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Myrnas present

by JV Valdez

"Good morning, Jim!" These three words has been Myrnas diurnal greeting for me for the past

eight years every time I hurry myself to my cube. She has always articulated these words in alilting manner, jovial and earnest, typical of any secretary, but better. Sometimes she appears a

bit drawn due to the rigors of the job, but the small furrows on her forehead belies her heartfelt

demeanor. She always fails in this department, and the Good morning, Jim! mantra always

sounded sincere whatever her mood.

Morning, Myrna! I paid the greeting back. In my first few months at the job, I graduated from a

simple nod, to a keen morning salutation with a plastered smile, then to a reciprocal warm

greeting. A short chat lasting about 30 seconds has been the order of the day since then until it

evolved into a minute of small talk.

Now, Chairman Mao loves Disney, I said as I revealed my peculiar fascination with the Mickey

Mao doll teetering on the edge of her table. I bought that when I spent a week in Hong Kong

four years ago, she replied, her hands clasped in eagerness. Transparent and open, Myrna

was never reserved.

One time, I saw her back from a two week vacation in Russia. At the back corner of her table is

the new addition, a Russian doll tactically placed far from any invading hands. The telephone,

pile of folders and the computer monitor hindered its location. This is a Matryoshka doll. Got it

as a present from a cousin in St. Petersburg, she told me while lining up the nested dolls, all

eight of them, from the biggest to the smallest.

She was never irritated nor sulky, but this time her smile cannot obscure her jadedness. Im

thinking about early retirement, she opined. She then added, I just got diagnosed with

muscular dystrophy after my vacation. The diagnosis was not definite but I think my doctor was

just being euphemistic for the meantime. All these admission by her without me asking.

Not that I dont care. Our relationship may be casual, but those years of small talk with her

resulted in a form of friendship. There is no cure for such a rare degenerative disease. Luckily

somehow, the type of muscular dystrophy that she developed does not progress too fast.

However, help and understanding are immediate matters to a person who is anticipating a life-

threatening certainty. These are crucial as much as curative drugs and therapies.

From one hour of advanced login time at work, this progressed into a 15-minute pre-login time.

She now hurries herself to her workstation. Her inward disposition drastically deteriorated, whileher attitude towards her colleagues never changed. I could only empathize that much and never

fully understand.

One night as I was browsing through countless newsgroups on the Internet, I stumbled upon

this muscular dystrophy support group. It was a small group, perhaps with just a handful of

members scattered around the world. The next day with a grande latte on one hand and a small

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piece of paper on another, I handed both to Myrna. Go check this out, I prodded her while

pointing to the note.

Later that night, she phoned me to thank about my small contribution. You dont know how

much this means to me, she thanked me profusely after a half an hour exchange with another

person with the same condition. Luckily, there was one from Galveston, 80 miles from where

she lives. I could sense the excitement in her voice. It was as if she already underwent several

therapy sessions. I will be on a group chat with the rest of them next week, she announced. Or

maybe she is just being a normal woman who needs a constant confidante. One things certain,

sometimes letting out your pent up worries is already the drug that you need. Its catharsis at

work.

One day while hurrying myself to my cube I saw Myrna almost racing with me towards our

respective eight-hour niches. Her calculated gait looked airy and easy. Though I am sure her

condition has worsened a bit, her outward appearance has remained the same, always genuine

and wholehearted. She does not hurry herself anymore, but she does not login an hour in

advance either. She just takes her time. I found three other people like me here in Texas. Wejust might meet up next month, hopefully, she told me. Then she blurted out, Goodbye in a few

weeks! Surprised, I sported a wide grin.

By the end of the month, a small paper bag greeted me as I entered my cube. Inside is a

Matryoshka doll with a note saying, Thank you very much!