Part I
In their small 18th floor New York studio, Samantha and Ron hugged each other in genuine happiness. Samantha, the innovator, had found a sturdy wooden board, and with her boyfriend’s help, had placed it atop the makeshift dinner/poker table by the kitchen. The table successfully held the long board which was full of home cooked foods that the couple had spent the afternoon making. On the kitchen counter laid an impressive cheap alcohol collection that the couple had invested in. A 24 pack of beer, a couple of wine bottles, a six pack of hard lemonade, and an unopened champagne bottle filled the entire counter.
The second hand gray and blue sofa-bed had been thrown away earlier by Ron and his best friend Ben as it was sagging and had multiple tears and rips on the front and back. “I wont miss that thing,” stated Ron. “Oh, tell me about it- me neither!,” smirked his best friend as the two headed back up the flight of stairs and grumbled about there being no elevator.
Samantha ran the cold water in the tub. In this place, the water took about three minutes to become somewhat warm. Samantha shivered by the tub in her towel as she didn’t want to miss the limited 5 minute spray of warm water to get ready. Ron had mastered the ways of the shower by being able to run the water, drink a beer, and then jump straight in the shower. He was able to shampoo, brush his teeth, and wash the soap all over his body in exactly four minutes and thrity eight seconds; Samantha had timed him. However, Sam’s prized possession- her thick curly hair reached her lower back, and in the case of the bathroom shower, proved to be an annoying disadvantage. Samantha hated the cold but was forced to wash her hair in absolute freezing water in the winter or the summer of New York City.
“Not for long,” thought Samantha as she pulled the handle for the warm water to cascade on her. She finished her shower and was applying her pastel pink eye shadow when Ron’s knock made her jump. “Come on babes, I gotta look my best too!,” whined Ron. “All of our friends will be here soon!”
Normally, Samantha would have been annoyed at Ron for bothering her when he knew she needed at least fifteen minutes in the bathroom. But today was different. Today was the couple’s going away party. Ron and Samantha had both gotten jobs in Manhattan one block away from each other. Samantha now worked as a full time journalist for the Manhattan post while Ron would be starting as a full time advertising associate for the New York Jets. Both of them had earned it. The couple had met in New York State University and decided to find jobs in one place. Samantha had a part time internship while Ron had secured an advertising entry level position for a small company selling timeshare. Despite them moving into a one room bachelor pad that they had acquired through friends, they could barely afford the rent. To make up for the difference, Sam took up a job at the local gym as a fitness trainer where she acquired several consistent clients. The couple stayed in this state for seven long months just about making ends meet, constantly fighting, and being constantly fatigued from long hours and little to enjoy.
That was about to last no longer. Despite the stress, the couple supported each other in trying to find better opportunities career wise. After all, they were friends before they were official. This support definitely paid off. After a long time, the Samantha and Ron spent money on quality food from the supermarket and bought alcohol for all of their friends. This was the last night in their old phase of life!
Part II
“Awesome guys!,” squealed Ben as he breathlessly stumbled in and kicked off his shoes and coat. He collapsed on the floor and took in a deep breath. “Man, I’ll be super surprised if all of our friends even make it up here! This no-elevator thing…..is that beer?” Ben appealing green eyes turned towards the kitchen. “Yeaaaaa buddy!,” squealed Ben as his childlike expression made his slender athletic body jump up for it.
“Cheers man!,” said Ron as he grabbed one himself and handed a hard lemonade bottle to Sam. The three drank and joked until the rest of their friends arrived. The room was as crowded as it could be with seven people. Sam and Ron had only invited their best friends. Sam noticed that Ben seemed to be getting comfortable with one of her work friends Melanie. Melanie was a very pretty and ambitious girl working with Sam. She never took advantage of others but always put forth some honest competition as her work was exemplary. When Sam got her full time job offer at the Post, Melanie had also gotten a full time offer right in New York for the New York Times. The two remained close friends and obviously shared a passion for writing. Samantha was happy for Ben. Most of the times, he was lonely in his apartment and came over for company whether Sam was at home or Ron was at home, or both were at home. Both Sam and Ron liked Ben very much as he had a very straightforward personality and always put in hard work in whatever he did.
