Tracy Wenburg sighed in frustration as she check her answering machine for the 3rd time that hour. The same mechanical voice which was now haunting her mind replayed the unwanted miserable message. ‘ You have no, new, messages’. She hated this, every year it never failed, sure she’d get a call early in the morning from her mother and father wishing her a happy birthday, but that was always it, neither her previous boyfriends or her best friends ever remembered her birthday. Was it some Halloween curse? That’s right Halloween, she had been lucky enough to be born 1:45am on Oct 31st 1979. She never knew what it was about her birthday that no one remembered, and if they did it would be late in the day and they’d call saying that, ‘ they were busy and this was their only free time’, or ‘being Halloween they were out taking their kids trick-or-treating and had just sent them off to bed’. Of course, their children, all her friends and people she knew her age were married. They where all accompanied with 2 maybe 3 kids at the least, that they could dress up in little Ninja Turtles costumes or Fairy princesses and take around as they “forgot” about her birthday.
Well no more sitting alone on her birthday this year. Tracy pulled as much of her short brown hair that could reach into a pony tail on top of her head as she raced down her small apartment’s hallway and with a new fury dove into her closet. Should she dress up? It was Halloween after all. After much debate she reached towards the top shelf of her closet and pulled out a large red dress box and placed it on her bed as she headed towards the bathroom. Much to her surprise on the way back to her room after a quick refreshing shower her phone began to ring.
“Hello?”
“ Hey sexy! I just got your message and me and the guys are going to meet at Josie’s Café before we head over to Joey’s for the party okay?” The sweet male voice sounded over the phone.
“ I’m sorry, I think you have the wrong number” She replied, silently wishing she was the one he was truly talking to.
“ Oh- I’m sorry, this isn’t 485-8892?” He asked
“oh- well it is, but, I think you must have been given the wrong number, sorry” she answered hesitantly.
“ Well this is odd, okay thanks anyway!”
“ It’s no problem Goodnight”
“ yea, happy Halloween” He said before the phone hung up.
Damn. She had felt her heart leap threw her chest in hopes someone remembered her birthday and was calling to go out. Of course not, was she insane? She shook her head and walked back to her room to finish her task of getting dressed. The second she stepped back into her room the shrilling of the phone sounded through her apartment again. She curiously picked up the phone only to be greeted by the same stranger as before.
“ Hello?”
“ O man, I think I did it again” He said with a laugh. She giggled and felt her stomach turn at the sound of her voice again. ‘ what is up with me today!?’
“ It’s quite all right, you wanted to be sure you were given the wrong number?” She asked.
“Something like that, hey since we’re friends and all now how about a name?” He asked.
She hesitated before answering and finally let out a breath and replied “ Tracy, you?”
“ Tracy You? That’s a very interesting name, well Tracy You, my name is Josh.” He said. She heard voices in the background demanding to know who he was talking to and she head shoving going on before a new voice came over the phone.
“ Tracy? Hey Hun how ya doing? Well, I think since my buddy here was already stood up once tonight maybe you could fill in? Were at Josie Café on 45th and 9 meet us there in like ½ hour okay? See ya soon!”
“WAIT!” She tried to get out before they hung up. She was left mouth gaping open looking at the phone. Want just happened? She was lonely on her birthday one minuet and the next she gets a mysterious phone call asking her to meet some stranger‘s downtown. Creepy. Was it too creepy? It was Halloween after all. She always prided her self in being responsible and never walking into any situation blind. She sat down in the chair next to the phone and after much debate she got up and threw on her costume. She looked in the mirror and smiled at the old vintage Victorian ball gown. It had been in her family for many, MANY generations and was worth more than her salary in a year. She curled her short hair and did her make-up in record time. Why was she rushing? She wasn’t going to GO! She didn’t even know who they where, they could be axe-murder’s! Well fine axe’ murder’s willing to meet her in public, STILL! She’s talking crazy now she wasn’t going to go! She’d do her own thing, but she wasn’t going to meet them!.
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As Tracy sat in the uncomfortable plastic chair her body swaying as the subway moved it’s way downtown to Manhattan she scolded herself for subconsciously getting ready in 20 minuets and getting her self on the R , and actually going downtown to the area of Josie’s Café. She let a laugh escape her mouth as she thought about her situation. The subway came to a stop flinging her body sideways as she reached for the hand rail. She stood up, picking her gown up with her and headed towards the steps. How odd did she look? A young woman by her self on Halloween walking through Subways systems in a ball gown? She walked up the steps and out onto the musky scented street glancing at her surroundings. She loved Manhattan, when she graduated from School of Visual Arts in Lower east side she didn’t have the heart to move away from the city. So she found an affordable place and got a job as a photojournalist for the New Yorker and has been here ever since. She looked up at the street sign and debated which was to go, she was on 45th and 8th, all she had to do was walk a block over, and she could scope the situation out. IF she didn’t like what she saw she’d leave!
