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- Story Listed as: Fiction For Adults
- Theme: Family & Friends
- Subject: Family
- Published: 03/17/2021
An Ordinary Day
Born 1980, M, from Exeter, United KingdomWhen I told my parents weeks earlier that I wanted to celebrate getting my coronavirus vaccine, they did not seem as excited as I was but they listened as I outlined all the things I wanted to have: a chocolate cake shaped like a syringe, banners and a buffet. Afterwards they just looked at each other and carried on eating. Even my older sister Charlotte, recently graduated from Art College, who I thought would be on my side didn't say anything in support. Happy jab day was a bust.
When I woke up on the morning of my appointment and went downstairs nobody even mentioned my idea. The day carried on as normal. When I brought the subject up with my family they changed it.
Later, after my vaccine I tried to keep my mind occupied playing video games. When I was eventually called down to supper I still was hopeful that they would surprise me with a party. However I was disappointed to see that it was just a normal supper. No banners, balloons or buffet. I did not have much of an appetite. I had wanted this to be special - a replacement for my eighteen birthday party which did not go ahead as my sister was in college and my parents were working. Above all I could not celebrate with any of my friends due to lockdown. After pushing my food around the plate, I stumped up to my room and slammed the door. I did not feel much like celebrating anymore. This had been a stupid idea in the first place. I lied on my bed and listened to music. Time passed, all I did was staring at the ceiling feeling deflated. I heard a knock at the door. “Go away!” I shouted. The door opened and a voice said: “Come on, come downstairs Nikki. There is a surprise for you.” I turned to see my sister: “I’m not in the mood anymore, my arm hurts after my vaccine and I’ve got a headache.” Charlotte said: “Just come downstairs, please.” Reluctantly I followed my sister.
Once downstairs, Charlotte put a blindfold around my head. “No peeking! How many fingers am I holding up?”” she asked. When I said “I don’t know,” she helped me to put on my jacket, took my hand and led me out of the house. The first thing I heard was music. When she took the blindfold off, I began to smile. The music was coming from a sound system that had been set up. The sound was fabulous! The bass gave me goosebumps. They were banners everywhere, saying: “Happy jab day!” and multicoloured lights. I turned to my sister and asked: “When did you have time to do all this?” She said: “You don’t know what I get up to when I say that I’m in my room studying. Look over there!” I followed the direction of her pointing finger and saw three pinatas in the shape of a coronavirus hanging from a tree! Charlotte handed me a handmade card saying “Happy jab day” with a smiling man on it having a vaccine. She was really very good at art. The party that evening was amazing. There were sausage rolls, crisps, nuts, sandwiches and all kinds of finger food. Not having eaten much at supper, I attacked the buffet hungrily. Charlotte kept apologising for the lack of guests but I told her that it was amazing and heaven better than my eighteen’s birthday. “Where are mum and dad?” I shouted over the music. “I’m sure they will be out shortly, they must be tidying up the supper things.” replied Charlotte. We carried on eating and drinking for a while, then the music stopped and the lights went on. I wondered what was happening then I heard the voices of my parents singing a chorus of “Happy Birthday,” but the words had been changed to “Happy Jab Day to you!” The cake they were carrying between them, on a silver tray, was shaped like a giant chocolate syringe including a hypodermic needle made of icing - just like the one I had told them I wanted. As they got closer to put it on the table, I saw that in red icing it was written “Happy Jab Day, Nikki!” I ran over and hugged them. “Thank you! It is perfect!” I exclaimed. At the end of the evening when all the drinks had been drunk, the party food consumed, cake devoured and pinatas burst spilling their precious cargo of sweets on the ground my family raised a toast to me: “Happy Jab Day, Nikki! Here’s to the second one, in six to twelve weeks!” We clinked the glasses together and tried to keep a straight face but Charlotte burst out laughing spitting out her drink on the ground. We all soon followed her laughing uncontrollably. An ordinary day had turned into one of the happiest days I can remember.
An Ordinary Day(Christopher Long)
When I told my parents weeks earlier that I wanted to celebrate getting my coronavirus vaccine, they did not seem as excited as I was but they listened as I outlined all the things I wanted to have: a chocolate cake shaped like a syringe, banners and a buffet. Afterwards they just looked at each other and carried on eating. Even my older sister Charlotte, recently graduated from Art College, who I thought would be on my side didn't say anything in support. Happy jab day was a bust.
When I woke up on the morning of my appointment and went downstairs nobody even mentioned my idea. The day carried on as normal. When I brought the subject up with my family they changed it.
Later, after my vaccine I tried to keep my mind occupied playing video games. When I was eventually called down to supper I still was hopeful that they would surprise me with a party. However I was disappointed to see that it was just a normal supper. No banners, balloons or buffet. I did not have much of an appetite. I had wanted this to be special - a replacement for my eighteen birthday party which did not go ahead as my sister was in college and my parents were working. Above all I could not celebrate with any of my friends due to lockdown. After pushing my food around the plate, I stumped up to my room and slammed the door. I did not feel much like celebrating anymore. This had been a stupid idea in the first place. I lied on my bed and listened to music. Time passed, all I did was staring at the ceiling feeling deflated. I heard a knock at the door. “Go away!” I shouted. The door opened and a voice said: “Come on, come downstairs Nikki. There is a surprise for you.” I turned to see my sister: “I’m not in the mood anymore, my arm hurts after my vaccine and I’ve got a headache.” Charlotte said: “Just come downstairs, please.” Reluctantly I followed my sister.
Once downstairs, Charlotte put a blindfold around my head. “No peeking! How many fingers am I holding up?”” she asked. When I said “I don’t know,” she helped me to put on my jacket, took my hand and led me out of the house. The first thing I heard was music. When she took the blindfold off, I began to smile. The music was coming from a sound system that had been set up. The sound was fabulous! The bass gave me goosebumps. They were banners everywhere, saying: “Happy jab day!” and multicoloured lights. I turned to my sister and asked: “When did you have time to do all this?” She said: “You don’t know what I get up to when I say that I’m in my room studying. Look over there!” I followed the direction of her pointing finger and saw three pinatas in the shape of a coronavirus hanging from a tree! Charlotte handed me a handmade card saying “Happy jab day” with a smiling man on it having a vaccine. She was really very good at art. The party that evening was amazing. There were sausage rolls, crisps, nuts, sandwiches and all kinds of finger food. Not having eaten much at supper, I attacked the buffet hungrily. Charlotte kept apologising for the lack of guests but I told her that it was amazing and heaven better than my eighteen’s birthday. “Where are mum and dad?” I shouted over the music. “I’m sure they will be out shortly, they must be tidying up the supper things.” replied Charlotte. We carried on eating and drinking for a while, then the music stopped and the lights went on. I wondered what was happening then I heard the voices of my parents singing a chorus of “Happy Birthday,” but the words had been changed to “Happy Jab Day to you!” The cake they were carrying between them, on a silver tray, was shaped like a giant chocolate syringe including a hypodermic needle made of icing - just like the one I had told them I wanted. As they got closer to put it on the table, I saw that in red icing it was written “Happy Jab Day, Nikki!” I ran over and hugged them. “Thank you! It is perfect!” I exclaimed. At the end of the evening when all the drinks had been drunk, the party food consumed, cake devoured and pinatas burst spilling their precious cargo of sweets on the ground my family raised a toast to me: “Happy Jab Day, Nikki! Here’s to the second one, in six to twelve weeks!” We clinked the glasses together and tried to keep a straight face but Charlotte burst out laughing spitting out her drink on the ground. We all soon followed her laughing uncontrollably. An ordinary day had turned into one of the happiest days I can remember.
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