Coincidental Surprises

A Chapter by Alexia Gray

EDITED

I woke up in the morning with an even worse headache and the box safely hidden back in the cupboard. Thankfully all my thoughts and memories about Nari were pushed to one side; I needed a clear mind for my torturous day ahead. It was my father's birthday and that meant a day with the family, i.e. a day in hell itself.

I set off way before I needed to so that I wouldn't be late, right? Wrong, a major road had been shut meaning there was traffic everywhere. The stuffy taxi pulled up to another light and I heard the driver curse gruffly, I leant my head against the window annoyed at how long this simple journey was taking. Fia would already be there. Of course she would. Count on Fia and all. I sighed. God, another day of Fia boasting about her perfect life with her perfect husband. She was only my little sister but she already had the perfect housewife down to perfection. Everything about her was perfect in my parents eyes; perfect child, perfect grades, perfect behaviour. 'Perfect, perfect, perfect' was all I ever heard. Oh well, at least she couldn't beat me present wise.

I looked down at the present that sat on the next seat. In my opinion, it was a pretty great present. I had looked through old photographs and found one of all four of us, enhanced the grainy image quality and placed it in a white frame. I had done nothing special to it, just what I would normally do when restoring old photographs and such like. Photography was something I did for a living.

Fia was on top form with her snide comments behind mother's and father's back when I arrived. Of course the climax of the day came when father was opening his parents. Fia gave hers first, obviously extremely happy about her present choice. When father pulled back the paper, a thick photo album was revealed and, on closer inspection, was filled with countless old photographs that he spent a further twenty minutes looking through.

My present was completely forgotten about until Fia pointed and said patronisingly, "Oh, we haven't opened Anya's present yet. Do open it father before she runs away with upset." She put extra emphasis on the 'run's away' bit.

"Oh, shut up Fido." I replied.

"My name's Fia not Fido or is that too much for your brain to comprehend. Perhaps that's why you spend your days looking at pictures."

"That's more then what you do." I replied, narrowing my eyes at her.

"I do so much more then that." She plastered on a smug smile and squeezed the shoulder of Henry, her weedy and sickly husband.

"Quieten down girls." Said my father as he opened my presente. His face looked slightly disappointed when he saw it and put on a fake smile. "That's, err, lovely. Thank you."

Fia snatched it from him and looked at it. "Oh, this one's on page seven in the album, Daddy." She said and subsequently showed him the page whilst putting my photograph on the table out of the way.

---

I took Lucas' coffee over to him and sat alongside at the kitchen table.

"So, what are you going to do about Karla?" He asked.

I sighed, I was trying not to think about this mornings events. "I don't know. I guess I'll have to find a way to make it up to her."

"But she's in New York at the moment."

"Yup. I don't know, maybe I could go and surprise her there." I thought aloud.

"That's an idea and you haven't been to America in a couple months, it'll do you good to get away for a while." He proposed. I pulled a funny face about leaving here. I wasn't one for traveling. "It will do you good." Lucas repeated slowly, attempting to convince me and I guess it worked because next thing I was nodding my head.

"Ok, I'll go to America." I stated.

"Nah, you won't go." Speculated Lucas into his coffee.

"I am. I'm going to America." I said louder.

"Don't believe you."

"I'm going to America!" I shouted.

Lucas laughed and slapped me on the back. "Finally, some enthusiasm."

It was around half ten when I arrived in the city and I waited in the apartment for what felt like hours although I had only landed about an hour ago and was feeling shattered although I had to stay awake, much to my dismay sleep was not an available option.

I walked over to the full wall window and looked out at the city that never sleeps. The scene was filled with light; lights on in office blocks with employees still working; traffic lights changing colour continuously, barely staying on one colour for five seconds before moving onto the next; streetlights, spotlighting shoppers as they rush past one another on the crowded pavements. I had built up an idea in my head of New York being filled with ugly buildings blocking the sky but when I ever came over here I remembered just how pretty it was.

I heard a key turn in the lock of the door and heard someone drop their shopping bags.

"Joshua Jacobs, what the hell are you doing here?"

---

I was incredibly glad when I was able to return home to my flat and hoped I wouldn't have to endure another day like that for a long time. I pressed the answer phone machine button and heard Kimberley's voice blare out of the speakers.

"Miss Anya Gabriella Jacobs, pick up your phone! Oh well, I need you to call me back as soon as possible, I have the best news. Ever." She squealed.

I called Kimberley back immediately after her message and unfortunately the squealing continued.

"So, what's this amazing news?" I asked.

"Oh my goodness, it's the best. Tristan gave me my wedding present early."

"And?"

"And," Continued Kimberley, "It is just what I wanted. It's a piece of artwork, a drawing of a young girl walking in this meadow, surrounded by wild flowers. It's so full of life but sort of serene." She explained and I could see her going off to Kimberley Land despite being blocks away from her. "It gets even better. The artist is over in New York for a couple weeks and Tristan arranged for us all to have dinner so that the artist can give me the drawing personally. So what do you think?"

"Err, sounds great?!" I guessed at the right answer that Kimberley wanted me to say.

"I. Know. Of course you are invited to dinner as you are by best buddy and you can talk to him about arty farty stuff."

"Thanks." I said sarcastically.

"You know what I mean! So, are you free tomorrow evening?" Asked Kimberley.

"Yup, think so."

"Great. We're meeting at The Fairway at seven, ok?"

"Uh huh. Wait, whose the artist?" I asked, curious as to whether I knew the artist but I doubted it.

"Joshua Jacobs. He's the best of the best." Said Kimberley happily.

"Joshua Jacobs?" I repeated, furrowing my eyebrows.

"Yeah, do you know him?"

"No, well, I don't think I do. Just the name. It's the same as my grandfather's." I explained.

"Spooky, huh?" Kimberly said, still excited.