WED, 3 Oct 2002

_____a,

So, you really got me this time. During my lunch break yesterday, I had my second session with Ka___a, the CCCS counselor. It was short. We went over my updated credit report, reviewed my monthly budget. But then, when I returned from lunch, I was greeted by:

“Marrrrrrrvin, you’ve got flowwwwwwwwers,” ___ika purring as she turned the corner of my cubicle with a blue glass vase overflowing with gold lilies.

I looked at her skeptically, waiting for the punchline for the joke. But there was no punchline. The flowers were mine!

I tried to suppress my smile, but it didn’t work.

“Look at youuuuuuu,” ___ika teased, then paused, apparently waiting for me to open the card. But, anyone who knows me knows that that’s the last thing I would do: Open the card in front of her!

So I clicked my heels, made her disappear, and—about five minutes later—inconspicuously opened the envelope.

I smiled—for about two hours. I’ve never received flowers at work.

Keeping to myself, I rode my magic carpet through the rest of the day. I could tell that ___ika and ___i_, the obnoxious character who used to give me fits at work—were dying to find out who the flowers were from.

Finally, just before quitting time, ___i_ could apparently take it no longer. Walking up behind me, he leaned into my ear and queried, "Can I ask you a personal question?”

“No,” I said, as I stared at him with my back.

“Can I ask you who they were from?” he asked anyway.

So I politely turned around, looked him dead in the face, and gave him the M*thafucka-if-I- really-wanted-you-to-know-I-woulda-been-done-told-you look.

He went away.

…

In other news, as you know, I also received a phone call from __ll__ yesterday. It seems that someone’s uncovered some airline tickets to Panama for under $400. He’s supposed to call me back today to let me know the final details of his travel plans and the cost of splitting a hotel room. Decisions, decisions.

He’s supposed to call me back at 10:00 this morning to let me know. I have just thirty minutes to decide. So I’ll close this letter now to think about it. Thank God I already have my passport.

Thanks for brightening my day,
Ayo