The invitation arrived all by itself on Thursday afternoon. And yet, it filled the mailbox. I could tell by the quality of the envelope this was an expensive mailing. With no stamp, no address, and no return address, I wasn't sure how it got into my mailbox, or if it was even supposed to be for me. But, the costly envelope begged to be opened.
Inside was a card. Nothing more.
It stated:
Call this number for further directions.
I can't help but admit I was intrigued. As I walked down the street to my house, I dialed the number. I could always hang up was my most convincing argument.
I didn't get a chance. I heard a ring, then a busy signal.
"No harm done." I said to no one in particular.
Entering the kitchen, I threw the envelope and card in the trash. No sooner had I done so than my phone buzzed several times with text messages.
The first message stated:
Do not try to call this number. We do not answer calls, only specific texts. You will be receiving sensitive information from us. You should keep it private. If you do not wish to receive further messages, reply STOP.
The second message stated:
You will receive an invitation to our Mardi Gras party once the coronavirus pandemic government imposed limitations are lifted. This will occur at a discrete residence. You will be expected to wear a mask and no more than ten other items of clothing total (i.e. socks = 2). The reason for this will be explained at the party.
The final message stated:
It appears you have several weeks to get ready, but be ready to attend as soon as we text again. You should not share this information as we keep tight control on the number of people attending. If you change your mind, simply reply STOP.
Heeding those requirements, I got my Mardi Gras best together. I loved going to New Orleans, often to take part in those Fat Tuesday activities. I've gone alone one time, but the best times have been with my friends. So, I got a nice shirt and tie, a pair of shorts, comfortable sandals, and my 8 year old mask.
Excluding the mask, that equaled 5 items to wear. I'm not sure why they were so specific about number of items worn, but at least I was ready to go. From the looks of this pandemic, I didn't need to be too worried about this party any time soon. I threw the clothes together in my closet, and got back to the daily issues of living in such times.
It was a mere month of stay at home orders, personal quarantines, and gobs of pleasant news every single day. What an asswhip. I'm just glad I didn't go to New Orleans this year. That was a bad place to be.
So, here we go. It's several weeks past the initial scare and extended social-distancing guidelines, and the world seems to be returning to work. Not the big cities, mind you. That's gonna be painful. The text message I forgot was coming did just that.
Here is the address.
Here is the time.
Doors are only open for thirty minutes.
Do not be late.
Don't forget the dresscode.
See you then.
Reply YES or NO