Last day

Last day

Spring, life is in the air.
I went outside to get my mail. The tulips were starting to show their little spear-like heads, through my garden's ground. Happily I looked  around, listening to the birds chirping happily, when I saw  my neighbour's flowers.
How come his tulips are already in full bloom while mine are only waking up? A jealous thought pinched my heart. His wife must be doing all the gardening, I said to myself bitterly, and took my mail back into the house.

I browsed through the mail, not expecting to find anything too exciting. So much junk, save some trees for crying out load. I was ready to throw away the whole pile, while suddenly I noticed two identical letters, at the bottom of the pile. No sender name was written on any of them. I wondered where these came from. I hardly got any regular mail anymore, only bills and fliers. Everybody I know, used email these days.

I looked at the envelops with growing curiosity. Thick and heavy paper. Maybe cards with money for my birthday? But it is not until the end of the month. What if its dangerous? A terror attack? Maybe somebody discovered that I am Jewish?

I tried to check the envelops against the lights. Thick and heavy paper, it could be a bomb, or  some  radioactive, biological or chemical substance. I looked around me, trying to decide, what should I do, maybe I should call the police? They will just laugh at me!

My eyes fell on the calendar. Of course, today is April fools day, somebody is playing a big joke on me! I am not falling for this one, no way!

I looked again at the hand writing, and then it down on me. It couldn't be! I could not believe it. I took a pen and wrote with my shaking hand "To Mr Brown", and compared the two. There was no question about it, the scripts were identical! Who could make such a joke?Who would even take the time and effort to copy my handwriting and make such a silly joke?

I put the letters to the side and went on with my breakfast. I ate my bacon and eggs, a good Jewish boy that I am, while reading the morning paper, and browsing through the news. I don't  know why I am still getting the paper, I have already seen all the news. Anyway, there is nothing new anymore. It would be better, if they just stopped killing trees, instead of writing these nonsense. I have to to stop my subscription.

Finally I couldn't hold my curiosity anymore, I had to see what's in those envelops, that had my name and address in my own handwriting, I just had to know what's in it, even if it meant the end of my life, even if it meant the end of the world, I just had to know what's going on, who is playing this trick on me.

With shaking hands I opened the first one.
A piece of paper with my own handwriting was inside with a folded newspaper.

The letter said:

Joe please be careful this is not a joke! Your life, our life, depends on your action. I cannot explain all the detail, because it is too complicated, but whatever you do today, don't go to near Safeway! I am attaching part of yours-tomorrows newspaper so you can see for yourself.

Then it went on telling me something personal, that only I knew about, so I would believe the authenticity of this letter. And finally signed my name with my own signature.