Good News
I had to stare at the floor of the elevator while I held the small envelope tight to my chest. I knew if I looked at Sarah I’d burst into tears. And I didn’t want to lose it completely in front of the whole office. Or in the reception even. That’s why when the doors opened with their cheerful ‘ding’ I almost ran into the café and sat on the last table in the back.
Sarah caught up to me and sat across the table. With my back to the entrance and everyone else, I finally managed to thank her.
“Sarah, I want to…”
But that was as far as I made it. My chest heaved and the tears took all my words away. All I did was cry and cry to the smiling Sarah. It looked like it rained on the envelope I held.
She reached across the table and held my trembling hands and I still couldn’t pronounce a single word for minutes on end. She must have gotten bored from my weeping so she got up and came back with two lattes. When she sat back down I still hadn’t been able to stop crying, but at least I could breath and mutter a few words.
“This is the happiest day of my…” I tried and started sobbing again.
“We know, Courtney, we know. You deserve this.” She assured me.
“I don’t deserve it… I don’t deserve friends like you! I’ll repay it. Every cent.”
“Shhh… Relax. It’s okay. Everyone pitched in. Even the boss!”
“But… It’s too much!”
“Yes, college is expensive. We know. Some of us have been there. Luckily we had parents to support us. And Dylan has you.”
I was still having a hard time believing my eyes. I opened the now tear-sprinkled envelope and pulled out the cheque, made to Dylan. It was more money that I could dream of. I read the value again through my ruined mascara. Sarah gave me a napkin to wipe it out, but I was afraid that if I let go of the cheque it would fly away or something or I would wake up back in my one bedroom apartment I shared with my recently-turned freshman son.
Dylan was now 18 and had, against all odds, been accepted in a good local college. We wouldn’t have to worry about living expenses, but he would spend more hours in the subway than anywhere else from now on, going to school and then to his job.
“I don’t think I can thank you enough to put this together, Sarah. Or the people at the office… How am I going to face them?”
“Just say thank you and move on, Courtney. We are all rooting for Dylan. He is such a special kid!”
“That he is.” I said, still trying to clean my eyes without letting go of the check or smearing it with make up or with coffee.
“But that’s what everyone could come up with. It just barely covers tuition. What are you going to do with the rest? There’s books, he won’t be able to work as much...” Sarah was almost apologetic she and the rest of our colleagues couldn’t pay Dylan’s entire college.
“I don’t know. I’ll keep trying the scholarships and financial aid. Maybe we can cut some expenses?”
“What can you cut? Last time we went out on happy hour all you drank was water!”
“Maybe I’ll get a second job… And a third.”
Sarah laughed at that. This time I took her hand.
“But seriously, this is too much. Are you sure that everyone is…?”
“Courtney, stop it! We all love you and wished we could do more but…”
Sarah stopped talking as soon as the bell that hung over the door of the café rang and the door flew open. I turned around to follow her eyes to the man who burst in and walked toward us. In this part of town it wasn’t uncommon to see elegant men in their most well cut suits parade everywhere in their sports cars. The buildings were smack full of high end law firms and financial moguls.
But this guy was different. His perfectly combed hair, his perfect skin and his finely cut three piece dark suit and red tie contrasted against the fierce look he carried. He scanned the café as if he were entering a battlefield. And in the most discreet corner of that battle-field, the one away from everyone’s view was where I came to cry.
When we crossed eyes, he remembered he knew how to smile and, as a caring old friend, he sat on the table next to us.
“Hi.” He greeted me, strands of rebel hair escaping from the exaggerated hair product and hanging on his forehead, piercing blue eyes right into mine. “This is going to sound really weird, I know, but this is a good thing happening. I really really need to trade cars with you. Just this once.”
He raised to me a black slick card with a shiny logo I barely recognized. I must have made a weird face because he smiled more and leaned into me and tried to take my hand. I wanted to protect that cheque so bad that I leaned away from him.
“Don’t be scared. This is good news. It might even be fun!” He took my free hand and put that plastic card on my hand and closed my fingers around it. “Here. These are my car keys. You can have it if you let me borrow yours. Just today, I promise.”
I just kept on staring into his blue eyes, unsure of what to do.
“I’m parked right here in the building. Third floor, B12 spot. How about you?”
“Uhhhh… Second… I think. In front of the elevator.”
“Right. I’ll find it. Thank you. Thank you very much.”
And he left without looking back, with my keys in his hand, pulled out from my purse or from my pocket.
“What the hell just happened?”