In fact, Ron admired Ben. Ron was athletic by nature and did not need to work out too much to maintain his physique. On the other hand, Ben’s lean body and striking looks were due to him heading to the gym every weekday and working triple shifts at his sports bar to afford braces which had come off just two months ago. Ben was a law student studying at the New York University and funding it himself. To support his living expenses, Ben settled for an off campus apartment six blocks away from his class buildings that was about half the size of Ron’s place. He then saved his pennies by avoiding even public transport and walking it to class and then to work which was two blocks away from class. Whenever Ben had free time, he made sure he visited Sam and Ron. He genuinely liked Sam as a sister and Ron had been his high school buddy- therefore, he made it a point to always help them out even through their fights.
Ron’s life had been a bit lucky for him. His personality type was less ambitious but very intelligent. Ron graduated at the top of his class and was hired only a month after graduating. He was an all rounded athlete and good at all sports which he enjoyed playing. Additionally, he had a beautiful girlfriend who most of his friends even praised. Despite the temporary limitations, Ron’s life had been pretty happy. To make it even better, he met his to-be boss while playing baseball in Central Park. He hit a home run and when he ran to collect the ball, bumped right into none other than Jeff Ronkins- head manager of the Jets. “Quite an arm you got there!,” remarked Jeff and the rest was history. Ron went for an interview the following Monday and was immediately hired with a solid salary and immediate room for growth. His future was as good as sealed.
At 2am, the only ones that remained in the apartment were Ron, Melanie, Ben, and Samantha who all cleared and cleaned whatever was on the floor. Sam and Ron had to check out of the place by ten am the next day and insisted that Ben and Melanie stay over with them. The two agreed as they were both a little too drunk to walk down 18 flights of stairs, and all crashed on the two large floor mattresses.
Wasting no time, Ron and Sam awoke and packed and loaded their remaining clothes, toiletries, and kitchen utensils into the rental car. Ben and Melanie rubbed their eyes and helped the two packed the car. Ron and Sam then dropped Ben and Melanie at Ben’s place. Ben had promised Sam that he would drop Melanie back.
Part III
The sun hit the luscious grass and green landscape of Paddington Square- the new condo complex that the couple had invested in. It was a heavy down-payment but definitely worth it, thought Ron as he shut the chipped red door of his 1992 Chevrolet Impala. Samantha got out and walked towards the grass. Ron admired her dark hair as each curl bouncing created a flicker from the sun that shone its rays on it. Her thin frame looked amazing with the simple body hugging black sweater and dark jeans.
“You there?,” asked Sam with a smile as Ron jerked out of his daydreams. “Sure babe…let’s go!”
The movers came in just about ten minutes later. The condo was everything and more for Ron and Sam. There were two bathrooms so Samantha could now take her time getting ready without any annoying disturbances and noises that made her mood go off. Ron admired the brightness of the condo- as if the bright sun rays welcomed him warmly into the house. There was actually a carpet and wooden floors. The walls were a crisp white and the windows were full length. There was a large walk in closet as well with different organizational compartments.
Sam decided that as tired as they were, it was better to finish off all of the unpacking as the couple did not have much to begin with. The new furniture was supposed to arrive in a few days, and so the couple was just left with their clothes, the kitchen, and the bathroom. By late afternoon, the couple was completely done and collapsed on the floor as they fell into a very peaceful and undisturbed sleep.
“BANG!,” came a noise from the closet and Samantha awoke with a start. She held her breath as she waited for a follow up noise. There was complete silence. She woke Ron up and he commented, “Sam, it must be something that has fallen- maybe the iron. There’s no noise now!”
