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Excerpt: Grayish

“When we least expect it, life sets us a challenge to test our courage and willingness to change; at such a moment, there is no point in pretending that nothing has happened or in saying that we are not ready. The challenge will not wait. Life does not look back. A week is more than enough time for us to decide whether or not to accept our destiny.” - Paulo Coelho
 

Grayish
The First Part


The story begins in New York City. It was December 23rd and people were running back and forth buying gifts in 5th avenue. A couple of them stopped for a brief second to look at the displays and take pictures. In the middle of the crowd walked Ruby Best. She was picking up the last gifts for the first Christmas with her husband’s family.
“Why did you wait last minute Ruby?” Her sister Zoe asked her. “It’s freezing!”
“Oh stop complaining so much Zoe!” She scolded. “We just have to pick one more gift and we’re done.”
“I wish you were spending time with us and not with Carl. I really don’t like your husband. I feel like he is trying to take you away from us.”
“No he is not. He wants me to spend Christmas with his family because he has been spending the last two Christmases with us, don’t you think is fair that I also spend time with his family?”
“If you say so but I’m telling you…he is simply trying to break us up!” Zoe went over to look at some clothes and Ruby shook her head. She couldn’t understand why her family didn’t like Carl. He had been a complete gentleman and even asked her father for her hand in marriage. He was a romantic and absolutely charming. Well six months after meeting he had decided that she was the girl for him.
“I don’t like this store apparently you have to be size 0 to get something in here.”
“Well Carl’s sister is petite and I’m sure we’ll find something for her here. Zoe, has dad said anything negative about Carl? I don’t know maybe Carl did something that bothered him?”
“Umm no…we’ll yeah.”
“What you mean?”
“He is upset because you married Carl 7 months after meeting him. Dad thinks that you should’ve given yourself more time to get to know him a little better. But I told him that you felt like Carl was your soul mate and all that crap that you believe in.”
“I don’t believe Carl is my soul mate. I don’t believe in soul mates.”
“Well that’s a lie because I can clearly remember reading in your journal how you believe in soul mates.”
“Wait a minute, you did what?”
“It was a long time ago, okay? I did it to get back at you for going on a date with Noah.”
“You are still with that? And I can’t believe you read my journal! I’m not speaking to you anymore!”
“Oh come on Ruby! I just read that one page!”
“Whatever.”
“Okay look, I’m sorry.”
“Don’t EVER read my journal again, got it? I wouldn’t even let Carl read my journal. It’s personal.”
“Fine”
“And for your information yes I did believe in soul mates but that was a long time ago. I don’t believe in that anymore.”
“What happened?”
“Nothing in particular” She lied. “Regardless…. let’s hurry up I want to make it home already!”
“Oh now you want to go home?”
“This is the voice of Nigil the dark night coming to you from the beautiful city of New York wishing all my viewers a merry Christmas. Call 1800-515-2000 and answer this question: If you could ask Santa anything for Christmas, what would it be?”
Alexandra picked up the phone and dialed the number. She had been sitting in the apartment all day by the computer trying to figure out what to write next. But she was suffering from writer’s block.
“Nigil speaking, who do I have the pleasure of speaking with?”
“I’m a writer. If I had to ask Santa Claus for anything tonight I would ask him to give me inspiration for my writing. I’m struggling and I have a deadline.”
“When is your deadline?”
“January 2nd, do you think I’ll make it?”
“You know I’m a writer myself. I know of this program it’s called… WITWI…I believe it stands for Writers In Trouble We Inspire. They’ll be meeting tomorrow at the Barnes & Noble in 66th or 68th street. Just take the 2 train to 72nd and walk a couple of blocks down.”
“Yeah I’ve been there. Thank you.”
“You are welcome sweetheart, merry Christmas…but hey since I helped you; ask Santa for something else.”
“Um…well I can ask Santa for a man.” She giggles softly into the phone. “I haven’t met anyone especial; I think that would be great.”
“Well you heard her Santa the writer is also looking for a man.”
“Thank you, night.”
“Night, next caller…”



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