Written by Mirage
The Package
Finally it arrived!
Arriving home, I saw that the postman left me a note that my package had arrived and I needed to pick it up tomorrow after class at the main post office. I nearly went crazy waiting for the next 24 hours. How long I waited for this! Since I was a child, I dreamed of holding it in my arms, and staring at it, even kissing it. I remember when I first saw the prototype in a science magazine, I ripped the page off and hid it under my mattress. Sometimes, I even sneaked in the bathroom with the pictures and hid there for hours, staring at it.
One time, my mother was doing some cleaning in my room, and moved my bed and the picture fell out. She looked at it and was confused. She asked me why I was hiding this kind of pictures. I was sure she would grill me about the birds and the bees. But just before, my father arrived and I managed to grab the picture and run out the house. I hide in the small forest behind the house until it was dark. Eventually, when I returned home, my mother let it go, thinking all boys did what I did.
When I turned 15, I saw my dream come true. The companies finally decided to market it, and was being sold at specialty stores. The price was ridiculous for me to try to buy one, heck, it was brand new technology, where only we could see in old sci-fi movies. One time, I went to a store that had one on display. Tears formed around my eyes. Such beauty, such grace. I had never been happier in my life.
My girlfriend at the time got all jealous of it, of course, "You'll never understand the perfectness of this masterpiece!" I snickered at her.
Of course, she broke up with me after only one week of being steady. All girls did that to me. But I didn't care, I knew my "baby" would love me no matter what. I would program her to do anything I ever wanted it to do! It would follow my every commands, never talking back to me or giving me attitude. My perfect mate for life.
That night, I could not sleep, to many things, dreams, ideals of things of me and my baby will do together... I can't wait. Constantly, I look at the clock, until it was time to go at class. At school, I could not concentrated. I work for 4 years nonstop at McKingBurger to accumulate the money I needed for my "baby". Finally, last month, I had enough and I ordered it, special rush job on it, of course. I look at my watch the entire day, wanting to scream out loud, my blood was boiling.
Finally, the bell rang, classes were over! I ran the quickest possible to my locker, grabbed my cell phone and called a taxi.
“Where is the fucking taxi??? It's 3:07pm!!!”
Finally, the taxi arrived and I jumped in it.
"Take me to the main post office!" I gave my destination to the taxi driver.
He nodded and slowly started the ride.
"No!" I screamed at him, when he decided to take the downtown route. I knew he was taking that route for the traffic, so he could steal my money more. I growled at him and told him to take another route. Pissed off a bit, he drove the street I told him too. Arriving at the post office, I gave his money and the finger.
He drove off quickly like a maniac.
I entered the office and eight people were in line. I almost freaked out, the waiting was so long. Finally, I arrived at the counter and gave my package notice. The woman look at it and went in the back of some curtains.
“OH MY GOD! They lost it! They did! I just know they did! YES! YES!” I thought. The woman came back with a big box. She asked for my signature and I ripped the box from her hands. The box was heavier than I expected, but I didn't care. I walked to my apartment and climbed the stairs slowly. Managed to unlock the door and enter my small place. Dropping the box lightly, I smiled.
Taking a few second to get my breath, I then took a knife and slowly opened the box. The tape holding the box was hard to remove, but I managed it. Slowly, I open the first cardboard panel, then the second, the third, and now the last. It was so full of Styrofoam pieces that I still could not see it. So, with both hands, like a mad man, I started to remove the Styrofoam. In the side, I found the instruction manual. It was huge! This only increased my excitement. Finally, I saw heaven for the first time, rapped in bubble packaging. Talking the knife, I slowly remove the plastic bubble rappers and took my baby out from the box. Much lighter I thought she would be.
"What shall I call you?" I asked it, "How about Cecilia? Cecilia it is!" I smiled to her, “Shit! I forgot, did it came with batteries?” I looked in the box and to my relief, it did. Slowly, I rubbed my fingers on her everywhere, feeling all her surfaces.
I discovered her battery panel in the back and opened it slowly. The sensation was boundless to me, I was in pure ecstasy. Looking inside the open panel, I could see circuits and small electronics, I was amazed at the details they had giving her. Slowly, I inserted the fresh batteries in her. I then slowly and delicately press her "on" button. A small "beep" was all the noise she did. I gasped in delight.
Then my freaking doorbell rang! It was my neighbor, Edward. I ignored him, but he kept ringing the bell. I got up and open the door.
"What was in the box?" He asked me, knowing he was spying on me when I came in with the box.
I said nothing and started to close the door.
"Let me see! Please!" he begged.
"Fine! Come in!" I told him quickly.
He entered the room and looked at the open box, "Ed, meet my soul mate, Cecilia!" I smiled to him, proud and knowing I would make him so jealous. He stared at Cecilia for a long moment and remained stunned.
“Ain't she superb? She's everything I ever wanted in my life!" I yelled at him, full of excitement.
"Bu....but it's a calculator..." Edward slowly said.
His words pierced my very soul. "JUST A CALCULATOR???????????????HOW DARE YOU!!!!!!!!CECILIA IS NOT JUST A FUCKING SIMPLE CALCULATOR!!!! IT'S THE TX3005 SUPERMATRIX WITH 79 TRILLION MEGABITES!!!" I screamed at him with all my force.
He looked at me strangely, "Oh.. I get it, you're one of those weirdos with a calculator fetish, aren't you?"
"And what if I am???" I growled at him.
He snickered and left me with my precious, Cecilia, "No one understand me but you, baby!" I smiled to her, kissing her deeply.