Flowers For Melli

Vicky decided she would shower and then retire to bed. Her boss had given her a generous two weeks off even though the standard bereavement leave was merely three days. As Vicky finished her shower and put on her cotton stripe bottoms with a matching pink camisole, she thought of the funeral as she lay there in bed in the dark, wanting to sleep but never reaching deep slumber until the dawn.

Over the next two weeks, Vicky dipped in and out of the different grief stages and felt thankful that she didn't have to be around people so she could fully submerge into her emotional process. As the two weeks came close to an end, Vicky decided that she would call her two friends over to get used to some faces again. She had isolated herself as that was just the way she felt comfortable to grieve. Understanding grief so intellectually was probably a blessing and a curse as she caught herself over- analyzing each of her emotions and sometimes forgot to really feel the emotions in order to move through them.

Her two friends came over on Saturday night. At 7pm, Danny, an Irishman with a jovial character and a admirable sense of humor came by carrying a bottle of scotch.

“Hey darling,” giving Vicky a tight hug and handing her the bottle. “This is how we drink our sorrows in my family,” Danny explained with a twinkle in his eye.

Their other friend was named Melinda and they lovingly called her Melli for short. Melli came by at 7.30pm draped in an emerald green dress and looking radiant with fresh platinum highlights through her sandy hair.

“Hi love,” she warmly greeted Vicky as she hugged her for a good ten seconds before putting the bottle of Pinot Gris on the dining table. She took off her black velvet jacket and placed it on one of the chairs and then went over to Danny to hug him.

Although the three friends met when they were in one of the psychology classes together at university, only Vicky stuck with the psychology course and became a qualified psychologist.

Danny left university before finishing and decided he wanted to start his own business, selling and hiring out gardening machinery in which he earned more than Vicky and Melli put together. Melli, on the other hand, felt like pursuing something else and became a massage therapist. Still in the industry of therapy, Melli's personality suited a more hands on approach rather than sitting in an office and listening to people's problems all day.

As Danny and Melli sat at the dining table whilst chatting about Danny's relationships, Vicky started to get dinner set up on the kitchen counter. Fajitas were on the menu and there were ten plates with different fillings so each person could arrange their own meal and make as many fajitas as they liked.

Once everyone had loaded up their plates on the table and glasses had been filled, the three friends tucked into their meals while drinking and telling each other merry tales from their various lives.

Vicky counted on her two companions to be uplifting and she was grateful that these two people had made their way into her life. Even after seven years, their friendships were strong and they knew they could count on each other no matter what came up.

After dinner, the three friends went into the living room to continue drinking on the plush, mustard-yellow sofas.

Melli continued with her story that she was telling her friends at the dining table.

“So I went to the doctor and he starts telling me that my memory has faded even more than the previous year. I did the same test one year ago and I got 79% and this year I got 67%.”

“The other day I couldn't even get into my emails and the bloody thing kept telling me to 'reset your password'. So I changed my password to something I thought I would remember but now, every time I want to check my emails I have to reset my password as I just can't for the life of me remember. I can't even remember if I typed or wrote the password somewhere to remember for the next time. It's becoming a real problem.”

Vicky then asked, “What did the doctor say?”

“He said that my memory issues are peculiar as they are primarily focused around the digital world like forgetting passwords, looking at my screen and wondering what on earth was I just doing and just being plain ignorant with regards to technology. It is a peculiar phenomenon so the doctor decided to send me to some specialized people for some more testing. I have to go to this lab type place and there, they give me a computer and tell me to do some exercises which are super basic, in their eyes. The worst thing is they have me do these with 7-10 year olds and more often than not, the kids get the exercises and I just don't get it. It's like I just cannot compute the technology world in my head. So at the end, I decided to go to a psychic to get some answers.”

At this point in the story Danny and Vicky scoffed and Danny blurted out, “What?! Like a bloody psychic is going to give you the answer to your technological deficiency?” Danny's belly rumbled as he laughed heartily at his own joke and he leaned toward the coffee table to pour another scotch. A full glass ready for more entertaining stories.

