The Clock That Ran Fast

Hector was always late. He was late for work. He was late for dinner. He was even late for his own birthday party.

One Saturday he went to a thrift shop. He wanted a lamp. But he saw a tall clock in the corner. It was made of dark wood. It had a round white face and gold hands.

"How much is the clock?" he asked.

"Twelve dollars," said the woman at the desk. "It works well. But it is a little strange."

"Strange how?" asked Hector.

"Just see," she said, and she smiled.

Hector paid and took the clock home. It was heavy. He put it in the hall, next to the door. He liked the soft tick, tick, tick.

The next morning he woke up at seven. He looked at his phone. It said 7:30. Then he looked at the clock. It said 7:40.

"Hmm," said Hector. "Ten minutes fast." He opened the glass door and moved the hands back. Now the clock and the phone said the same time.

The next day the clock was fast again. Ten minutes fast, one more time. Hector moved the hands back again.

On the third day it was ten minutes fast again. "This is a bad clock," he said. "It is broken." He was cross, but he did not take it back. He liked the wood and the gold hands.

That night he looked at the clock more closely. He opened the little door at the back. Inside the box, there was a piece of paper. It was old and yellow. Someone stuck it to the wood with tape.

Hector read the paper. It said:

"This clock is ten minutes fast. Please do not fix it. It is for my daughter. She is always late. With this clock, she is never late."

Hector laughed. He read the note again. Then he laughed more.

"I am the same," he said to the clock. "I am always late too."

Who was the daughter? He did not know. Maybe she was a grandmother now. Maybe the clock worked for her very well. He put the paper back. He closed the little door.

On Monday morning he looked at the clock. It said 7:40. He looked at his phone. It said 7:30.

"You are a smart clock," said Hector. This time he did not move the hands.

He ate his breakfast fast. He found his keys at once. He put on his coat. "It is late," he said to himself. "I must go now!"

He ran out of the door. He caught the early bus. It was not full. He found a good seat by the window.

He came to the office at 8:40. His work started at nine. The hall was empty. Even the cleaner was not there yet.

At 8:55 his boss came in. She saw Hector at his desk. He had a cup of tea and a big smile.

"Hector!" she said. "You are early. What happened?"

"I have a new clock," said Hector.

"It must be a good clock," said his boss.

"It is the best," said Hector. "But it is a secret. Please do not tell my clock."