The Surprise Harry Potter Package

The doorbell rang one day and my brother stepped out to attend to it. A few minutes later he came back with a package in his arms. It was big and surprisingly addressed to me. Me? Wait, what? I'd just moved to the United States of America and hadn't made any contacts - let alone friends who'd send me packages and that too of such a size. It couldn't have been from my university either because why'd they send something? I hadn't ordered anything either. Then how was this happening? I was way above the age of eleven so it couldn't even be a surprise parcel from Hogwarts and I had no Sirius Black of a God Father who could send me anything either. Who'd sent me a package? Why? Most importantly what was in it?

The only wild guess I had in mind was that it could be something from Dad. However, it was a really really wild guess. Think a crazy mad wild monkey kind of wild guess. I'll admit it was kind of creepy to receive a parcel in my name and open it without knowing what could turn out but once I found out I was ECSTATIC! I cut open the tape that sealed the parcel close and then pulled out of the box what was going to be a cherished possession forever. The Harry Potter books were staring back at me. The American version of the books in a beautiful boxed set! I couldn't believe my eyes. I really really couldn't.

Let me rewind a bit so all of this makes more sense. When we were moving from Pakistan to the United States of America we were moving our entire house's stuff. It was a lot and we had limited space. So while deciding who could take what in their suitcases and which stuff would be shipped later Dad forced me to leave my Harry Potter books behind. I'd argued over a lot of things and suitcases were full of my stuff but still I didn't want to leave my books behind - the idea vexed me severely. I wanted to take them with me so I'd have them as soon as I landed in the USA - so I could know they were near me even while I flew. I protested too but Dad told me he would be shipping lots of stuff anyway so he'd send my books later too. Trust me, I tried to beat sense into everyone all day but nothing worked. I agreed in the end but I made sure I showed Dad how deeply upset I was *laughs* ... I'm such a drama.

He knew how much my Harry Potter books meant to me and so a few days after I landed he sent me this absolutely beautiful boxed set of my beloved books. I instantly sent him a message and he said, "Here's your American version now that you're in America!" Please imagine the tears I'd have had in my eyes. This was beautiful! Oh and unreal!

So while the entire house had our stuff strewn all over I carefully ripped off the plastic cover over my new boxed Harry Potter books' set, pulled the first book out, and found a cozy spot on the sofa to read. I knew that the books were the same, the story was the same, yet it felt like reading Harry Potter all over again. It felt like reading it for the first time. I thanked Dad over and over again and to this day the boxed set is displayed with pride on my Harry Potter shelf! Thank you to Dad for this totally unreal present! Love at first sight!