Sam dragged him up to check it out and he got up grumbling. “Girls,” he muttered, just loud enough so that Sam could hear, “can’t live with ‘em and can’t live without them.” For this he got a resounding smack on the chest which gave a moment of sharp pain and then subsided. The two peered inside the closet and saw nothing. Ron went inside and could not find anything that had fallen in the closet. Sam curiously went in and checked the organizational compartments. Ron was already walking toward the living room makeshift bed when Samantha yelled his name. “COME HERE QUICK!,” she screamed in an almost girlish delight which Ron could not decipher as fear or excitement. Nevertheless, he hurried back quickly and saw Sam peering at a comparatively old, rusty wooden trunk. It was sort of like a treasure chest- one that anyone would imagine in a pirates movie, but it was only the size of a shoebox. “Well, open it!,” said Ron. “It’s probably some Halloween prop or something, but pretty heavy for one,” remarked Sam as she lifted the box and brought it to the living room. “It’s light too,” she said as she grabbed the black lock handles which opened easily.
The two slowly opened the ‘treasure chest,’ eyes wide in some kind of anticipation of the moment. The only thing inside was an empty beer bottle with a tag that had typed script on it. It read, “This chest will give you anything you desire. All you have to do is place the palm of your hand inside it and ask.” Ron laughed out loud. “Must be some kid’s toy that was left behind. What a cute imagination that kid must be having! Cmon, Sam, let’s do this for shits and giggles.” He grabbed her hand and with his hand on top, placed it flat, palm downwards in the chest. “What do you want to wish for?,” asked Sam smiling in on the foolishness of what they were doing.
“I wish for the most expensive custom made French furniture for my lovely girlfriend.”
“Yea right Ron.”
Laughing, the couple went for a short walk, and still fatigued, fell asleep hugging each other.
The following Monday was Ron’s first day of work. He was going to the Jets stadium where he would be working in their upper offices. This was one job that he couldn’t wait for. Samantha was to start the following Wednesday, so she would stay at home and wait for the furniture and the rest of their larger items from the old apartment like the lamps and corner tables to arrive. Ron kissed his future wife goodbye and headed to work on the train. How nice it was to breathe some fresh air in New York! And better, no traffic. The stadium was only about 20 minutes away with the loop trains which were a block away from the condo.
Ron smiled as none other than the legendary Jeff Ronkins greeted him in person. It was going to be a very good day.
The day turned out better than he ever thought. Sam called in disbelief. “Ron! Come back as soon as you can. You have gotta see this!”
Ron eagerly came back to find his condo decorated like a five star suite. He started at the chic furniture which he knew they could not afford- the sleek black sofas and posh matching comfy chairs. There was a matching loveseat by the fireplace that the couple couldn’t even dream of affording. “Sam…,” he said in disbelief. “There better be a good explanation.”
Sam replied, “The movers said that our furniture got damaged en route as the driver encountered a driving accident. He is alright, but to compensate and avoid any trouble, they asked me to sign for this set. It is worth the same amount because these couches and chairs are apparently models from a few years ago. However, they are brand new. Remember when we wished for it? Well, not custom French, but it is a French company that made this furniture and it is brand new!”
Ron’s mouth was almost open as he stared at the beautiful furniture in his house. Not only the living room set, but the dining room and the bedroom had the same French furniture. The oval dining table and sleek metallic chairs gave the apartment a very modern and young look. The grand deluxe queen sized bed was resting on a sleek black wood frame that was low to the ground. Everything to the corner tables and lights were also included.
To make sure that Sam was correct, Ron called the furniture company and they mirrored Sam’s explanation. “So the chest ended up being right,” thought Ron to himself. Maybe I should make another wish!
That night, when Sam was asleep, Ron woke up for a midnight snack. He went to the fridge and found nothing appetizing. Wondering what to do, he noticed that Sam had placed the chest on the new granite kitchen counters.
Ron looked at the refrigerator which was stacked with food but none to his liking, and back at the chest. “What the heck…’” he thought to himself as he opened the chest and placed his palm inside. He made a wish to himself and closed the chest. Like before nothing happened. Ron went to the bathroom and came back inside the kitchen. As he opened the fridge and peered inside, his jaw dropped. Right in front of his eyes sat a fresh bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwich with mayo and pickles. Ron pinched himself and stared at the sandwich. He would have called Sam but he knew that he was fully awake and had made the wish to himself; thus, there was no chance of Sam putting it there.
