Back in the 21st Century

“You girl… What year is this?”
The young girl picking apples in her front yard adjusts her bright yellow scarf and looks up at me.
“Sir, why it’s 2023… Ooh… are you an elf?”

The screen on my Tremendous Toboggan flickers into life with a Terrific Task from elsewhere in the world. It’s working again! The all-important details pop up: “NAME: Mikey.” “LOCATION: Toronto.” And then my favorite part… “TERRIFIC TASK: Been a loyal and supportive friend to his next-door neighbour.” I made a note of it immediately. Gems like Mikey are good to know.

Well, it seems everything’s working and I’m back where I belong. PHEW! 

Back in the 21st Century. Back watching a girl in a bright yellow scarf tidying her yard. Back on a square of grass directly in front of an…

OLD. 

RED.

BRICK.

HOUSE.

Wait a moment…

Could it be…?
Square lawn? Check. Wide road? Check. Stone wall? Check.

Surely not? It sure looks the same as Elias’ house. But, it can’t be the same place because the 1823 version didn’t have such a massive apple tree. It’s pretty ancient. Looks like it’s been around for a few years…

TWO.

HUNDRED.

YEARS?

Well knock me down with a feather. Did I plant that tree when I dropped my apple core? Wowza. You couldn’t make it up…

If I hadn't have run out of fuel, I would never have been whisked back in time…
Which means I would never have met Elias and been able to record his 200 year-old Terrific Task of helping me get home…
Which means I would never have dropped my apple core…
Which means the tree would never have grown…
Which means I would never have gotten to see this young lady completing her own Terrific Task centuries later…

Which reminds me… I must find out her name. Wouldn’t it be amazing if… ?

Well - if she was, she’d have to be his Great Great Great Great Great Granddaughter. Nah...

The winter sunlight slowly dims and I hear a voice call from the house…

“Great job, Zooey! Time to come in!”

There’s a pause. The girl continues her work, clearly not hearing… The voice comes again and I swear I will in all my life I will never forget the next words I hear. They give me goosebumps.

“Zooey!! Zooey Crackenthorpe!! You come on in now!”

Everything within me wants to run across… “Hey there, Zooey!! Ignore my pointy hat and jingly shoes and the fact I’m an elf which is clearly a bit weird… I’ve just been talking to your Great Great Great Great Great Gramps, which is also a bit weird…  But, if you let me explain about how I went through a black hole and ended up back in 1823 and this house was being built and your Great Great Great Great Great Gramps made my Terrific Toboggan work with his Christmas cheer and the apple tree… and… and… let me tell about the apple tree…”

Nope. She’d never believe me… Besides, you know the rule - seen and not heard… Somewhere, back in 1823, is a little lad who knows the full story… 

Oh, and you, of course. And you can keep a secret long into the future. I know that because I’ve been there too. But that’s for another year. 

Happy Christmas, whenever you are.
Toomer

PS. I was going to end with a joke about time travel, but none of you found it funny.