It’s Flash Fiction Friday! Every Friday during the month of July, I’ll feature a snippet of one of my travel inspired short stories. I hope you enjoy!
BOXES
“Congratulations on your transfer. Just make sure not to screw up. If they send you back here, I want you to know - you’re outta luck kid! Your replacement begins training on Monday.”
There was tremendous laughter as Mr. Gordon, red faced and tickled by his own joke, snorted into the microphone.
“To Curtis,” he roared.
“To Curtis,” a few voices in the crowd chimed back meekly, almost drowning out the handful of snickers in the room. Champagne glasses were raised. It was done.
He went reluctantly and with a heavy heart. Curtis Freddy saw the twisted irony. He knew people dreamt of moving to New York, of living in the big city and rubbing elbows with the famous. He couldn’t think of any greater hassle. When his boss, Mr. Gordon, informed him of the upcoming transfer from the Columbus branch of the bank where he had worked as an accountant for the last sixteen years to the hoity-toity New York offices in the financial district, his throat began to clench, his eyes overcome by the sting of an approaching flood of tears. To maintain his dignity he had excused himself and spent his lunch break purging his grief into the toilet bowl.
Mr. Gordon, tucked away in his office on the other side of the men’s bathroom, mistook the tears that escaped for joy. Touched, he jumped on the phone to expedite the arrangement. A week later at a surprise lunchtime goodbye party, he made the announcement that Curtis Freddy would be gone by the end of the month as opposed to six months time. More tears followed.
copyright 2013, Sojourner Walker