The big problem

It’s raining … oh now its storming …uhm I was wrong there is a hurricane

The heating is set to 24 degrees. Sounds produced by the wind coming from the front door now reached the living room as well. The yellow walls, that was painted by great grandfather Billy who is now death turned black. And now the whole room is dark. A woman with pale long lags wandered on her tiptoes because the floor was freezing cold, to the lamp and switched it on. Then there was a little: “clip!” and three: “chus, chus, chus “and a big: “zzzzzzz”! Elli jumped a little and her head plummeted. She ran to the power fuse and try to fix it by slapping on it and pushing and pulling some buttons. Nothing.

“Are you serious!”, she screamed. “I just wanted to have a nice day after my breakup with Jess but no that needs to be happened, thank you dear God thank you” She cried

Elli looked down. A tear dropped slowly out of her eye. Then she looked to her right were a picture from her and Grandpa Billy stood on the corner of a dark brown drawer. At this time Elli was only fourteen and had her very first breakup going through. Elli and her Grandpa where cuddling and she was laying on his lap sleeping. Because of her crying, her mascara got all over her face. However, this picture was her favorite. She remembered what grandpa always had said to her when she was despondent or sad: “Life is similar to a theatre play; it’s not depending on how long it is, just how colorful” it was his favorite quote by Lucius Annaeus Seneca. He loved it because Elli and her grandpa always went to the theater and it really suits his way thinking about Life.

“I'm sorry God I did not mean to scream at you I know you keep Grandpa Billy in a safe place and I am thankful for that I just wanted to be in a mood like everyone else in the shows although I'm not sad because he was a total psycho, I wanted to do something good for me, you know. I haven't been myself in this whole relationship. Please forgive me” she said.

Elli thought for a second and then ran down her corridor to the emergency section. Her Grandpa made it for her before she moved out. There is everything she needs to have, if she is in trouble or just needs a tiny push to solve the problem.

And there it was. A little paper deep down the corner where it said: “power cut”. She opened it. A number was written down.

“0672379203752 YEESS” she screamed of joy  

While she dialed the phone number, she sang in a very high but very aggressive way:

“Jingle bells, jingle bells Jingle all the way Oh, what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh Hey, jingle bells, jingle bells Jingle all the way I have solved the problem yeah yeah I have solved the problem”

“Hello”, said a male voice in the other line

She blushed

“Hi, I have big, big problem” she answered

“Oh, really what is it” he said in a sarcastic way

“Yeah Yeah!” She screamed

“I just had a power outage and I can’t see and my grandpa gave me this number if there is a power outage and well there is one and I´m a little bit scared because I can’t see and I tried to push some buttons on this thingy but nothing worked and … hello”

“Oh Yeah hello I am listening. Well this is a massive big problem…”

he giggled “I will come as fast as I can”

“Oh god I am so thankful” she said happily 

Then they hung up. Elli plummeted dramatically herself on the sofa.

“Aww his voice was super-duper nice and fluffy and ahh” she swooned over him. But then the doorbell rang

“Wow he really held his promise” she said

She opened the door. And her and her lower jaw felt.

He laughed

A 24-year-old boy stood outside her door. He has light brown hair and green eyes. On his right chest it says “Available for electrical problems at any time” with a kennel smiley. Elli’s first thought was that his face was perfectly shaped. He was about 1. 80 and smiled at her with a gentle grin.

“Hi, I´m Thomas” said he in a nonchalant way

“Hi, I’m Elli”

 She leaned against the coat rack and almost slipped but could still save herself.

“ups I thought it might hold me, please come in” said she nervously.

He laughed but then he stopped and looked at Elli for a second

“What?” she asked.

“Oh, nothing but I have never seen a pajama like that”

She looked at herself desperately. She was wearing her Christmas pajama with millions of Reindeer and a big face of Santa Claus was placed in the middle and out of his big laughing lips stretched out a speech bubble saying: “this person here is not on the naughty list!”

“Well, at least I am not on the naughty list” she laughed nervously

“I like you, you´re very funny, and by the way where did you get that I only have the one with snowflakes instead of the reindeers”

Elli blushed

They went to the see the power fuse. Elli stared at it and said: “Now isn´t that a big problem huh?”

He pushed two big red buttons and the lights went on. He looked at Elli and grinned.

She laughed nervously and said: “well I guess it’s your job so”

She led him to the door but when he wanted to say goodbye, she interrupted him and said: “Hey emm do you wanna go drink a cup of coffee, wait actually I don’t drink coffee but what about you drink coffee and I´ll drink I don’t know Cacao. You don’t have to say …”

He interrupted her and said: “yeah, yeah, I so want to”

“Oh, okey” said she surprisingly “but I don’t have that much money so is MacDonald okey”

“Yeah absolutely, and neither have I money to drink fancy coffee nor cacao”

At McDonald’s

They talked for hours and hours until the clock has shown 00:00. However, MacDonald closes already at midnight, so they got kicked out. 

