Sharing Bouquets
Afternoon Mood—Guilda Dimi
by Gail Denham

Flowers again! Cassie felt a sneeze coming on.
It was Chad again. She’d begged him to stop
sending her blossoms. Now she fled to the
kitchen for her allergy pill.

“How will I show my love?” Chad would whine.
“You don’t eat candy, you don’t like wine. I want
everyone in this building to know how much I care.”

Cassie sighed. Her head hurt. It’d been a hard day
at work. Quickly she carried the bouquet and candles
out toward the green trash can. Suddenly she stopped.

She’d never noticed any visitors go up to see Mrs.
Hedgepath. Maybe she’d like these blooms. When
Cassie knocked, Mrs. Hedgepath opened the door
a crack. “What do you want?” she blurted.

“Just me,” Cassie said, holding out the flowers.
Thought you’d like these. They were delivered
by mistake and I’m allergic.”

The door opened wider. “Well, I suppose I could
take them off your hands. That was the beginning.
After that, Cassie often brought flowers to her neighbor.

Chad probably thought she’d put the bouquets in her
bedroom. She kept that door closed. Weeks later, Cassie
brought candy upstairs. In time, she was invited in for tea.

The next month she found a great cheese at a deli. She
and Mrs. Hedgepath enjoyed cheese and crackers with tea.

Turned out Mrs. Hedgepath’s son, Frank, had just finished
his overseas service. He became a frequent visitor. Frank
really liked the cookies Cassie made from her mom’s recipe.

Cassie discovered she liked the specialty wines Frank
sometimes brought to his mom’s house. He always seemed
to pop in when Cassie was there. Chad got the hint and
he began sending flowers to someone else.



 

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