OPEN YOUR HEART WITH FLOWERS

OPEN YOUR HEART WITH FLOWERS 1: The Scented Encounter

Proem: I reread this story a while ago, and it made me smile silly. I don't know, but is loving your own story normal? I remember the amount of Googling that took me because I wanted this story to be perfect, even calculating the timeline and writing notes on paper. Because I hope that whenever I reread it, it could drive the dark clouds away.

So I hope, it could also make you a bit happy...

*******

"Phi, I'm heading out now. You have anything you want me to buy? You usually asked me to buy some new snack or something."

Phi Off, my manager, who's also the founder and owner of the company, a tall slender man with round glasses, looks up from a stack of documents on his desk and stares blankly at me. After two seconds he smiles like he just comes out of a dark room somewhere. 

"Ahhhh, Singto! You're going to that lunch meeting, right? Sorry, I was too engrossed with this calculation. Yeah, yeah I need your help, but... not food..." he types and scrolls on his cell phone, looking for something, "I need your help to pick this up, please. You can do it on your way back." He forwards me an invoice from a florist. 

"I just remembered this morning that today is our wedding anniversary, aaaw..." he moans with a funny desperate face, I can't help but smile. "My honey won't cook for a month if I failed to bring him his favorite flower. My regular florist doesn't have it since I usually ordered many days in advance. So, I searched for a new one that can take sudden orders for this type of flower and managed to find one."

Phi Off's honey, as he calls him, is Phi Gun, a cute small man, a former pastry chef at a 3-star restaurant who now has his own cake shop. "The flower shop doesn't have a delivery service, phi?" I read on the invoice. The location is conveniently on my route.

"This shop only wants to do delivery in the morning, nong, so the bouquets won't get withered by the heat. The owner wants to maintain quality, said the man who answered my phone. And since they're the only one in the area who has this flower, I have to beg them to receive my order. But they need to make special preparation and pick the flowers in their garden. Huh, imagine the cost, nooong... what you will do for love..." he sighs and I have to imagine it. I wonder what type of flower Phi Gun loves so much. "They said the bouquet will be ready at around four. Lucky I called them early otherwise they can't do it."

"What is the flower, phi?" I ask him out of curiosity. Is it that rare? All these years I never heard or see the flowers he ordered, all were sent directly to their home.

"Lavender rose. It was the first flower that I gave to him seven years ago. The meaning is love at first sight because I was enchanted the first time I laid eyes on him..." then his face lights up, a big smile adorns his face. "And after five years of marriage, it still feels like yesterday, nong. That's what happened when you've found your soulmate. Wherever you are, your soulmate will always be with you. So hurry up and find yours!" 

His funny raised-tone ending makes me laugh. I don't know how many times he had said that. But well, maybe it's not my time yet. I still can't find that special someone that gives my heart a shake, a wonderful quiver, a good vibe. I'm certain that person is out there, maybe it's not our time to meet yet. 

"Be patient, phi. You'll be the first to get the news when I find that person. Just remember to always wish me luck, okay?" I leave him with a wink, head out of the office room, and hear Phi Off's "Good luuuck!" yell. 

I take the elevator to the underground parking lot. The meeting is still in two hours but I always prefer to come early. I want to arrive on location first to prepare everything rather than work at the office and arrive late due to unplanned circumstances. And also to avoid lunchtime traffic. I start the engine and drive to the main road.