Thomas accompanied Elli at home.

“Thank you for everything, I had an amazing evening and Oh, thank you for solving the “big Problem””

They laughed.

“Yeah, me too, I really enjoyed it and I am glad that I had the chance to meet you, thank you big problem!”

They laughed again.

“Soo” said Elli

She hesitated but she couldn’t lose the opportunity to see him again.

“DO YOU WANNA SPEND CHRISTMES TOGETHER!” she screamed

“Oh Yes! I hoped so bad that you would ask me this question!” said he relieved.

Both stared each other for half a minute. But they both couldn´t hold any longer.

They kissed

“See you tomorrow, what about sixish?” said Thomas

“Yeah perfect” answered Elli.

They both smiled to each other and went their way home.

24. 12. 2020 6:00 pm.

Elli already got ready at 2 o'clock in the afternoon because of her nervousness. She looked at her long mirror and said:

 “I love this dress, I always loved this dress, it was a good Idea to buy it, it is not a waste of money am I right … yes”, said she proudly 

She has a white backless dress with yellow flowers on it, which can be tied with a bow in the back.

The doorbell rang. Ellies heart began to race, her tummy felt weirdly odd but she knew it was a good sign. She opened the door with a big smile. Thomas smiled too. He had straight black jeans and a white shirt on. 

“Hey” said Elli in a swoony way.

“Hey” said he back.

They both went to see the Christmas tree on the Melville street.

“Oh god” said Elli and hid behind Thomas.

“What’s the matter?” he asked and turned to Elli

She looked up at him and said: “Remember when I told you about my ex …”

“How would I have forgot he is a psycho isn’t he?” said Thomas.

“Oh yes and he is here”

“What how?”

“I don’t know! maybe he tracked me”

“What? are you serious”

“Oh yes I wouldn’t expect anything else from him, oh no, no he´s coming, she said desperately”

“Ahh he’s coming” 

“Hi Elli Belly” said Jess 

“Oh, do not call me like that” said he angrily 

“Why? we used to give us always nicknames” he replied in astonishment 

“Yeah exactly, we used to but not anymore” said she furious about it.

“However,” said he in a nonchalant way.

He knelt down and took out a box

“What are you doing? “

He opened it and said: “Elli Belly do you wanna Marry me”

“What no”

“Okey let’s try again…. Elli Belly do you wanna Marry me”.

A tear dropped from his eye

“No! I said no. It doesn’t change anything if you ask me twice, please get up”

“If not twice than trice: Elli Belly do you wanna Marry me”.

His face went pale and numb

“Oh god Jess no please I don’t love you anymore. Go to your family and celebrate Christmas. This isn’t good for you nor for me”. “I know it’s hard to let someone go you´ve truly loved, and I feel the same way. You were there when …when Grandpa died”. “I was devastated”.

“Oh yeah, I know it was hard for me to see you like that”. He looked down 

“Can I tell you one thing?” She took a step to Jess and looked deep into his eyes.

“Yeah” he lifts his head and looks at her.

“You´ll find someone who loves you, I promise”

She glanced at Thomas and looked quickly away.

“And then you don’t have to propose that person three time, she’ll say yes, the first time, I promise”

They hugged each other and Jess made his way home.

Elli and Thomas walked along the Christmas Road. The street was filled with people laughing and singing. Everywhere there were chains of lights and trees were decorated with them. It smelled like cinnamon everywhere. Thomas and Ellie got Punch and went on to the Christmas tree.

Both of them suddenly turned around, as if someone was calling them. A man disguised as the Grinch wanted to give Elli a flower. 

“Oh, thank you so much, that’s sweet”.

They both looked at each other and laughed but suddenly he knelt down and proposed.

“What is wrong with you guys today. This is my fourth time getting proposed this eve!” she screamed.

The man dressed as the grinch ran away and proposed to other people.

But suddenly it started to snow. They both looked up and stuck out their tongues and giggled.

Thomas makes himself a snowball and kneels down

“Do you wanna marry me Elli “and shot Elli with the snowball and laughed

“Ouch that hurts, now it’s your turn!” she screamed.

The fool around for hours until

“Hey, emm I really really like but if you don’t…”

He puts his hand to Ellis’s cold cheek and said: “I really like you too.” and smiled

They smirked at each other and kissed. 

After two months they moved together and bought a golden richriver and named it Billy.