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She tossed and turned all during the night. At 5:20 a.m. she got up to use the bathroom for the second time. Worried feelings buzzed around in her head. She took a Sleepydryl pill in hopes of catching a few solid winks, and at the same time clear up any impending sinus problems upon awakening tomorrow.

***

Adrienne seated herself at her workstation at what seemed like the start of a normal day as she quickly logged into her email. There were 35 new messages since yesterday alone. Most were garbage, a few Katrina jokes; only 3 or 4 were the real deal – work and status requests.

As she got into the hum of the day a strange black man came walking along the corridor in front of her cubicle. She noticed he looked confounded, a little upset and sweaty. He slowly strolled towards her glancing about from left to right, surveying the area. Many of her white co-workers looked at him for a brief second and then went into the seclusion of their offices, shutting, and sometimes slamming the door behind them.

It seemed to Adrienne as if there was no one there but she and this guy – this stranger. His footsteps finally came to rest at the front of her cube. She knew she would have to face him for certain. Trying to look normal she turned her chin up towards him with a hearty “May I help you?”

“What?”

“I said, may I help you” she mustered with timidity in her voice.

“Idunno; can you tell me what’s goin’ on?”

“I’m sorry” Adrienne offered, “I don’t quite understand your question?” As he took a momentary pause to get his thoughts together, Adrienne noticed how smooth and chocolate his skin was, that it almost had a velvety look to it, and that he was wearing only a white sleeveless t-shirt and blue jean pants – in an office – this perplexed her. Where was the traditional messenger’s uniform with large emblems on the shirt that generally greeted her office world from such foreign black visitors? Hmm. She certainly couldn’t figure this one out.