[ WP ] You are sitting in your lounge room , it 's dull and you are watching the news . Then , your mobile rings . You answer and it is yourself from the future who tells you to stay on the line at all costs ...

`` Uh...'' I laughed. `` Real funny. I'm hanging up now.'' 
 
 `` No no no no!'' the voice said. `` Please, just listen to me. I did n't believe it either!'' 
 
 I waited, filling the phone with an astonished silence. In the background, I could hear the faint sounds of cars driving passed. I remember feeling both frustrated and maybe a little bit curious. There was nothing of interest on the news tonight anyway. Why not humor this jokester? 
 
 `` Alright, I'm listening.'' I said, attempting to sound as though he had piqued my interest. 
 
 `` You do n't believe me'' he muttered to himself. `` Yeah, I did n't either. Let's make this quick. Ask me anything.'' 
 
 `` How's the weather?'' I asked with a stupid grin. 
 
 Silence. After a few beats, the voice returned. 
 
 `` Come on, quickly now. Ask me something only you would know about yourself. I'm being serious and I do n't have much time.'' he said. His tone was different now and I suddenly felt shaken. 
 
 `` Who was my third grade math teacher?'' I asked. 
 
 `` Mrs. Hampton for third grade. As for the fourth grade teacher, I do n't remember. That's so weird. Those were my first two questions too.'' he said. 
 
 I did n't ask the second question, but it was in my head. So I asked another question and another. Each question was thwarted with an instant, correct answer. What's my first memory? Where did I lose my virginity? He humored me for a couple more rather embarrassing questions and I was forced to give this some silent reflection while the voice sat patiently on the line. 
 
 Beep. 
 
 `` Uh..can you hang on a second? I have another call.'' I asked, mostly out of habit. 
 
 `` No no no no!'' the voice sang from the phone. I listened, surprised, but not disappointed that this person had gained both my interest and my trust. 
 
 `` Listen to me. You ca n't answer that. I've finally done it. We've done it. We have to close the loop.'' he said. 
 
 Silence filled the phone line for the last time. 
 
 `` Okay. I'm calling from 2020, six years from where you are now. Just listen, I'm almost out of time. Jenny broke up with you last month after you proposed.'' he said. Of all of the statements made by this future self, this one reeled me in most. 
 
 `` April 8th, 2020. At seven thirteen eastern there will be some kind of massive solar flare or something. Christ! I do n't know what that is, but it's bright. I guess it screws up the radio frequencies or magnetic waves or something. Anyway, you have 6 minutes to call back. You are number 36, I was 35. Jenny and I... Jenny and you are married. We did it. You have to g...'' 
 
 The voice broke off and screeching static filled the phone. I pressed the phone to my ear, enduring the noise to try and make out any more words. I managed to hear a few bits here and there, but the only word that came out clearly was `` tomorrow.'' 
 
 When the phone finally cut off, I looked at the time: 7:19. I mulled over what had just transpired while a friendly weatherman bestowed us with blue skies in our five day forecast. 
 
 The next morning, I slept in. The last night's incident had brought hope, but let's call a spade a spade. I was n't scheduled to work that morning so the day would have to wait for me. Around noon, I just laid in bed staring at a ceiling who's sorry state aptly described the rest of my apartment. The last month had been rough. I had been depressed, but I was enjoying it. I was n't watching myself cry in the mirror, but I wanted to be sad. Thinking back to the call, things could be different now. Jenny. Some future version of me was able to win Jenny back. Last week I would have jumped at the opportunity. Something about the desperation in the stranger's voice over the phone last night was unsettling. 
 
 I had decided I would head down to the coffee shop where she worked. To my amazement, she had been thinking about me too. At first we had decided to just date for a little while and try starting over. After a few awkward dates, it was clear that this was n't working so we changed our tactic. We tried just being friends that met up a couple nights a week for a movie or dinner. Four miserable weeks later, we called it quits and I had forgotten what had made me so desperate to make it work. 
 
 There's really not much to tell over the next couple of years. I still had my run-of-the-mill nine to five job. I tried dipping my toe in the dating waters, but found the relationships to be empty. Radio silence ended between Jenny and I after a chance meeting at a nearby Subway ( not the transportation kind, think sandwich artists! ) She looked great. She said I looked great. This time we were able to actually start over. 
 
 When things inevitably started falling apart between Jenny and I again, I could n't help but think back to that mysterious phone call from `` future me.'' How many times had I tried to make this work? This is tragically romantic, right? Something keeps pulling us together. How many times had it failed and I had to try again? At least thirty times. Why? She was great, but I always walked on egg shells trying to ensure our relationship would last. Maybe that was its undoing. Some future version of myself, if that was n't just some weird dream, was able to make this work. 
 
 It's been another 3 years since. Just as predicted, Jenny and I are married. I finally wore her down. We were meant to be together and she finally saw it. Marriage vows have n't made our relationship any more solid, though. I guess I'm happy. I desperately want to believe myself when I say that. Six years ago I was depressed and alone. Now I'm not. 
 
 I sigh deeply with regret. My mind is made up. 
 
 I've been staring at the clock for the last 5 minutes, tapping my phone nervously to keep it from going to sleep. My old phone number is glowing back up at me while I watch the sky for a spark. 
 