“Yea, well, if you were in my shoes, you would probably do the same.” Melli wisely said

Vicky nodded in agreement and looked at Danny cheekily.

Melli continued with her intriguing tale, “This psychic's name was Veronique and she was endearing and charming. She sat and asked me some questions and she told me she was also a medium where she connected with the spirit realm. Apparently my granny Olivia made an appearance and she was guiding me toward a trip to Italy to reconnect with my heritage. She also said that my memory was fading as she reckons that technology was too toxic for my mind so she said that the spirits were making me forget and helping me to remember and connect more with nature. I found that riveting as the other day I just joined a plant volunteer group and I just bought a book all about the native plants in this area. Coincidence? Who knows. But I don't mind at all forgetting those stupid passwords and burdening myself with techno woes.” Melli announced gladly.

“What? So you are just going to not use your phone and forget about emails?” Danny quizzically asked.

“Yup! I don't need it. Seriously. It can take all just go away for all I care. I'll finally be a free woman.” Melli pleasantly said.

“How are we going to organize our catch ups?” Vicky asked.

“It's called a landline! I'm sure I will remember how to use an ordinary telephone,” Melli answered.

Danny sat there shaking his head like this was a very bad idea and Vicky looked at her friend with a mix of hesitation and awe.

“Well, that is great. Connecting more with nature is a very positive contribution to anyone's life Melli,” Vicky declared.

“Hmm, are you sure about this Veronique lady?” Danny asked suspiciously.

“Not really but it's the best way forward I have! There is nothing wrong in not having full reliance on technology, is there? I thought about it and I am not really missing out on much am I? Instead, I am sure I am going to gain time, become more creative and learn to live in the real real world.” Melli said proudly

Vicky nodded in agreement. “That doesn't sound too bad at all actually,” she stated.

“Yes, so why don't you guys join me?” Melli asked them excitedly. “We can just do a month challenge and see how we go? In support of my failing memory!” Melli asked.

“Uhh, no?” Danny said honestly.

“Come on Danny! Be a sport. You are always saying you're up for a challenge.”

“But my whole business is based on technology. The stock, the emails, the everything!”

“Ahh OK, you're off the hook. What about you Vicky?” Melli asked.

“You know, it would be nice to reduce my cell phone consumption. Perhaps it might even curb missing my mum so much by not having to see my feed of grief articles and posts about mothers. I'm sure the internet stalks all our messages and knows exactly what is happening in our lives. It is quite scary. How do they know my mother has recently died?” Vicky asked earnestly.

“Ohh they are definitely watching us, those scoundrels. If I didn't need it Melli, then yes, I would join you. OK how about this? I'll join you to give up technology for a month for personal reasons but still use it for work?” Danny asked Melli.

“That's the best I could ask for, you guys are the best!”

With the challenge in place, the three friends continued through the night chatting and drinking. As the evening moved through the night, their phones recorded the whole conversation and it was sent to the lab that Melli was attending.

**

“News from the new testing agent sir,” A lab technician announced to his boss, who was dressed in a white coat and staring at a huge computer with all sorts of data and computer source codes.

“Yes?” The boss asked sternly.

“We picked up that she is going to give up technology altogether.”

“Ah. Well then cancel her next appointments and send her flowers stating we wish her well and she no longer needs to attend due to her new challenge.”

“Sir? Is that a wise decision? Won't she get paranoid that we have been eavesdropping?”

“Yes, precisely young Stuart. We will encourage her even more to give up the curse and hopefully she will even tell her friends about it.”

“Ah. OK boss. You are indeed a wise man.”

“Yet, it took me a while that technology was used as a tool and now it is a weapon. We must try and save people from this as much as possible.”

“Yes sir,” Stuart answered as he typed “buy flowers for Melli” into a computer.