SHORT STORY (9) A THEORY OF TIME

A THEORY OF TIME BY GERARD O'NEIL

At exactly 6:17 on Monday morning an alarm clock began ringing. A hand appeared from out under the blankets and desperately searched for the “off” button. It was time for Paul to get up and face another busy week of work.

Paul slowly got out of bed, put on his dressing gown and made his way to the kitchen. At precisely 6:19 a.m. he filled the kettle with water and while he waited for it to boil, prepared his coffee cup and cooked two slices of toast. At exactly 6:26 a.m. he took his breakfast to the living room and sat down in his favorite armchair. As he drank his coffee and ate his toast he thought of all the routine things he needed to do during the day. At 6:40 a.m. he drank the last of his coffee and went to the bathroom to shave and shower. After his shower he changed into his suit, organized the papers in his brief case, kissed his still sleeping wife good-bye and at 7:26 a.m. “on the dot”, and closed the door of his apartment. At 7:28 a.m. he said good morning to the doorman in the lobby and stepped out onto the street to begin his walk to his office.

At 7:54 a.m. Paul entered his office building and at precisely 7:59:35 a.m. sat down at his work station and turned on his computer. His computer automatically sent an electronic message to the sales department notifying them that Paul was now working and that the company could start paying him. An examination of Pauls’ time sheet would show that his “start times”, give or take a few seconds had been the same, week after week, month after month, year after year.

On day while Paul was on his way to work he began to observe something interesting. As he walked he noticed that at precisely the same place and at the precisely the same time, he met precisely the same people going about their business at the same hour. At 7:31 a.m. he would pass walking in the opposite direction the same sleepy children heading to school. As he passed in front of the post office at 7:35 a.m. he would encounter a blond haired Japanese girl. At 7:37 a.m. he would meet two middle aged men and a teenage boy. They always walked in a line three abreast and did not seem to notice that other pedestrians needed to maneuver around them to get past. At 7:40 a.m. Paul would stop briefly at the newsstand to read the headlines in the morning newspaper. Two policemen were always already there doing the same thing. They would be discussing what they had heard from their colleagues in relation to the headlines splashed across the front page.  At exactly the same time Paul continued his journey the policemen would continue their beat. At 7:43 a.m. he would pass in front of an abandoned shop. Under the awing there was always the same man sleeping on a piece of cardboard. At 7:52 a.m. as he approached a bus stop, the same bus would always be just pulling in and as it opened its doors the same passengers would get off in the same order. Finally, just before he entered his office building at 7:53:30 a.m. a bread truck would pull up and its driver (always the same one) would get out and begin lugging crates of bread into the small supermarket next door.

As the days passed Paul began to take notice of some of the other people he met on his way to work. There was a woman in high-heeled shoes, (totally unsuitable for walking in the street), who needed to be supported by her friend. There was a man who always carried an umbrella even on hot cloudless mornings. There was a young woman who wore very low cut dresses. In the street she tried to cover herself up a little, but Paul imagined at work she would not be so concerned. He knew the type!

Then one day, Paul began to observe the traffic passing in the street as well. To his great surprise he discovered that, just like the people, vehicles would pass at exactly the same time. A motorcycle without a muffler always roared by just as he was passing the bank and every time he crossed James Street a blue Jaguar was always in the front row waiting for the lights to change to green.

A theory began to form in Pauls’ mind. He called it his “Theory of Time”. It basically went like this. “Everyone seemed to be following the same strict routine. People get up at precisely the same time, have breakfast at precisely the same time, leave home at precisely the same time and passed each other in the street (whether it be on foot or  on wheels) at precisely the same time. He imagined that if a passing satellite were to photograph the city on Monday morning and then took another photograph at precisely the same time on Tuesday morning, the two photos would be identical. The same people and vehicles would be snapped at exactly the same places on both days. Photographs taken on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday would be identical copies of those taken on Monday and Tuesdays!

Paul was so excited about his discovery that he decided to write a letter to the editor of the local newspaper outlining his theory.

At exactly 6:17 on Monday morning an alarm clock began ringing. A hand appeared from out under the blankets and desperately searched for the “off” button. It was time for Paul to get up and face another busy week of work.

At 7:25 a.m. Paul put the “Letter to the editor” he had written during the weekend outlining his “Theory of Time” in his brief case. He would post it on his way to work.

He kissed his still sleeping wife good-bye and at 7:26 a.m. “on the dot”, and closed the door of his apartment. At 7:28 a.m. he said good morning to the doorman in the lobby and stepped out onto the                                                       street to begin his walk to his office.

That Monday, for the first time ever an electronic message was not sent at 7:39:35 a.m. from Pauls’ work station in his office to the salaries department notifying them that he had switched on his computer and was now working. This was because Paul still had not arrived at work. If a passing satellite had taken a photograph of the city at that precise moment it would have snapped a different picture to that Paul had suggested to the editor of the newspaper as outlined in his “Theory of Time”.  You see on this particular morning there had been an accident. A blue Jaguar driven at speed, because its driver was a few seconds late for work, had run a red light and knocked over a pedestrian carrying a brief case. Normally the pedestrian would have seen the approaching car however he too was in a hurry. He was running late for work as he had diverted from 

his usual routine for a couple of seconds to post a letter.

As Paul was being rushed to hospital in an ambulance nursing a broken leg, he was already thinking about the alterations he would need to make to his “Theory of Time”!

   

ANSWERS

COMPREHENSION CHECK

(1)  What time did Paul wake up each morning?

Paul got up at 6:17 a.m. each morning.

(2)  Where did Paul eat his breakfast?

In the living room sitting in his favorite armchair.

(3)  What type of car was always stopped at the traffic lights when Paul crossed James Street?

A Jaguar.

(4)  Briefly explain Pauls’ “Theory of Time”.

As everyone is follows the same routine each day there is little difference between what people are doing and where they are at any given time on any given working day.

(5)  Why do you think the man Paul always passed carried an umbrella?

It was part of his wardrobe. Even though it would be useful if it rained, he probably considered his umbrella as a fashion accessory.

(6)  Do you follow the same routine every day?

(7)  Have you ever noticed if you met the same people every day as you go about your ‘day-to-day’ activities?

(8)  How many people have you met so far today?

(9)  How many people have you spoken to today?

(10)      Do you have some theories of your own? For example: “Who lives closest to their work school, church etc. are invariably the ones who are most likely to arrive late.”

EXERCISE:

Match the phrasal verbs found in the text with their meanings.

(A)	Get up	(e)	Stop.
(B)	Put on	(d)	Start equipment lights etc.
(C)	Sat down	(a)	Arise from bed, a chair.
(D)	Turned on	(b)	Dress in something.
(E)	Pulled up	(h)	Leave.
(F)	Pulling in	(g)	Descend from, leave.
(G)	Get off	(f)	Arrive.
(H)	Get out	(c)	Move to a sitting position.

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