Quite A Day
By: Olivia
"There is no reason in the world why you should not be important where you are known. You have a good sense, and sweet temper, and I am sure you have a grateful heart that could never receive kindness without wishing to return it. I do not know any better qualifications for a friends and a companion."-Jane Austen-"Mansfield Park"
Miranda opened up the door and walked into her apartment. She put the physics and lab books on the table beside the door. She closed the door and sank into the sofa. What a long day it had been, Miranda thought. But she had purposely made it so. After classes, she spent time in the physics lab pouring over her latest assignment. She glanced at the clock. It was almost midnight. Her birthday was almost over.
Maybe she would have felt differently about her birthday if Declan, or even Peggy, had been around, but they weren't. Peggy was out of state attending a professional meeting of psychiatrists and Declan was given a lecture on anthropology at a college over three hours away.
Miranda looked down at the mail in her hands. She didn't think there would be anything special. Bills, bills, and more bills. No even a birthday card from her own parents. It was no matter. What was her birthday to them, but a reminder that if her Mom hadn't been giving birth to her, she wouldn't have been worrying about making her flight on time. They would eventually remember her birthday and would send her an expensive gift to make up for their thoughtlessness. It was a gift that would be meaningless to Miranda. It probably wouldn't even be something she liked. Her parents didn't know her much less understand her.
Their not having remembered her birthday didn't hurt as much as Peggy and Declan not remembering. They were more like her family than her own parents.
That was when Miranda noticed the red light blinking on her answering machine. A tinge of excitement grew inside of her as she pressed the button and listened to the message.
"Hello, Miranda, its Peggy. I just wanted to wish you a Happy Birthday. Sorry I couldn't be there today, but as soon as I get back, I'll take you and Declan out for dinner. Your choice on where we go. Have a good birthday and I'll talk to you later. Bye."
Miranda allowed a small smile to play across her face. That was sweet of Peggy. And as for Declan not remembering, well he was a guy after all.
A knock at the door startled Miranda. After looking though the peephole to see whom it was, she opened the door. It was her landlord and he had an odd looking wrapped object in his hand.
"Hello," Miranda said.
"Hi, Miranda," said her landlord as he reached out and gave Miranda the package. "You're anthropologist friend told me to give this to you today for your birthday since he was going to be out of town. Happy Birthday by the way."
"Thank you," said Miranda sincerely as her landlord smiled and nodded as he walked away.
After he left Miranda quickly closed the door and then opened the gift. Turing it over she saw a beautifully etched picture frame. She read the yellow sticky note covering the picture-"Happy Birthday, Miranda. Sorry I couldn't be there to give this to you in person-Declan." Miranda peeled off the sticky and smiled when she saw what it was. It was a picture of Peggy, Miranda, and Declan smiling. It was from the wedding they had gone to last Christmas Eve. The good memories of spending that day with Peggy and Declan ran through her mind.
Miranda looked up as her clock struck midnight. She put the picture up on her mantle and gazed at it. It looked perfect there. And that's when she though it had been a quite a day, quite a wonderful birthday, after all.
By: Olivia
"There is no reason in the world why you should not be important where you are known. You have a good sense, and sweet temper, and I am sure you have a grateful heart that could never receive kindness without wishing to return it. I do not know any better qualifications for a friends and a companion."-Jane Austen-"Mansfield Park"
Miranda opened up the door and walked into her apartment. She put the physics and lab books on the table beside the door. She closed the door and sank into the sofa. What a long day it had been, Miranda thought. But she had purposely made it so. After classes, she spent time in the physics lab pouring over her latest assignment. She glanced at the clock. It was almost midnight. Her birthday was almost over.
Maybe she would have felt differently about her birthday if Declan, or even Peggy, had been around, but they weren't. Peggy was out of state attending a professional meeting of psychiatrists and Declan was given a lecture on anthropology at a college over three hours away.
Miranda looked down at the mail in her hands. She didn't think there would be anything special. Bills, bills, and more bills. No even a birthday card from her own parents. It was no matter. What was her birthday to them, but a reminder that if her Mom hadn't been giving birth to her, she wouldn't have been worrying about making her flight on time. They would eventually remember her birthday and would send her an expensive gift to make up for their thoughtlessness. It was a gift that would be meaningless to Miranda. It probably wouldn't even be something she liked. Her parents didn't know her much less understand her.
Their not having remembered her birthday didn't hurt as much as Peggy and Declan not remembering. They were more like her family than her own parents.
That was when Miranda noticed the red light blinking on her answering machine. A tinge of excitement grew inside of her as she pressed the button and listened to the message.
"Hello, Miranda, its Peggy. I just wanted to wish you a Happy Birthday. Sorry I couldn't be there today, but as soon as I get back, I'll take you and Declan out for dinner. Your choice on where we go. Have a good birthday and I'll talk to you later. Bye."
Miranda allowed a small smile to play across her face. That was sweet of Peggy. And as for Declan not remembering, well he was a guy after all.
A knock at the door startled Miranda. After looking though the peephole to see whom it was, she opened the door. It was her landlord and he had an odd looking wrapped object in his hand.
"Hello," Miranda said.
"Hi, Miranda," said her landlord as he reached out and gave Miranda the package. "You're anthropologist friend told me to give this to you today for your birthday since he was going to be out of town. Happy Birthday by the way."
"Thank you," said Miranda sincerely as her landlord smiled and nodded as he walked away.
After he left Miranda quickly closed the door and then opened the gift. Turing it over she saw a beautifully etched picture frame. She read the yellow sticky note covering the picture-"Happy Birthday, Miranda. Sorry I couldn't be there to give this to you in person-Declan." Miranda peeled off the sticky and smiled when she saw what it was. It was a picture of Peggy, Miranda, and Declan smiling. It was from the wedding they had gone to last Christmas Eve. The good memories of spending that day with Peggy and Declan ran through her mind.
Miranda looked up as her clock struck midnight. She put the picture up on her mantle and gazed at it. It looked perfect there. And that's when she though it had been a quite a day, quite a wonderful birthday, after all.