Ron ate the sandwich on the couch in disbelief. As he finished the last bite, he washed his hands, opened the chest, and made another wish as he yawned and fell asleep. Sam awoke early the next day. She loved waking up early and enjoyed the morning hours. If she had woken up late, she would feel tired and cranky the entire day. After brushing her teeth and splashing warm water on her face and in her eyes, Sam went into the kitchen to make breakfast. She had just opened Ron’s kitchen set and placed bought groceries while Ron was at work the previous day. When she entered the kitchen, she noticed a suitcase on the table. It was a stainless steel case- the kinds you saw in James Bond movies with silver lines running horizontally.
Not wanting to wake Ron up, Sam grabbed the suitcase to place it in the living room reminding herself to tell Ron to NOT leave his things on the kitchen counters. As she put her fingers around the handle, the suitcase came undone and wads of money rolled out on the floor. “Huh?!,” Sam exclaimed as her heart started to pound. What was this suitcase? Where the hell did it come from? Was Ron hiding something from her? “RON!,” she screamed. Now she didn’t care whether she disturbed him or not. “ROOONNNNNNN! GET OVER HERE NOW!,” Sam yelled as Ron awoke with a start. He stumbled into the living room and adjusted his eyes to the light.
As he saw the stacks of money on the floor, he rushed to it and started examining it to see if it was real. “NO FUCKING WAY. NO WAY,” he said as he sat down.
“What the hell is going on. What are you not telling me?,” Samantha asked in an authoritative tone.
“I I I dunno. I wished for a million dollars before I went to sleep last night, and here it is,” Ron said still staring at the money and the suitcase.
“Ok, if you are going to lie to me, at least make it a bit believable. You expect me to believe this. What the hell, where did this money come from?”
“I SWEAR! That’s exactly where it came from,” he said as he pointed at the chest. “You try, you make a wish Sam.”
Sam was now boiling with anger. In the three years she had known Ron, she liked him because he was always upfront and honest with her. Now, he was hiding something from her and lying to her about it on top of everything. Fuming, she went to the chest, and threw it down on the floor as hard as she could.
“WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?!!!!!!!!!,” roared Ron as he dove for it. There was no damage to the chest as it had fallen on the carpet.
Fuming, Sam started to walk away when Ron grabbed her and said, “No, wait. Come here and do it yourself. Make a wish, and if it doesn’t come true, take that chest and throw it at my face.”
Sam thought for a second. As angry as she was, the offer seemed good. She harshly opened the chest and placed her hand inside. “I wish I was the editor in charge at the Manhattan Post!”
Confidently, Ron snatched the chest away as a child would take possession of his toys, and walked away to get ready. He carefully put the wads of money back in the suitcase. The thought that the couple had so much money now had not yet sunk into either of their minds.
When Ron arrived home that evening, he was in flurried thought. He now was worried about where that money had come from. Was it even legal? He inquired at the police station as an anonymous caller so as to not raise any suspicion. The police said that with money, nothing was reported stolen or missing for that large of an amount. The highest missing item was a necklace worth $15,000.00. A bit relieved that nothing was legally missing, Ron’s anxiety grew when he realized that the money could come through illegal means. What if he had put Sam and him in danger? Sam was at home every day and all day until next week.
Arriving at home, Sam leaped into his arms and kissed him hard on the cheek. Ron was startled as he struggled to catch her upon reaction. “My god,” said Ron as he looked at the condo. The condo was decorated with a full screen LCD TV with stand, a new Apple computer with flat screen monitor. Besides it lay two I-pods and two brand new laptops. The walls were painted an elegant color and there were expensive looking red drapes hanging from them. Their home looked like a hotel suite- nowhere close to even their combined budget. On top of the modern fireplace mantle, the chest was the focal point of the room. “I made a few more wishes,” said Sam.
Once realizing the power of the chest, the couple began to make wishes daily for almost everything. The bhest took care of all of their needs! Sam started working, and within three days, she got word that her team’s editor left suddenly for a competing newspaper, and since Sam was the only one on her team with some editing experience from her master’s program, she was the last minute pick. Her salary had hiked to almost double of what she was making and so did her hours.
