Time-Trap
Page 2He was very busy and went on with full speed the whole afternoon. He didn’t want to overwork, at five he wanted to be finished. He even skipped the coffee break at three.
The time went fast and it headed for five. At five past he finished his last job and then became aware of Julia. He actually didn’t want to go with her. He wanted to do his usual, go to his favorite Pizzeria and then go home.
Maybe he could have “forgotten” it and gone home unseen.” Just when the thought came up he heard Julia’s glad voice “Bill …, I am waiting.” He damned himself but let himself meet her. He somehow accepted to go with her and they went together to “Jack and Jones”. He personally didn’t like the place.
He didn’t speak much on the “date” and went home. He was walking alone through the park.
While coming home he went to the sofa and turned on the TV. He saw a boring predictable film and just after it finished Hot News came on and was speaking about a disaster that happened on Treeroad. Eight children killed in an accident with a truck. Bill listened to the briefing with disgust, he was very familiar with Treeroad as he usually was passing by there each afternoon. He changed channel before any pictures or film recordings went on as he didn’t like it.
He continued his reading before he fell asleep. Tomorrow would be another stressed day with tight deadlines.
The alarm clock rang and he got disturbed from his peaceful dreaming. He went up and turned it off. He dressed, ate and went to go to the bus. Today he was not so late. He was walking the same way as usual and then he saw the same old lady as yesterday crossing his way. She was slow walking and when he came to her she didn’t seem to recognize him. Bill felt it was strange but when he thought of his grandfather, who was senile and didn’t sometimes remember the events of the day before, he was no longer puzzled. The bus was again two minutes late and again crowded.
Bill felt strange, this was not usual. While entering the building he saw Julia sitting at her desk and saying “Hi, Bill”. Bill was so puzzled that he didn’t even answer.
He entered his office and loaded his new e-mails. There were nine new, just like yesterday and when he opened up the first one he was astonished to see that it was exactly the same one he read yesterday. He closed it and read the regarding lines of the other new e-mails and yes, it was all the same and per the computer they had not yet been read. When he saw the time and date of arrival it was written Monday, but today it was Tuesday, how could it be. He looked at his watch and it displayed Monday. He didn’t trust it. He opened up his work of yesterday but it was not there. There was no way of catching up the backlog, the deadline was Tuesday 4 PM to go to the printer as usual. Bill was worried.
He then went to his partner Joe in the office beside him and asked quickly: “Joe, is it Tuesday today?” Joe looked at him and responded: “Bill, it is Monday.” he was then laughing a bit and Bill went back to his office puzzled.
He started to redo his work of yesterday but it was hard. He couldn’t accept it. Bill tried to figure out how it could be.