A memorable party.

It was the strangest birthday party she had ever had, when she had the initial idea she didn't imagine it would really work. What Amanda really wanted was to spend her birthday alone, as in previous years she had had to take care of her guests, spend money, cook and clean up after the party and it seemed a bit absurd to have to invest so much work in others, when she should really be celebrating herself that day.

So she set out that year to have a coffee party, as it was her favorite drink. She thought it would be very strange not to invite anyone, so she concluded that she should send invitations to people who couldn't make it.

The day of her birthday party Amanda was getting ready to drink her first cup of coffee, enjoying the silence of her house, when she heard a couple of knocks on the door. She opened the door and to her surprise it was one of her invited to: her grandmother, who had died 8 years ago, had a disgusting look of decomposed flesh. It seemed strange to Amanda that she still had flesh left after so long, but then she thought that in the face of that ghostly presence her late decomposition was the least important thing. The old corpse-like woman hugged her tightly and Amanda couldn't help but feel disgusted as she felt that cold body touching hers.

She had just closed the door when the knock came again. Amanda quickly opened the door thinking that maybe it was a friend of hers, but what she found was one more of her guests, another inhabitant of the local cemetery: Her ex-mother-in-law, an obese and unbearable woman, passed by without even greeting her while waving her fan. The woman's appearance was similar to that of her grandmother.

Amanda went to the dining room where her two guests had settled, but before she could say anything, the door rang again. Amanda was too afraid to open the door, as she knew exactly which guest was missing, she didn't want to open it, she wouldn't open it. But when she was about to continue with her party, there was another knock, this time with more force; she knew with those last two knocks that she could not simply avoid it, now she would have to assume it.

She opened the door and there stood Malcolm, a boy who had been an admirer of hers in high school. He had dedicated many poems and gifts to her, but it was really strange, at that time he was a freak so Amanda had rejected him many times, she had even been quite insulting to him. After graduation, Amanda found out that he had died, she felt a little bad at the time, but didn't think much of it. But there he was, with a box of chocolates, breathing through his mouth as he used to do, he passed slowly without taking his eyes off her. Amanda was petrified.

When their three guests were gathered at the table, Amanda poured them each a cup of coffee. Amanda sat down at the table with a cup of Cappuccino for herself, they looked at each other in silence for a while until the ex-mother-in-law began to speak.

-So you're turning 30 Amanda, what do you know. And now you are single, when you were with my son you had an easier time getting lovers behind his back. The years have made you lose your faculties.

Amanda tasted bitter the sip of coffee she had in her mouth. She wanted to retort, but for a moment she felt that the unpleasant woman was right. At once the grandmother rebutted, in that shrill, astringent voice Amanda had never been able to stand.

-How long has it been since you called your parents? When was the last time you went home for Christmas? What was the last you heard from your younger brother?

Amanda got up to pour another round of coffee, she really wanted to evade the questions the old woman was asking her. For his part Malcolm kept looking at her, Amanda tried to hide her discomfort, that was the relationship between them when they were in high school. Although it took him a while, he couldn't help but speak in a low voice, as he always did.

-Amanda, you are very beautiful, if I hadn't died I would be happy to be your husband. Maybe we would have a couple of children and hopefully they would both inherit your smile. I would bring you breakfast in bed every day, and fill you with flowers. But that will only happen in my dreams, just like when I was alive. Who said we dead people don't dream?

Amanda felt chills and at the same time some tenderness. This was what Malcolm usually generated in her. The former mother-in-law let out a mocking chuckle when Malcolm finished speaking. Amanda felt dizzy, she thought maybe it was because she had already had about fifteen cups of coffee. She rested her forehead on the table for a moment while her guests looked at her, but she fell asleep.

When she woke up, her guests were gone, Amanda realized that she had drunk all the coffee alone and she didn't wonder if she had had such a disturbing dream. She reflected a little, maybe her conscience was manifesting itself, maybe this new year of life was inviting her to review her love, family and friendship relationships. She smiled a little as she left the table, but stopped when she saw that in one place on the table was the ridiculous fan of her ex-mother-in-law.

Terrified she poured herself another cup of coffee and set out to call her best friend, she needed to talk to someone who was alive for a change.