A Thoughtless Gift

Carla drove to work fuming as her white knuckles gripped the wheel. She breathed exasperatingly at the thought of what her husband just did. “Of all the nerve! And he knew what I wanted!”

Her anger persisted as she pulled into the clinic parking lot and got out, slamming the door. She entered the lobby and walked into the door to the secretary’s desk.

She sat down next to her colleague, Macy, who immediately commented on Carla’s demeanor.

“What is the matter? You just had your birthday just yesterday.”

Carla shook her head. “You know that gold bracelet I have been asking for? Guess what John gave me! A PlayStation game! He got it for himself!”

Macy chuckled. “Ouch! Sorry to hear.”

“The thing is that telling him this will just lead to an argument.”

Macy pulled at her chin. “I know how you could get back at him.”

“Revenge isn’t Christian like.”

“Come on. He owes you.”

“I can’t.” Carla looked down and pulled her fingers. Vengeance sounded good. “I just couldn’t.” A coy grin came over her face. “What do you have in mind?”

“Play the game. Don’t let him play it himself. He’ll be drooling!”

“Sounds like a plan!” Carla gave a fist bump to Macy. “I’ll carry out the plan when I get home.”

Despite the longing to get back at John, she had a feeling of guilt too. Nevertheless, she would do as she pleased.

After work she drove home smelling the dish that was best served cold. She walked in the door, hung her jacket then picked up the unopened game and placed the CD into the console and turned it on. “Just wait until you get home.”

An hour later, John came home, and he was shocked. “What are you doing honey?”

“Playing my birthday gift.”

John reeled back. “But honey you can’t play games!”

“What is your point? It is mine, right?”

“Umm…I…”

“Is there something wrong?”

“No, it’s just that…nothing.”

John walked into the kitchen.

Carla was grinning ear to ear with a smug heart. She had no idea what she was doing, but it did not matter. She played for three straight hours.

John looked on and it appeared like he would wipe his mouth, envying her.

Finally, she turned it off. John seemed to think it was time for him to play.

Then Carla spoke. “Dear, would you help me with dinner?”

“Oh…okay.”

As the two prepared a pot roast, it was obvious John’s mind was in front of the TV.

When everything was ready to cook, Carla turned the TV on and watched Dr. Phill.

John was squirming in his seat, aching to play.

A few hours afterwards, it was 10 pm, and they both had to go to bed. Carla turned off the TV and walked upstairs and John followed her to bed.

The next day, John got up at his usual time of 6 am and after a bowl of cereal then left for the office.

An hour later, Carla got ready for work and careened to the front desk when she got to work.

“How, did it go girl?” Macy said with a grin.

“Like a sweet treat.”

The two shared a high five.

“You should have seen his face! Classic! I could keep this up forever!”

“Right on!”

“Well, it’s time to focus,” said Carla.

The day at the clinic went by well with no issues with patients. After work, she left in a good mood.

“Oh, no. I totally forgot to do my devotional for the last day.”

She sat in her car and began to pray. Immediately, she felt guilty. Why are you doing this to your own husband? said a voice in her mind.

Carla looked down. “What have I been doing? Oh, lord forgive me.”

She sighed. “I need to apologize.”

Carla realized that she was acting wrong despite if she had a right to be mad. The whole way home she thought of how she would phrase her apology.

She parked in her garage and stopped to think. She took a deep breath then sat for a few minutes. She entered the house and sat on the sofa, waiting for John to come home.

An hour later, he came home. He went to the kitchen to get something to eat.

Carla walked up to John and took him by the shoulder. “Hon, I need to apologize. I have been purposely playing the game you bought me. I know it was not exactly for me, but I should not have been torturing you.”

“I have been praying myself. I was thinking of myself. I just saw he game and wanted an excuse to buy it.”

“Well, it’s yours to play.”

“Thanks, sweety.”

The two hugged and smiled at one another.

“Oh, honey, I have paperwork I have to do. Could you make me a sandwich?”

“Sure.”

Carla went to the cupboard to get to bread and she gasped with her mouth covered.

“Oh, John!”

“I thought you might like it.”

“It’s lovely!” she said as he held up a gold bracelet. “It even looks even better than the one I wanted!”

“Think of it as an extra special make-up gift. How about we go out to eat?”

“You don’t have to do that.”

“I want to. Maybe that Mexican restaurant you like?”

“Sounds good.”

And that special day went down as the best birthday gesture of any time from then on. And the first thing John did when they got home was play his game.