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| there is a woman here who wardens candy. she�s an admin like many of us but with a company Costco credit card issued specifically to buy candy for assorted meetings, holidays, etc. she keeps a small, wicker basket stocked with a minimal amount on her counter top. �Did I ever tell you about the day after Easter? I had filled the basket up the weekend before with Easter candy. When I came in on Monday, there were only three little egg chocolates left. The cleaning people had cleaned me out. I think they took them to give to their little kids. From then on out, I locked the wicker basketup at night.� i walk by her cube. � bus to beelzebub� starts running through my head. my eyes have fallen to the sweet, sweet cho-co-lat-�. �The good stuff is locked in this drawer over here. If you ever want any, just ask.� she tells me about the 400 pound man with a sweet tooth. �He sneaks into my cube when I�m not around and takes candy from the basket. But not just a little. He takes a lot. He takes handfuls. That�s why I make sure to tell (the girl in the next cube over) to listen for anyone sneaking candy. Whenever she hears him, she immediately gets up and asks him if she can help him. He�s stopped taking so much but maybe I should just start locking it up every time I leave my cube.� there it is, sweet tempting chococo!! i want to suck the caramel twizzly out of the Twix. i want to melt the bitter goodness of a Hershey�s dark minibar onto the roof of my mouth. i want to spin myself round and round in the peanut butter smoothness in a reese's� the candy warden is absent from her post. quietly, i shove my hand deep into the basket and pull out an assortment o� treats. as i turn, (the girl in the next cube over) is standing behind me. (i turn red and mumble:) �hey what�s up?� (eyebrow arched, skirt ironed, shirt tucked in) �nothing. just looking for (the candy warden). Getting a treat for yourself?� �um�yeah. is that alright?� �Of course! That�s what it�s here for.� the warden returns then and studies us conferencing in her cube. (casually now, with a smile plastered on her face in synthetic polychromomachete) �What�s going on here?� �oh hey. i just popped in to get a treat.� �Really? Just one? Why don�t you take two? Or better yet, let me get you the good stuff� (proceeds to open the treasure drawer of full sized candy bars) �oh, no, hey, i just wan-� �Don�t be silly! That�s what it�s here for!�(pulls out a sack of bars and picks one out) �no, really, i already got-� �Oop! Too late! I already got it out now you have to have some.� she hands it to me slowly, her eyes never leaving mine. i take it reluctantly and mumble �thanks�. (the warden whispers) �After all, we have to stick together, right?� |
| Candy Warden |