Midweek Calls and the Broken Umi

After the weekend dispatch, midweek is usually when the calls come in. “Hey, it’s great, but you sent me twins,” or, “the bottle is missing.” Each response surprises me a little because I put in surgical work to ensure every customer gets their product. More than that, I don’t want to repeat the exercise again.

Today, though, I received an email from a very affable customer who had bought a Kaze as well. For me, it was an eclectic and memorable basket—almost everyone buys Umi, or Umi with Yoru, or all four. This order was unusual. Soon after, I got a call: “The most unbearable thing—your bottle is broken.”

From the picture, it looked green. I sighed, thinking I could replace it. But on closer examination, I saw it was Umi—our prized Umi, always running toward out-of-stock. The image felt cathartic, like someone had defiled a casket to extinguish the soul of the fragrance.

I checked again—it was Umi. The customer, though, was too polite, even consoling me. I checked my stock: every bottle was rationed for the August 30th orders. I was sad that the customer might have to wait longer.

But if there’s a way, there’s a will. I had another customer who had ordered two Umi. I called him: “We can give you one, second option refund, or a Yoru at no cost.” The deal was sealed. He asked me why. I said, “Stock is scarce. I want everyone to have a slice.” He said, “Fair. Keep me on the list—when you restock, I want two more.”

I hesitated. Then I shipped his Umi to the crime scene of delivery, where the broken casket still lay at rest.