He types in the entry code and ascends the steep staircase up to her office. She is already waiting there at the door to greet him even though it is only 2:52, 8 minutes early. Hello, nice to see you again, come on in! Without a word he hands her the $40 check his mom gave him and takes a seat on the pink paisley couch. She takes the seat across him and begins with the easy questions. How are you? How was your day? He nods, but still doesn’t say a word. She sighs and pulls out a small plastic baggie filled with pennies. Right I’m sorry. Let’s try again, how was your day? She leans forward and hands him a penny. Nodding slightly, he grabs the penny and inserts it in the small slot where the back of his head and neck meet. He finally responds, slowly at first and then quickly as his brain begins to adjust to speaking again. Exactly 3 minutes of talking go by when his voice cuts off mid-sentence, and she hands him another penny. After 45 minutes of questions, pennies, and answers she reaches in the bag, with only one more penny to spare. Okay here is my last one, any final thoughts you would like to share with me? He stops and thinks for a minute before popping that little round piece of copper into the slot. With some hesitation he mutters the question that has been plaguing him for the past year: are my thoughts really worth just one penny? The clock ticks and a timer goes off. Well looks like our time is up, great session, I’ll see you next week. That is his cue. He stands up and heads out the door. Before descending the staircase he turns back at the room just in time to see her pull out another plastic bag of pennies, waiting for her next client.

Kiana Murray ’16