The Unbelievable Present

Let me paint a scene: You get home and deliver your Anniversary present of a good book (In Her Shoes) that your wife has been asking for. You are happy that she is happy. You?re glad to see your children. You smile as they flock around. Your wife gets off the couch and heads to the corner of the room. She retrieves a bright orange bag with tissue paper stuffed inside it.

Your mind tells you that it is probably tennis shoes. You need shoes, so this is a good thing. But part of you, just part of you, fantasizes that it could be something else, if only for a moment. But you shove that out of your mind. There is no way it could be that, and so you go back to the shoes.

She gives you the bag. It?s not bulky enough to be shoes. Your heart rate picks up. You sit down on the couch.

?Close your eyes!? Annie says. ?Close your eyes Daddy!? You follow her instructions. You hear the rustling of tissue paper. The extraction of some object.

You open your eyes upon Annie?s command.

Your heart, it slows for a moment only to pick back up at blazing speed. Your mouth gapes open. You?re unable to use your jaw muscles.

It is a Sony Playstation Portable Value Pack. The cardboard glistens even in this dreary weather.

You don?t want to touch it. It may disappear.

Finally you hold it in your hands. You don?t want to freak out and scare the kids, so you hold your breath. You try to form the words of gratitude. You think back of all the language you know and how best to express the joy, surprise, and happiness inside. You fail to do so.

?Do you like it?? Your wife asks. How simple a question. You struggle to answer.

This continues for some time, and finally you realize that you must now sacrifice some of your DVDs to go and purchase a game. With those DVDs sold, you and your friend (his name is Chris) go and head out to Wal-Mart. Since the DVDs you sold to a local video game store (Twin Peaks Season One, The Sopranos Third Season, Wag the Dog, and something else) netted you more money than you anticipated, you pick up not one but two games: Untold Legends (which Chris and the other guy you know who has a PSP play incessantly) and your personal pick, Wipeout Pure.

You crack them open and you play them. Life is good. This device is incredible, you think. I am so lucky, you think. My wife is just?the words for excellence can?t form but inside your head you imagine the thoughts and feelings of such. You struggle for adjectives.

And in the end, you settle on a simple and defining phrase: ?Best. Wife. Ever.?

So what, so I?ve got a smile on
It?s hiding the quiet superstitions in my head

Tags: In Her Shoes, Anniversary Present, PSP, Playstation Portable, Untold Legends, Wipeout