Valentine's

Give flowers to each and every woman in the business center? Check.

Finally, I did it. With a bit of help from the other boys in the business center, obviously. 

What started it all was Aissa's accidental remark that she won't be getting anything on Valentine's (which turned out to be a self-fulfilling prophecy as I narrate later). This got me thinking if the other ladies in the business center also harbored the same sobering thoughts. So I resolved that this year, on Valentine's, everyone will be celebrating the day of love. The proposal? Give each lady (fifty four in all) a rose.

The ball started rolling when Henry mentioned about Ma'am Che's new business: flower arrangements. I got hold of her text message and was genuinely shocked at the price: Php 400.00 per rose. There was the issue of supply after all and roses definitely don't come cheap during Valentine's.

So I sought out to get a supplier who would offer me a better price. After trips to Victoria, I ended up talking to Nang Nene, a stall owner in Bankerohan (who, coincidentally, turned out to be Ma'am Che's supplier in the end). Her offer: Php 300.00 per dozen. I had my price and ordered five dozen.

Next, I sought out Ma'am Che's services again for the arrangement and she (probably because she's a former officer of the business center) settled for Php 25.00 per rose. 

I was set and ready to go. But I needed assurance that I would get financing for the proposal (Php 3,000.00 isn't a piece of cake) so I tried to win all the boys' approval for the initiative. It's a good thing they were willing to make the necessary amut and, after which, all I needed from them was their participation in the actual rose giving "ritual". 

I bought the flowers, designed and printed the Valentine's greeting cards, and paid Ma'am Che. The rest was history. Each boy gave a flower to each lady and, for a day, the business center smelled of flowers and smiles.

As for Aissa, she didn't receive a rose from us. She was on leave that day.