Angels

[Paddler]

From the Journal, April 2007:

What is going on?

I got this letter with an image of two angels attached (I'm leaving out the image because it takes too long to upload):

"Forward this message the same day you received it
It may sound ridiculous, but it is right on time
We believe that something is about to happen. Angels exist, only sometimes they haven't got wings
and we call them friends; you are one of them
Something wonderful is about to happen to you and your friends.
Tomorrow at 9:12 AM somebody will address you and tell you something you have been waiting to hear.
Please do not break this chain. Send it to at least 7 of your friends."

So "tomorrow" was yesterday for me. Notice that the text says 9:12 AM. It does not specify a time zone. So hey, I gotta get ready for my
lucky day, right? I mean I might be in line to receive a million dollars and a pet monkey; you never know with these chain letters. The time
mentioned might be Coordinated Universal Time, in which case I hafta get up at 4:00 AM EDST to be ready. So I got up at 4:00 AM and got
dressed, with underwear and everything - you need to be decked out proper when your ship comes putt-putting into the harbor, right?
9:12 AM came and went and nobody knocked and nobody called.

I figured, "Well, maybe we have somebody in the Azores who will do something wonderful. I'll wait an hour." Nothin' Not a peep.

I waited another hour; maybe someone in Recife would call. Nope, no dice.

We don't know anybody in Greenland, but, what the hell, I'll give 'em a chance. It's only another hour. 9:12 AM came and went. No joy.

I used to know a girl from Newfoundland. If I wait another hour, maybe she'll come through with a can of Spam. Nuthin'. Maybe she mislaid my number.

Now, we are coming up on 9:12 AM local time and I'm psyched. I tested the phone; yup, there's a dial tone. Nobody in the driveway.
Nobody at any of the doors. 9:12 AM came an went. Snake eyes! Central Time? Nichts! Mountain Time? Nyet! Pacific Time? Nihil!

Now, I read that message carefully and it says nothing about the "something wonderful" being contingent upon my sending the letter
to seven of my friends. That would be unfair, because I don't have seven friends left; I kept sending 'em these dang chain letters!

MCR>
Abstractor of the Quintessence
Order of the Digital Grail