Magic Fingers

Magic Fingers

“I saw that.”

Karma

Less bark, more wag. My cousin Stephen was definitely the alpha dog of our little pack, but every dog has his day, as you will see.

When I was about twenty, we took a family trip to the Grand Canyon. On the first night, Stephen and my cousin Johnny were roommates. Stephen went into their room first, and when he noticed that one of the beds had “Magic Fingers,” being older than Johnny, Stephen quickly claimed it for himself.

“Magic Fingers” was an electrical device that, when hooked up to a bed, would cause it to vibrate and make you feel like you were getting a massage. Next to the bed was a little box with a slot for two quarters for a fifteen-minute massage, a nice way to relax after a long day on the road.

When they got to bed, Stephen slipped two quarters into the “Magic Fingers” box and laid back to enjoy his massage, but nothing happened.

In frustration, he chased down the wires and noticed that the box was connected to Johnny’s bed. Further, there was Johnny, happily vibrating away. While Stephen had been getting ready for sleep, Johnny had switched the mattresses on the beds. Oh, and he left the “Magic Fingers” box right next to Stephen’s bed, so Stephen could pay for the massage.

Stephen gave Johnny quite a hard time about it, or at least that’s what it sounded like from down the hallway. Sometimes it’s hard to tell exactly what people are saying when there’s a lot of yelling going on. But I’m sure that, in the end, Johnny got a good night’s rest. After all, he had a “Magic Fingers” massage to help him relax.

-Hank