It was early winter and the cold was back; my beddings were cold. It was 2:30 am; I couldn’t sleep. After turning and twisting on the bed for some hours, I stood up to put some hot water in my water bottle to keep me warm under the duvet. My mind became busy again…I started to regurgitate the events of the day. Everything that could go wrong went wrong that day.
As I was pulling up into my parking, someone reversed into me breaking my tail lights. I came out of the car to inspect the damage and the driver of the other car started apologising remorsefully. I looked at her and said, “it’s okay; don’t worry about it, my insurance will cover it”. Surprised to be left off very easily, she thanked me and drove off.
I got to the office after spending an exhausting 90 minutes in traffic… haven’t been at the office for a while since I was working on the field, I decided to ask the receptionist for my mails before going to my office. As I turned to leave, someone came out of the kitchen with a cup of coffee in one hand and was busy on her cell phone in the other. Not looking up from her phone, she bumped into me; spilling the hot coffee on my new white shirt. As the hot liquid quickly penetrated my shirt and singlet, I felt the hot sensation on my tiny left nipple. Inadvertently, I beat my chest profusely with my two fists to douse the pain. She was a new intern; fear was written all over her face as she apologised for her clumsiness. I smiled at her and said “it’s ok; only my shirt is ruined, my heart is still intact.”
My meeting was in two hours, I was at a dilemma: to postpone or cancel. I definitely have to get a clean shirt before the meeting, so not minding the funny gaze from passers-by, I went to the Shopping Mall close to the office to buy a new shirt. At the counter, the shop attendant said the machine was faulty, I would have to pay with cash. I then went to the ATM to draw some money only for the machine to seize my debit card. Wearing the coffee stained shirt, now I also have to go inside the bank to have my card released or replaced!
As I narrated my ordeal to the bank consultant, she smiled and then suddenly busted into laughter. I didn’t see how my story was funny nor considered it professional to laugh at me but she laughed in a beautiful way. Her laughter was very similar to the way you laugh. She reminded me of you. It was only then I realised I was not annoyed with any of those ladies that made my day miserable. For a few seconds I wondered why I wasn’t offended but was rather quick to forgive them. Then it became dawn on me: I saw your face on each one of them!
You are my thoughts all day long; you are the reason for my smiles. You have become the words I speak; you are engraved upon my heart, I’ll carry you wherever I go!