Jimmy’s Christmas Dream

Jimmy looked at the clock which read 6.30pm, then let out a frustrated sigh.

It was Christmas Eve and he’d been working hard all day… thinking he would have finished hours ago, this was definitely not where he wanted to be. The end was in sight, he was finishing off his final job for the day when he suddenly realised, he had an even bigger problem on his hands.

In one hand he held a hose tail and in the other hand a hose that was from a completely different supplier.

“What to do?” He thought. “Stuff it,” he murmured to himself and with that, decided to make the hose fit. 

Later that night, Jimmy crawled into bed, exhausted and within moments he was sound asleep. What felt like seconds later he suddenly woke to a loud bang.
“What the!” he said sitting upright.

There was no response, but the banging was getting closer… it almost sounded like hydraulic hoses and fittings being thrown on the floor.

Suddenly the bedroom door flew open and there stood what could only be described as a ghost.

“I am Neil the ghost of hydraulic hose and fittings” he shouted. “I saw what you did today and have come to warn you of what might come. You will be visited by three ghosts tonight. The ghost of Christmas present, the ghost of Christmas past and the ghost of Christmas yet to come.”

Before Jimmy could open his mouth, the ghost had disappeared.

Jimmy began to shake nervously… “deep breaths” he thought to himself, “my Aunt Agnes always said delirium was a side effect of working too hard.” He threw the covers over his head and fell back to sleep. 

Once again Jimmy was jolted awake to a strange noise coming from the end of his bed.

“I am the ghost of Christmas past; I am here to show you how you got here Jimmy.”

The ghost quickly grabbed Jimmy’s hand as if gravity did not exist and whooshed him out of bed and into the sky.

Jimmy attempted to catch his breath, “Is that…that…. that is me! That’s when I first started my hydraulic hose business!” he exclaimed proudly.

“It is Jimmy, and do you remember how you got all your customers and grew your reputation?” said the ghost.

Jimmy thoughtfully responded, “I gave good service and supplied the right products.”

“That’s right Jimmy, but that’s not what you did today. Remember what you made?” Before Jimmy could blink, the ghost of Christmas past whooshed Jimmy back his room.

Standing before him was the ghost of Christmas present who took his hand and whooshed him into the sky.

“Let’s go have a look at the hose you did today, Jimmy” he bellowed. 

Flying through the air Jimmy spots the truck he worked on that day. It had broken down on the side of the road.

“What happened?” asked Jimmy.

“The hose you made was incorrect and it failed. He’s now unable to make his delivery and all the kids at the orphanage will not be getting their toys in time for Christmas” said the ghost of Christmas present.

“I didn’t know it would do that. I definitely didn’t know they were taking toys to the orphanage” said Jimmy.

“Would you have done it differently if you knew?” said the ghost before bringing Jimmy back to the room.

Jimmy waited for the last ghost who appeared not long after.

“I am the ghost of Christmas yet to come and I want to show you your future if you continue down this road.” 

Jimmy held out his hand reluctantly. The ghost of Christmas yet to come whooshed him into the air.

Jimmy looked down to see himself selling cheap hydraulic hose and fittings on the side of the road.

He looked old, unshaven, his clothes ragged. 

“What’s happened to me?!” Jimmy cried out.

The ghost replied “This is what happens when you keep using products incorrectly. You lose your customers, your business and your reputation!”

Suddenly everything turned black.

Jimmy woke suddenly with sweat beading off his forehead. It was just a dream he thinks to himself. But he couldn’t shake the message from his head.

Jimmy jumps out of bed, gets into his van and drives to the spot where the truck had broken down in his dreams.

“Jimmy! Is that you?” The delivery driver calls as Jimmy gets out of his truck. “How did you know I was here?”.

“Heard you’ve got a special delivery” Jimmy smiles. “Now let’s make sure those kids get their presents!”.