On the roadway, it was simply another normal afternoon. As a husband and wife drove down a peaceful stretch of road at a steady 40 miles per hour, the sun slowly rose over the horizon. He seemed cool and composed behind the wheel, with his eyes on the lanes ahead. She, who was seated next to him, was not nearly as calm.
She broke the stillness by turning to him and saying, “I know we’ve been married for more than twenty years, but I want a divorce.” She stated it loud, clear, and without a hint of doubt.
No response.
The spouse maintained his hands on the wheel and his eyes on the road. He didn’t say anything or move, but the car’s speedometer slowly went up to 45 mph.
“I’m serious,” she said, feeling more confident now. “Don’t try to talk me out of it.” I’ve been sleeping with your best friend, and he’s a lot better lover than you ever were.
The hubby still hasn’t said anything. His jaw tightened a little, as the automobile slowly sped up to 55 mph.
She kept going, as if she were pushing him to his limits.
“I want the house,” she said firmly.
The speed went up again, to 60 mph.
She continued, “I want the car too,” and watched him intently.
The car went even faster, at 65 mph. The tension in the automobile was so strong that it seemed like static before a storm.
“I’ll take everything: the bank accounts, the credit cards, the boat.”
They were now going straight at a huge concrete bridge. She gazed ahead at the road and then back at her husband. The air felt different now; it was thicker. She finally asked, “Isn’t there anything you want?” since she was nervous.
He spoke for the first time in the whole talk. His voice was calm and even nice.
He looked at her out of the corner of his eye and whispered, “No.” “I already have everything I need.”
She frowned. “Oh really?” she said, her voice getting sarcastic. “And what do you have?”
He smiled.
“The airbag.”
Be quiet.
Somewhere else in town, an elderly couple was enjoying a big event in their own lives. A couple in their early sixties was celebrating their 35th wedding anniversary at a quiet, romantic restaurant with soft candlelight and string music.
All of a sudden, a small yet beautiful fairy appeared on their supper table in a flash of light and glitter.
She said, “You two have been faithful and devoted for 35 years.” “I will grant each of you one wish as a reward.”
The wife’s eyes lit up and she gasped. She said, “I want to travel the world with my husband,” and clasped her hands.
The fairy grinned, waved her wand, and poof! She has two tickets for a luxury cruise on the Queen Mary 2.
It was now the husband’s turn. He paused, looking back and forth between the fairy and his wife. Then he whispered softly, “This is so romantic, and I love my wife…” But this chance only comes along once in a lifetime. Sorry, my darling, but I want a woman who is 30 years younger than me.
The fairy and the wife both stood still, shocked and sad.
But a want is a wish.
The fairy said, “Abracadabra!” with just one sweep of her wand. The husband suddenly turned 92 years old in a flash of light.
People say that life is about making choices. Some people think it’s all about timing. But sometimes it just depends on who has the wand or the wheel.