleared his throat and said, “Excuse me, is there anyone here”? There was no response! The shop was decorated for New Years and the flowers looked beautiful but it seemed as if there was no sign of life, aside from all of the beautiful, bloomed flowers and the scent that they carried.  Again, Joseph cleared his throat and this time had a louder tone to his voice. “Excuse me, is there anyone here”? Again, there was no response.

Joseph had an interest in solving mysteries. Just like his favorite TV detective, Cafael. Joseph grew up watching this television legend with his grandfather. He would sit in his grandfather’s arms and be comforted by the scent of his Grandfather’s Old Spice cologne and by the warmth of the afghan that had been made by his great, great Grandmother.  At this point he felt like a champion and knew that he could solve this 1920 mystery.

With that, Joseph decided to do some research of his own. With no one in the shop to talk to, he walked around to try and look for clues, like his favorite detective would. He took some time to smell and touch every flower within his reach in hopes that it would bring some sort of memory back to him.  Nothing seemed to be working. Joseph couldn’t find clues to this sudden mystery.  He had noticed a few things that had been out of place. Half full vases of water with a flower or two in it, flowers that were in the middle of being beautifully wrapped, and it just doesn’t seem right. In fact it seemed a little odd for a shop that was filled with beautiful flowers and had sign of life just the evening before. Or at least that was Joseph’s thought!

 “Hello, is anyone here”? With a 3^rd attempt at reaching out for any signs of a person or people in the shop, Joseph’s search came to a sudden halt. There had been a bunch of spilled water on the floor in the back of the store. Joseph took a spill and hit his head pretty hard. The lights were fading out and Joseph said aloud, “I need to find my wife”! “Why is this happening”?

“Your wife is right here”, Bethany said. Joseph opened his eyes as much as he was able. He looked through his squinted, blurred vision to see his wife standing beside him. This time, he wasn’t on the floor; he was in twin bed with bright white sheets on it. His right arm had an IV in it that had felt super uncomfortable. “Hi sweetie, Happy New Year”! Bethany had been by his side since she got the call that Joseph had an accident and hit his head. Being that Bethany worked in a hospital, she was there upon his arrival via ambulance. “What… what is going on”? Joseph winced in pain. “Honey, you ran to pick up flowers for me last night and took a fall. You hit your head and you are just confused right now”. “I’m here, I’m not leaving”.

“What time did this happen”? Joseph asked. Without any hesitation, Bethany responded with, “I received a call at 10:38 PM from you cell phone”. Bethany had thought that it was Joseph calling to make sure she’d be home in time for their traditional New Year celebration. This time it wasn’t Joseph, it was a customer that had been in the shop when Joseph took the fall. “This man called me at 10:38 PM and I thought maybe you had lost your phone”. Bethany stated. “I knew you would call me like you’ve done for the last 8 years”. Joseph had a tear in his eye and thanked his wife for being by his side. The clerk from the 1920's Mom and Pop liquor store was right about Joseph. Something did change with him! The only difference is it wasn’t something he had to search for. It was something he had to come out of! He hit his head and was stuck in a very short coma. Bethany’s voice and all of the pleasant comforts from Joseph’s coma took him out of it and things started to make sense about the 1920's New Year day journey! “Here is a blanket for you, Joseph”. An older man who had the scent of Old Spice cologne had dropped off an afghan for Joseph. “What was the man’s name”? Joseph asked. Bethany didn’t have an answer because the older man didn’t really say much. The only thing he did say was, “I have this afghan for Joseph, please make sure it gets to him”. With a crack in his voice Joseph said, “I know exactly who delivered this afghan to me”. Joseph took the blanket and wrapped it around his torso. He took the light scent of Old Spice cologne in as he fell back to sleep. The sound that rang in Joseph’s head earlier had gone away and the year 2020 had started with happiness and a present that Joseph would never expect.