Blue Mirth

Perfect

           

John Kenneth

"Hello, yes. Um, would you have any black and pink roses?", I say into my phone. "Yup, we have eight of each.", the lady on the line answers. I glance down at the watch on my wrist, and speed.

"Could you make me a bouquet of them? One pink and the eight black ones?"

"Sure! Any ribbon-colour preferences?"

"Um, what do you have?"

"Well, if I might make a suggestion..."

"Yes, please."

"A pink ribbon will be nice."

"Perfect.

"I'll be over in two minutes.", I say, and click off. The florist is right around the corner, but it's still hard for me to cycle. I walk into the fairly large store, let my eyes enjoy the beauty of the intricate bouquets around me, and my eyes land on the front desk. I walk towards it, noticing that people have stopped to stare at me. all the blood in my body rushes to my face. "Nice tux.", the woman on the desk says, eyeing my outfit. Yes, I'm in a tux. Yes, I cycled to a florist in a tux. No, I'm not going to the Dance just yet. "Um, yeah, our Spring Dance in two days. My date and I went tux shopping today. She thinks I need to break into it. Apparently, if I don't practise wearing it, it's going to affect the whole Dance.", I babble. The lady laughs. Her name tag reads Evelyn. She looks like a jolly fifty-year-old person.

"Well, my guess is, she just likes seeing you in it."

"Huh. I guess I do pull it off."

"Hahahaha... are the flowers for her?"

"Um, no. these are for another girl."

"Don't tell me, you're cheating on your date?"

"Um. No. I'm not."

"Then why are you taking someone else flowers?"

"I would love to explain it to you, Ms. Evelyn, but I'm running late."

"Well, I refuse to sell you these."

Saying that I'm taken aback would be an understatement. "Look, I... the girl I wanted to go to the Dance with won't be able to make it. So, I asked someone else. And we came to a whole understanding that the both of us only need to show up with dates, because believe it or not, my date is in a long-distance relationship, or was, I don't know. Well, she was, when I'd asked her.", I explain, embarrassed that I have to explain something like this to a potential stranger. She narrows her eyes. I take a deep breath. "And why wouldn't the girl you want to go with come to the Dance?", she asks next. The knot in my throat is back.

"She's in the hospital. And I need to see her. And I really need those flowers."

The lady's expression softens.

"Well, why didn't you say that earlier?", she asks, trying to smile a little. "I think it's a little odd to be having such a long conversation about a girl who makes sure her date prepares to wear a tuxedo on the final day, as if looking good in a tux is rocket-science.", I reason. She chuckles and opens a drawer.

"This girl in the hospital. She must be special to you?"

"Yes."

"Boy, it's rare to hear such declarations at your age."

"You know what they say: When it's right, it's right."

"Here. Give her this."

She adds a tiny teddy-bear into the bouquet. It's a white one, with a baby pink nose. It's holding a matching heart that reads You give me life. The baby pink and black bouquet now seems complete. I thank Evelyn, pay, and walk out, touching the teddy-bear, hoping she'd do the same thinking about me.