Mystery cookie

Its early Friday morning and Harry is arriving at work. Relieved to feel the warmth as he walks in. Winter is only just starting but its already looking like it might snow!

Harry had recently married and had just brought a new apartment not too far from work. Having recently receiving a promotion it couldn`t have come at a better time as Charlotte (Harry`s wife) had just revealed the news to him that she was pregnant. Life couldn’t be better.

Harry pops his suitcase down at his desk and notices there a big chocolate chunk cookie on his desk. Harrys favourite!  He assumes someone has brought them in for everyone. Harry takes a bite and it is the most delicious cookie. Almost as good as the ones his mother use to bake him when he was a child.

The weeks and months pass by. Charlottes belly is growing bigger and harry still receives a cookie on his desk every single Friday.  But today was different. No cookie. Something else. And a note.

It was a large jar with a big brown bow on it. Just like the one Harrys mum use to have. She would put a dollar in the jar every time she saw Harry sneaking sweets he shouldn’t be. Harry always loved his sweets.

The note that was left with the jar that morning read “how much do you owe me now darling” Harry froze. His mother had died when he was a child. Was this some sort of sick prank? Nobody else really knew about this did they? It was only Harry and his mum. His father had left, he had no siblings. The strangest thing was…. It really did look like his mother’s writing.

The next day the jar was still there but there was a different note this time. ‘Come on Harry pay up darling’ Harry froze again. Except this time, it was not fear, it was anger.

 Harry decided to go to his boss about it. Someone must be playing a cruel joke. Harry explained what had been going on. His boss was very surprised at such strange events that had been happening right under his nose. ‘Well you are more than welcome to look at the security footage, and I can help you if you like.”

So that is how Harry spent his day. Searching the footage but found nothing. Not a thing.

The following day Harry decided to put money in the jar and put the jar in his locker. And even though it all seemed so crazy, some part of Harry believed it. He believed it was his Mother.

The following morning came around and he checked his locker. It was gone. Harrys heart began to race, he didn’t know why but he felt like, like he was losing her all over again. He felt an anxiety he had never felt before. Perhaps the sudden unexpected sadness of it all had washed over him.

Harry went home that night and revealed to Charlotte what had been going on. He expected she might laugh about it, make fun of him. But instead her reaction was quite different. Charlotte explained how she thought Harry had been leaving her a cooking every morning on the kitchen bench. Harry couldn’t believe it. The emotions of it all became so real. “I just thought you were trying to get me fatter; Charlotte laughed.

3 months later Harry arrived at work. A chilly Friday morning. And there it was. Another cookie. Harry smiled. He knew his mum would always be with him.