For many years, Jackie had ignored her birthday. It had once been important to her, but with age and responsibility, it just became a day on the calendar. Her age became something to remember to change when filling out forms. It wasn’t just the youth-centric society that seemed to push her age in her face after she turned 35, it was just uncomfortable remembering how many years she had lived, and been alone.
Jackie had an o.k. job, one where she could blend in with the other people in cubicles. She had few personal items in her space, but just enough to keep it from looking like it was empty. Generic knickknacks kept people from stopping in and talking with her when she was trying to get the paperwork done. There was always paperwork.
There was someone new in HR. Jackie could tell because there was a rash of cards that went through to be signed right before ‘impromptu’ parties in the conference room. This always happened for about a month before the ennui and budget caught up with them. Jackie winced when she saw a card get passed round about a week before her birthday, but she did not get a chance to sign it. She checked her calendar. Yes, her birthday was the next week.
Such things were put to the back of her mind as she tried to finish the reports on the demographics they needed for the next meeting. There was always another report, and always another meeting. Jackie liked the flow of that, the deadline not an obstacle or hurdle, but a goal and guidepost to the next.
One of the managers dropped off a printout of the statistics or demographics she needed most mornings, even though he could have just emailed it to her. It was often that she thanked him and smiled up at him from her desk. He had a nice smile, a dimple showing before he looked up and left, going through the cubicle maze before one of the supervisors went through after him. Jackie shook her head as she watched the short skirt on the young, skinny Miss Levit go by. It was a ritual that happened most mornings and Jackie looked forward to the statistics meetings with Mr. Hancock most afternoons.
The morning of her birthday, Jackie woke early for no apparent reason. Not too early, but even half an hour was different. She turned on the T.V. and set about making breakfast as usual, starting with heating up coffee left over from the day before. She overate. Jackie knew that. She had gone from a modest 12 to a 20 in about six years. She went shopping once a year to get things that fit, donating what didn’t. She liked to cook, and with no one else to cook for, she ate what usually was for two people.
Being up early, she was able to make a peach crumble for breakfast. She had the canned peaches her sister had sent her in the summer in the back of the refrigerator. Jackie smiled, thinking that canning should have kept it safe, but her sister didn’t always seal things right.
Oatmeal, butter, turbinado sugar from 20 little packets... Jackie had to raid the coffee making supplies for the sugar. She stood at the counter by the window into the kitchen tearing the packets until she filled the measuring cup to the level she needed. Jackie pulled the curtains slightly closed but a gap still was there letting in some light. She had to go shopping at some point to get more staples for the pantry, but the cane sugar was excellent tasting in the crumble, even if it was slightly sandy with the large crystal sugar. »Read More