As her heels clicked on the pavement she slowly made her way to the Door’s of the Café. ‘Here we go’ she thought to her self turning the knob. She walked in side only to be greeted by goblins and Witch costumes. Painted and masked faces starred at her as she walked towards the counter trying to ignore their inquiring gazes.
“ What can I do for you honey?” The old woman smiled from behind the counter. She was the only one not wearing a costume and Tracy smiled back her welcoming face.
“ Hmmm, what’s the best coffee you got?” She asked. The woman began to answer when a familiar male voice answered from behind her.
“ Try the pumpkin slice, it’s amazing” he said. She turned round to be faced with startling blue eye’s and the most gorgeous face she had ever seen.
“Tracy?” He question unsure of himself with a bit of hopefulness in his eyes. Tracy smiled at him and nodded and a wave of relief washed over is face.
“I didn’t think you would show up” He said hesitantly “And, I know this whole situation is crazy, but I just have to say you look beautiful” He replied.
“Thanks, your not so bad your self, I think I’m more relieved your not an Axe’ murderer though” She said with a smile.
“How do you know I’m not?” He winked. The coffee cup was placed in front of her as the old woman behind the counter waved the two of them off.
“ Don’t just stand there go sit down!” She said. Josh picked up the cup and lead Tracy towards a table in the corner. The two sat down and Tracy carefully sipped the hot liquid before almost squealing at how good it tasted.
“ Wow, this is amazing” She said Josh nodded and looked around the room before returning his gaze to her.
“ Don’t you find this extremely odd?” He asked. Her eyes widened and she nodded at him.
“Are you kidding? I convinced myself I wasn’t going to come and yet here I am” She said.
“ I know what you mean, I was shocked to see you walk through the door, I mean I was shocked that you came, but I was shocked more that I just knew it was you” He said. She smiled at him and the two began a light conversation. Before they knew it they had been talking for 2 hours straight and Tracy hadn’t thought once about the fact that no one remembered her birthday.
“ So, Can I ask you something?” He asked
“ Of course”
“ Why weren’t you out? I mean I would assume you don’t like Halloween but judging by your costume I’d say that’s a wrong guess”
“ Well, actually today’s my birthday and nobody remembered, and I just decided to go out on my own, and then you happened so here I am “ She said as she blushed slightly.
“ I’ve known you for almost 3 hours and you don’t tell me today is your birthday!” He exclaimed.
“ Well what are you gonna do about it? I mean like you said you’ve only known me for 3 hours!” She laughed. He looked at her heart and placed a hand over his heart.
“ You pain me, I mean we seem like the type to jump the gun in a relationship, might as well jump in on birthday’s too!” She looked at him oddly and just shook her head at him with a laugh.
“ Your odd my friend, very odd” She smiled at him as they held each other’s gaze. They stayed that way for a good 15 minuets before he leapt out of his seat and headed toward the counter. A few minuets later he returned with a chocolate cup cake decorated in orange icing with black sugar decorations sprinkled on the top in shapes of ghosts and witches. On top was a small candle lit and dripping wax onto the cup-cake.
“ I would sing but , well I would rather not for you sake not just mine” He joked. She some how doubted that he would have a bad voice, or a bad anything for some reason. She smiled and could feel her eye’s welling up. She let out a big grin and closed her eye’s as she made her wish and blew out the candle. The room began clapping and a chorus of Happy Birthday rang through out the room. She smiled and thanked them as Josh placed the treat on the table.
“ Thank you, honestly you have no idea how much this means, no one ever remembers my birthday, I mean the last time I had a cake was when I turned 18, and honey that was 7 years ago.” She said. He smiled at her and placed his hand over hers as he took his seat across from her once again.
“ I was more than happy too, I mean it’s just a cup-cake” He laughed. She didn’t crack a smile, she simply leaned over and placed a sweet kiss on his cheek sending tinkles all through out his body.
“ Thank you, it’s much more than a cup-cake to me”
The two carried on talking and laughing, her birthday sorrows forgotten once again, and his Halloween Party gone from his memory. He insisted on walking her home once the small café closed and the two held hands as they walked their way back to her apartment some 15 blocks away. Once they reached her door she leaned over and hugged him tightly.
“ I have to say this was the best Halloween I’ve had “ He said holding her hands tightly in both of his.
“ Hey, I’d say it was my best birthday ever” she said laughing as she gestured at the teddy bear and chocolate bar he purchased in the subway station. He smiled at her as he leaned down and softly touched his lips to hers. When they pulled apart they smiled and leaned in to kiss again staying in front of her door for a few minuets. When the two finally pulled away she leaned into her bag and pulled out a piece of paper writing her number on it.
“ I figure you might want this, you already know where I live” She said motioning to the door. He took and kissed her briefly before beginning to walk away.
“ Good night Tracy, Happy Birthday” He said
“ Good night Josh, Happy Halloween.” She said before stepping inside. She closed the door and leaned against it smiling at the thought of her night, ‘ oh yea, this birthday curse is so broken’.
The End
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