Fifteen Cards

Fifteen Cards

Copyright Oggbashan January 2011

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.

*****************************

The following are fifty-word stories. The title isn't counted. This is not eligible for the Valentine’s Day 2011 Story Contest because I am a recent winner.

***

01. Photoshop

I sent her a photoshopped image of us side by side holding hands with the message:

“Please be my Valentine. I want to hold your hand”.

She returned it within hours with an image of herself being hugged by Peter.

Her message was:

“Sorry. Nice try. Peter is my Valentine.”

***

02. Flatmates

I walked into the kitchen and Anne’s arms. She hugged and kissed me.

“Thank you for your Valentine Card,” she said.

“I didn’t…” stopped by another kiss.

It took me three days before I could make her believe I hadn’t sent it.

Our flatmate Jean knew we should be Valentines.

***

03. Choose

I had sent a Valentine card to every unattached woman in our office.

I returned to find a single card on my desk. There were stifled giggles as I opened it.

It read:

“Ask one? You might be lucky. Ask all? Choose and try again.”

They had all signed it.

***

04. Advice

My sister met me outside the card shop.

“What have you been doing in there?” She asked.

“Trying to buy a Valentine’s card for Eleanor.”

“Forget the card. Talk to her.”

She pressed speed-dial on her mobile and handed it to me when Eleanor answered.

Eleanor is now my Valentine.

***

05. Married

Every year I try to match the card I sent many years ago.

It takes time. She opens it, says “thank you” and that’s it.

But this year I wrote:

“This is a meal in a restaurant every month for the rest of this year.”

Her response is worth it.

***

06. Anonymous

I had received an anonymous Valentine. I couldn’t think who had sent it so I asked my sister.

“Why don’t you ask Marie?”

I did. She hadn’t sent it but asked:

“Would you have liked one from me?”

Her enthusiastic response showed my answer was satisfactory.

Sisters can be devious.

***

07. Encouragement

“Do you like my little sister?”

“You know I do.”

“Does she know?”

“No.”

“Please tell her. You could send her this.”

I gave him the Valentine’s card I wouldn’t need.

He signed it, sent it, and soon I’ll be his Best Man.

His sister will soon be my bride.

***

08. Apart

I could not understand why Mum and Dad exchanged Valentine’s cards. They were never demonstrative when I was around.

Then Mum went into hospital for a minor operation. Both of them became depressed until she was home again.

They are each an essential part of the other and unhappy apart.

***

09. Closer

Throughout my childhood I had played and fought with the boy next door. We were always competing, celebrating minor successes over each other.

Years later, as adults, he sent me a Valentine card.

Until then we were too close for me to see that we were made for each other.

***

10. Neglect

Last year I sent my wife an anonymous Valentine card for the first time for years. I thought I had been neglecting her.

I was surprised that she didn’t mention getting it.

She thought it had come from an old flame. She contacted him.

The divorce papers came this year.

***

11. Cousin

She had endured a lot. I didn’t send a card. I wrote a letter expressing sympathy and offering help.

She responded. Working together, we solved some of her problems but he was the worst.

She left him, moved in with me.

She had been my cousin’s wife, now she’s mine.

***

12. Missing

My card to her didn’t arrive. I had put my hopes on it.

Desperate, I spoke to her, asked if she had received a Valentine card.

“Yours?”

I nodded.

“No.”

My hopes were ruined.

“But I would have liked one…” she continued.

I grabbed her, kissed.

She kissed me back.

***

13. Late

Helen sat next to me. She was obviously unhappy. I squeezed her hand. She slumped against my shoulder.

“What’s wrong?”

“He didn’t send a card.”

Helen and Simon had been arguing. I sympathised.

I took her out for a meal.

His card arrived the next day. A day too late.

***

14. Unwanted

Chloe sent me a Valentine card. What should I do? I felt nothing for her.

It needed an answer. How could I tell her?

I started to explain as gently as I could…

“I know, John,” Chloe replied. “But it made Alan jealous – at last.”

Their wedding is in June.

***

15. Be Careful!

Sending or receiving, getting or not: a Valentine Card can arouse strong feelings of love, hate, anger, resentment. Emotions are powerful.

Think before you send one. Think when you get one.

You could gain a lover, destroy a relationship, make or lose a friend, raise or dash hopes.

Beware!