“No party plans,” I reply in a hushed voice, hoping she’ll take the hint and leave me to work in peace. I hate people making a fuss about birthdays, but this year’s I especially want to forget.
Too late. Maria is not exactly quiet. Our other colleague, Lebo, joins us and they both stand there staring at me, their eyes gleaming with mischief. “That’s what you think,” Lebo says under her breath, but I hear her. They exchange conspiratorial looks and grin.
“No, you didn’t,” I say, shaking my head as realisation dawns on me – these two!
Lebo is almost levitating with excitement as she comes around my desk and pulls my arm. “Now, come on,” she says as Maria firmly clutches my other arm, “you thought you could get away with keeping your birthday a secret? Not on our watch.”
I reluctantly let them drag me to the conference room and, suddenly, I’m faced with a crowd of colleagues, some of them whose names I do not know, from other departments, shouting, “Happy birthday!”
My eyes turn to the round chocolate cake sitting in the middle of the table, with one tiny candle. I awkwardly watch as they sing, and after I blow the candle, I brace myself for the big question: “So, how old are you?”
この記事は YOU South Africa の 9 December 2021 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
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この記事は YOU South Africa の 9 December 2021 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です? サインイン
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