Copyright Oggbashan February 2021
The author asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.
This is a work of fiction. The events described here are imaginary; the settings and characters are fictitious and are not intended to represent specific places or living persons.
Margaret and I worked in the same office room with twenty other young people. We were all young because it was a new department and we had all been recruited at the same time. Only our supervisor, not in the room, had about a decade of experience.
It was the morning of April Fools' day and we expected something to happen.
When I sat down at my desk this morning's mail had arrived in the in-tray but there was something odd. Most of my mail was either with mail markings or if internal was in multi-use brown envelopes. But this was a square white envelope with nothing other than my first name, Robert, typed on it.
I suspected that it would be a joke. I opened it carefully.
It was a Valentine card. But this wasn't February, this was the first of April. I was cautious as I opened the card. But there was no joke squeaker or noxious substance, just a typed message:
"This is a belated Valentine. Although it is late, the message is meant. Robert, I love you. Please will you take me out on a date for a restaurant meal? Margaret."
I stood up and walked across to Margaret's desk. She was staring at the inside of an identical Valentine's card.
She looked at me and smiled.
"This is someone's idea of an April Fools' joke, isn't it, Robert?"
We swapped cards. Hers read:
"This is a belated Valentine. Although it is late, the message is meant. Margaret, I love you. Please will you come with me out on a date for a restaurant meal? Robert."
