Changing Fortunes
A rainy day in Calgary turns to evening, and the city outside comfortably settles into the artificial twilight of house lights and street lamps. Inside, my little family wanders away from a quiet celebration over a few containers of Chinese takeout and returns to nursing colds or working on book projects.
The celebration wasn't much - just a few smiles, hugs and the occasional nervous glance shared over favorites like ginger beef and fat shanghai noodles.
Turn the dial of the day back to morning.
The phone rings, an insistent electronic ululation against the tink and clatter of after breakfast cleanup. I pick up the phone and, between awkward silences punctuated only with my own dry-mouthed swallowing, learn that today is the last day I will work for MySQL.
I hastily scribble notes on the back of a note to my wife from one of her knitting friends, and then the phone call ends.
Turning the paper over, the first line of the note reads, "I hope you like it."
July 11th: The last day of the great 2004 Moore-Greant German vacation. We are bunkered down in our hotel room in the Frankfurt airport hotel, surrounded by boisterous military personnel in transit from Iraq and flanked by over-priced hotel buffet food.
We close the hotel window, and the roar of autobahn traffic muffles down to a dull mumble. Mandy takes my hand tightly in hers, and minutes waltz by as we look out over the road and into the trees beyond.
Later, I am fidgeting with my cell phone while making a mental puzzle of the awkward words that are floating around in my consciousness.
I hit the speed dial for David and the phone operating system crashes. A slightly cryptic icon flashes on the screen and I faintly hope that the phone won't restart.
A few minutes later, I have David on the line. In sentences phrased like stones badly skipped across a pond, I tell him that I have to leave the company, and, as always, David is gracious and genial, counseling restraint and reflection. I persist and an hour later, the call is done.
Muffled laughter from outside catches my attention. Looking down on the parking lot, I can see soldiers rough-housing with each other; I guess that everyone is glad to be heading home.
Now, as I clean up after dinner, I find some fortune cookies at the bottom of the bag that the takeout had come in.
Picking one up, I tear open the wrapper and break the cookie. Crumbs scatter. Inside, there are two fortunes, each in red ink and bracketed by a pair of little red smilies:
Tags: Frankfurt, MySQL, UncategorizedYou will soon be honored by someone you respect.
Your future is as boundless as the lofty heaven.
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Posted on Friday, September 3rd, 2004 at 23:00
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