Vignette 4: Social Telegrams, Flowers and Molly

Molly sat with us during our group business case analysis sessions. She had long wavy hair and a shy smile. She had a vulnerable aura that made you want to protect her.

The first time I saw her shivered, I thought it was because she was reed thin. The next time, I noticed it was when Frederick passed by our group. And after the third time, I concluded it was him who was causing her shivers.

It was on the third month of the semester when she started getting deliveries of social telegrams, at first, then flowers. Her face would be flushed with a deep blush as she read each telegram and card that went with the flowers. She absolutely refused though to let us read them, dismissing our requests by saying, "It's personal."

Then one day, she gave in to one group mate who was always pestering her about the telegrams and flowers. She whispered to her that they were from Frederick, her boyfriend. The group mate shrieked long and loud when she heard the name. Frederick, after all, was a big man on campus - athlete, born to an elite family, and a prize catch. Soon, the name of Molly's secret admirer was passed from mouth to ear until it reached Frederick.

We were discussing the last business case assigned to us when Frederick interrupted our session and asked Molly to talk with him in private. They went to an isolated corner of the college building and soon after, we heard their loud argument.

"How dare you, Molly spread the rumor about us when you know fully well I'm in love with Agnes!"

"Frederick, please listen -"

"Stop the lies, Molly, stop sending those telegrams and flowers to yourself claiming they came from me and stop loitering outside my dorm! You're freaking me out!"

"But Frederick, I love you!"

"Well, I don't and I won't! So leave me alone!"

Frederick left in a huff and when Molly saw that all eyes were on them, she blushed and turned to her heels.

Molly never attended our succeeding sessions after that. She was absent during the finals. Her dorm mates told us she never left her room for meals or anything. At night, they would hear her sobs.

After a week, the campus police picked her up outside Frederick's dorm. She was dressed in her soiled pajamas, face tear-stained, wavy hair askew, eyes bulging from their sockets. Her parents got her from the campus police station and brought her home.

We never heard from her again.