To celebrate Valentine's Day this year, I forced my friend Maya to spend 3 days and 3 nights helping me construct a giant life-sized chocolate heart that I would send to Clayton. She dragged her feet about it for the first 7 hours until I told her she couldn't eat or sleep until we were done. That put some pep in her step. I forced her to come with me to the local hobby shop for some supplies. I had to keep a close eye on her because she kept whispering to the check out guy to call the police.
The heart featured life-sized pictures of Clay and me in a loving embrace... except for the embrace part. I'm not that good with Photoshop. Our pictures were just sort of taped on top of each other.
I had seriously debated sealing myself inside the heart and jumping out when Clay un-wrapped it. I had picked out an orange jumpsuit to wear and practiced singing 'Touch'. Maya had to crush my dreams by pointing out that I'd be inhaling chocolate and holding my bladder for the three days it would take to decorate it, and the 2-4 days of shipping time. As disheartened as I was, I had to admit she was right.
We finished the heart at 4am this morning. I called into work once we had finished only to find out that I'd been fired for not showing up the past three days. They just didn't like a creative spirit.
We hopped in my car and drove to the post office. Maya cried because all she wanted to do was sleep. Hadn't slept in four days, she claimed. Another spirit crusher, I claimed. On the way to the post office, she opened the passenger side door and threw herself out. I watched her through my rear view mirror as she limped down the street.
The shipping for the heart cost me $56.95 and plenty of stares from creeped out postal workers. "Spirit crushers!!" I screamed as I ran from the post office.