Jay Serrano
Your digital messages in a bottle, lined up on the shore.
From: Zoe
To: Zoe at 12:35, Approximately 30 Minutes Before She Needs to Go to Work
Subject: Today
Date: Sat, Nov 16, 2024, 02:59 AM
Hey. Got a bone to pick with you.
I would have really appreciated it if you’d taken a shower earlier, instead of the final 25 minutes possible to take a shower and still get ready on time. I think whichever one of us realized that we could start driving at 12:56 and still make it to work by 1:00- you know, give or take a few lucky lights or two- should be shot in the street.I also really would have appreciated it if you’d done the dishes, taken out the trash, called Grandma about Thanksgiving, etc, so on and so forth. Fed the stray cat in the backyard when he made sad eyes at you from the window, maybe.Started or finished the online data analysis course we decided to do. Applied to another job. Got another job. Cleaned the counter, the living room, the entryway, the bathroom. Learned Chinese completely fluently so we can talk to our mother in her native language before she dies, when we didn’t before our grandfather did. Finished about three books, two movies, four manga, two games, and about five stories that could all maybe be the best thing we’ve ever written. Gone back in time and reversed all the bad decisions we’ve ever made. Gotten up early in the morning and watched the light arrive at the top of the mountains, just the lightest little touch. I guess that’s before your time, before now, so that’s really more me than you. Walked outside anyway and saw the clouds hanging massive in the air and a little sprinkle of rain just starting up. Ate the rest of the vegetable soup I took weeks to get around to making, used up the rest of my bread. Read more of the book I got into at my sister’s insistence. Listened to a wonderful new song.Went to a random store, drove to a random place, took a long walk and listened to music and thought too intensely. Messed up while playing a game with friends and lost my shit laughing. Checked out a book on woodworking from the library so I can talk to my living grandfather about it. Woke up, went to bed, breathe in, exhale.The stray cat is eating a leftover can of cat food from the window as I write this email, so something must be going right. Tomorrow. Well, if not today, there’s always tomorrow.