Mirror (short story)

(photo: me and our bedroom mirror :)

She was finishing up her work day. The excel files were closed, the drawers locked and she rushed out of the room. 

She took a full bus and spent 15 minutes in it, tired with thoughts rushing from one place to another and memories taking her from one place to another. For the past few weeks, she had this feeling that she didn’t belong here. When she thought “here” she meant the whole meaning of the word…the country, the workplace, the boyfriend, the lifestyle, the goals…her whole life in general.  

Many years will pass and she’ll understand that this feeling will be visiting her often and it’s not scary….but this was the first time and she was afraid… 

Her boyfriend’s friend’s birthday was in half an hour and she had few minutes to go home, take off that smart suit and get back to her real self. Her boyfriend will come and wait for her next to their building as always and they will walk to the restaurant…  

Everything with him was so predictable…everything had become a habit and that was so against her real self. She was entering this transition period when she had to make drastic changes…but to which direction, when and how was something she was trying to decide.

In any case she thought that since she had to go to that party, she’ll try to spend good time. They were the last ones who came. All were at the table already. 

She looked so different from how she looked at work. Her make-up was intense, jeans tight and heels high. She acted careless, but only she knew how many thoughts she had in her tired mind.  Those people thought they knew her…but they didn’t…and they will never know that they didn’t. 

Maybe from aside she looked strange… She was the only one who didn’t eat and sliced lemon on her plate to have something on top of the vodka she was drinking. The vodka did not match with the hot summer weather and her look… but still. 

When she had a decent quantity of alcohol and could relax a bit, chase away the worrying thoughts and actually not care, she had a few dances. 

Then he took her home, she opened the door with the key, not to wake up her mum and bro and got in. 

She spent few minutes looking at her image at the mirror. 

“Hey, there! Is this how you’d like to live?  Senseless… empty…with people who don’t know you…following the habit simply because it’s comfortable???” 

She looked at the mirror and saw a new look in her eyes.

 Look of determination, look of maturity ….and the upcoming change. 

That’s how it all started… and few months later, when she was ready, she made the final decision, made the required steps and changed everything. 

  New problems to solve affront of the mirror….