The day Sandra nearly lost her marbles - Short story

giantbear (74)in #fiction • 6 years ago

Sandra was in her mid-forties. She had been stuck in the same job for the last twenty two years. She had seen people come and go at the company, but she still regarded herself as lucky. At least she had a job, although she hated each and every minute of it.

There were plenty of people out there that would give their right toe to be in her position, but she was totally bored being this stagnant and doing the same thing over and over again. She was tired of her routine, and knew that she had to make a change somewhere, otherwise she was going to lose her marbles soon.

Sandra had always seen herself as rather intelligent, but it was as if she just couldn't get out of this rut. She was stuck in a vicious cycle of going to work and going back home. She occasionally went out with her friends, but very often had to work late to get all her work done.

Earlier in her life, there were many men interested in her, but they all went away when she put her career first. How stupid to put all your eggs in one basket and now she was paying the price.

At home, she ordered some Chinese, and fell down on the couch exhausted. It was late and she was tired. She really needed a break, and if she didn't take a break soon from her life she was going to lose it.

When the food arrived, she sat on the couch with her laptop open. She wanted to Skype her mother, but saw an advertisement on cruises. Her eyes fell on a cruise to Italy and she faintly remembered her scrapbook when she was still in university. She had a big dream to visit Italy one day, but just like her other dreams, she had put everything aside.

She clicked on the advertisement, and found a special on cruises, and without thinking she booked herself on a very luxurious cruise. This was perhaps just what she needed in her life.

Everyone always said that it was worth going on a cruise, and it was a great way to meet people, and somewhere in the back of her mind, she started to feel hopeful again.

She went to work early the next morning and discussed her situation with her boss. He was very reluctant to let her go on leave, but she was adamant, and eventually granted her request. In three weeks, she was going on the cruise.

She was getting more and more excited and she left work early to go and do some shopping. It was time for her to think about herself more, and she realized soon enough that no one was going to build a monument for her when she died. She had to start living, and this trip was just the beginning.

She smiled as she drove home, and she knew that she made the right decision. It was her time now, and no one was going to interfere with her dreams again.