Christmas and The Lost Bracelet

Who would’ve anticipated that a drain would be in the way of Jack having a successful relationship. A plumber arrived with a bag of tools. Jack was busy covering the leak so he helped himself in and rushed to help poor Jack who was definitely struggling. The plumber didn't bother introducing himself once he saw Jack was worried about something else even more than the leak. Jack looked down the drain and he could see the bracelet. It wasn't long gone. He picked up a mop and brushed the water that was about to enter the drain away so the bracelet doesn't go further down the drain. While he was doing this the plumber was trying to fix the pipe. He found out that some termites ate through the pipe. Jack was worried if they'd destroyed more than just the pipe he called for some help. The insect control and the plumber both were doing their jobs and asked Jack to give them some space. Jack couldn't leave the bracelet in the drain but he saw the water slowed down so he went outside, after all that was the best choice he had. Him still having a worthwhile roof over his head was more of a priority than the bracelet now. By the time the house cleared up again and everyone who wasn't Jack had left, the bracelet wasn't in the drain. The water was barely running when he left so if it was still in the drain it wouldn't have gone so far. He put his selfie stick down the drain because that way he could actually see what's there due to his phone's camera. There was all sorts of garbage but no bracelet. Someone must have took it! Jack was frustrated. He yelled out, "Why is my life such a mess!" Someone passing by the neighborhood heard his shreak and inquired, "Are you ok?" Jack replied, "Yes, thank you for asking, pls continue what you were doing. Don't mind me." The man left after receiving confirmation from Jack about him being ok. Jack now had to get a new gift without money and without much time. He couldn't get another loan without paying back the one he already had taken. His friends weren't ready to invest in his love life as there wasn't any certainty of something actually happening even with their investment. He couldn't hinder with the time he had in any way possible. It was game over. 

 A few days later on Christmas, he met Julia whom he hadn't explained this whole incident to yet. Julia without any hesitation asked to exchange gifts which meant she was super confident in what she'd gotten him. Jack couldn't continue lying to her and had to say something now. He'd already used everything he had in his book of lies. He had told her he was excited to give her the present he got, he said she should get something good if she wants to give a gift of the same level and he even told her she'd love him more than ever after seeing the gift. Jack had hyped his gift up so much. But he knew he didn't have anything to give after the bracelet got lost. He complained to the insect control company and the plumber company but he had no proof so his allegations weren't attended to. So he made up a crazy backstory to a normal object to give to Julia. He picked up a random pen and was planning on giving it to Julia by saying it was one used by her favorite author JK. Rowling. Jack confessed how he lost the bracelet and his life was a living hell for the past few days. Julia understood what he said but she didn't like the fact how Jack raised her hopes as high as the sky and then crushed them all of a sudden. Jack apologized immediately and treated Julia to a grand Christmas dinner at his Uncle's restaurant. This way he wouldn't have to pay a massive bill either. But he didn't tell Julia it was his uncle who owned the restaurant or she would think of him as a lowlife. It would also hurt her that she wasn't fine with spending money for the betterment of their relationship. They had a good time and went to their respective homes. The outcome was much better than what Jack had thought it would be. 

 This experience also taught Jack that he needed to find a job. He couldn't still be living off of what his deceased parents had left him. Now that his insurance was over too shortly after getting the leakage and termite work he had to find a way to pay for any such emergencies in the future. His parents died in a car accident when he was really young. Their car caught fire after a fast moving truck that wrongfully broke a signal bumped into them and made their car slide into a tree near the end of the road. His grandfather took care of him until now and he was too old and sick to help in anyway. Jack's grandfather lived a couple blocks down and he visited him on weekends. He wasn't with his grandfather on Christmas because his grandfather didn't celebrate holidays. It was just some belief he had about holidays that made him not celebrate them.

 Jack got a job as a waiter to start and he was soon earning a good amount of cash. Julia was playing for some small league team proffessionally and she was doing quite good for herself. But sadly the practice, the matches it all meant less time left to spend with Jack. Whenever, if ever, she would be free Jack would have a shift at work. They had to talk over the phone whenever they wanted to hear or see each other. It was almost as if they were in a long distance relationship.