5.21 - A Story

A man walks into an empty elevator of the 15th floor of a tall building on a cold evening on 1/25. He is well tucked up in his jacket, gloves and earmuffs, so he feels comfortable. He has just said his goodbyes for the day to his co-workers. He presses the ground floor button and waits, what seems like eternity, for elevator to take him to the streets below quickly, so that he can catch a train and head back home to his wife and kids. He knows they are waiting for him eagerly today as they have made plans for a movie and dinner.

As the elevator begins to descend, he begins to experience a strange hot sensation, he thinks that the heater must have been set unusually high, and reminds himself to tell the front desk manager about it. The elevator stops at the 9th floor and woman and a man enter the elevator and give him a surprised, almost bemused look. He has seen them a couple of times in the elevator, he greets them, they return greetings, still looking bemused.

As the elevator makes its way down, he notices that they are not wearing their coats, but dismisses the thought to ask them about their coats because he assumes they must be going to some place inside the building so probably don't need their coats and jackets.

Elevator finally reaches the ground floor without halting at any other floor. At the front desk, he sees Mr. Curtis at the front desk. Mr. Curtis is the front desk manager. Mr. Curtis greets him with his usually flashy smile.

"Good evening Mr. Curtis, just wanted to let you know that the heating in the building seems to set usually high. I am sure you can do something about it. See ya, and have a goodnight", he prepares to turn around and leave when he notices that the man and the woman have turned around and are looking at him. Just then Mr. Curtis calls after him.

"The heating is not on in the building Mr. Kreecher, we have the low cooling on though"

Mr. Kreecher turns around, confused, the man and woman have now gone through the revolving door into the streets. Now he and Mr. Curtis are alone in the lobby.

He says "And why on earth would you have cooling on instead of heating in the middle of winter?"

"Middle of winter!? surely you are kidding me Mr. Kreecher" laughs Mr. Curtis

"No, no, I am not, and I didn't get the joke. Tell me about it" says Mr. Kreecher with complete seriousness, he is now feeling really hot in his outfit and is agitated, and Mr. Curtis is taken aback by this sudden change in the Mr. Kreecher's mannersim.

"Well Mr. Kreecher" says Mr. Curtis "surely you know we are in summer"

"Summer? what summer? look at the calendar above you, its Janua..." his voice trails off as he looks at the calendar himself.

it says 5/21.