All that money was going into savings. Not to mention, the million dollars in the bank that the couple had deposited after a few days. Several months into knowing the power of the chest, the couple literally had no worries.
Ron decided that it had been long enough and he needed to get his friend Benny. He had been so preoccupied with his new chest, that he had not even called Ben over. As he dialed his number, Ron’s anticipation grew with each ring.
“Hellloooooooo buddy!,” an energetic voice exclaimed. “Good old Ben,” thought Ron.
“Benny!!!! How are you!,” Ron exclaimed with equal energy. “Let’s catch up dude.”
The two had a long conversation and Ron told him everything that was going on in his life except for the chest. To Ron’s genuine happiness, Ben was doing really well. He was now in a serious relationship with Melanie and the two had plans of being committed as they both were over 26 now.
Additionally, Ben was in his last semester of law school where he had gotten an internship into Lyn and Percotti- the of New York’s best sports law firms. “We do a lot of work with the Jets, Ronnie. I actually have to come to your office on a daily basis if I get a permanent job here at the end of the semester!,” Ben had said. The internship completely paid the rest of Ben’s student dues, and, if he continued his work ethic up for the next three months, the firm guaranteed full time placement where Ben would start with a six figure salary, not including extra billing hours.
“That is awesome, Ben….really, that’s great!”
Ron waited for Sam to get home and told her about Ben. She was so thrilled that Ben and Melanie were together, that she called Melanie and asked them to come over that Saturday.
Part IV
That Saturday evening, both couples sat with drinks in their hand, completely comfortable. Ben was in awe of their place and told Ron, “Wow, buddy- see hard work pays off! Weren’t those days in New York City worth it!”
Guiltily, Ron smiled and said, Yea, thanks Ben. You’ll have all this in no time, bud- it’s not hard at all,” still unsure of whether he should tell him about the chest or not.
Ben had so many stories to tell about his struggles. Those days almost seemed like fun now- almost as if Ben missed the walks in the howling winters and working eighteen hours a day. “I don’t know what to do with my spare time now!,” said Ben. “The firm lets me go by 6 since I cannot bill extra hours as an intern!” The whole no second job things also helps!
Of course, Ron was happy for Ben, but for once, Ben had outshone Ron in their group. Ben genuinely had admiration for Ron who always was the one step ahead in everything. Today however, besides their beautiful condo, Ron did not have much to contribute to the conversation as he was very relaxed in his entry level position.
Not wanting to admit it, Sam felt very much the same way even though she was way ahead of Mel in her career. She had skipped the entry level days completely with her promotion. As Mel spoke about the articles she wrote and how much she was learning in her position, Sam could only offer a half-hearted smile. Mel also spoke about the other staffers in her team. What fun they had on project collaborations and page editing. Of course, Sam was in charge of the final page submission that teams gave her, but she almost wished that she could have some of Mel’s days back. She had always dreamed of those days as they were the most fun and one met a lot of people. Now, Sam had few friends in the office as she did not have time to enjoy herself. The work was too demanding, and although Sam was excellent at it, she was too young to appreciate it. Moreover, Sam’s team who had previously treated her as friends now gave her respect as a boss and did not have conversation with her.
When Ben and Mel slept on the outside futon, Ron and Sam both lay awake in their beds without saying a word. Then, harshly and suddenly, Sam shut the light which did not ignite any reaction with Ron. Frustrated, Ron also went to sleep when his brain could not think any longer.
The next morning, Mel and Ben left early stating that they had to attend one of Mel’s team member’s party that evening. Ron and Sam left them at Ben’s newly bought used Chrysler model and waved bye. Both were feeling slightly jealous of them as they headed back inside of their house.
After a few months, Sam and Ron finally fell into a routine. Ron was not working as hard as he used to and did not try to impress his seniors like he used to upon starting. Of course, he was turning in excellent work and there was no question of him getting fired. But Ron was so secure financially, that it did not matter. He drove his new Lamborghini to work and back and claimed to his colleagues that it was a rich uncle’s car that had passed down to him. What else could he say?!
