Pink eyeshadow

When she found out; that she did not get the job, she hid in the bathroom. Not for long, because she knew that they would come to look for her. She wished she did not have pink eyeshadows on that day so that she could cry a bit longer. It was the beginning of December, and her head was already in the clouds. The end of the year was her favorite time of the year. A lot of birthdays -hers included- the holidays and food, lots and lots of food. But she was growing tired, and the end-of-the-year feeling would not be enough this year to help her cope.

Taco bump

It is quite a shame because her true essence is sweet, just like white coffee. I know it is cliché, but one day it is all about playing with Barbies, and the next day you just got to wake up and make money. Where is the fun in that? Especially now that she’s in her thirties, everybody she hasn’t seen in a while looks suspiciously at her stomach to hopefully catch a glimpse of a bump with her bundle of joy, but most of the time, it is just tacos.

Artificial happiness

She composed herself while she glanced in the mirror, hoping it would not be that obvious that she was crying. She washed her hands but wished that the water was colder. When she returned to the half-empty conference room, she regretted not calling in sick that day. During the meeting, she sat there and couldn’t help to wonder why people put so much pressure on themselves. She questioned why people are afraid to be messy and why they create the illusion that their lives must be perfect, especially during the holidays. She wanted to go away and disappear for a while, but how do you disappear on a small island? How do you become invisible? You don’t. Again she had no choice but to hold on to the magic of the end of the year. The artificial kind she had used for the past years to deal with the dread of reality.

“Do you want some coffee?” a coworker asked.
She returned her gaze, slightly irritated. She reasoned that she would have agreed without hesitation if it had been a light roast.
“Sorry, we only have dark roast right now.”
She thanked her coworker but politely declined her coffee and returned her attention to the presentation.

Warm snow

After work, she went to the beach. That is not something she usually does, but she was yearning for snow for some reason. Like the one, you see in Christmas movies. And Kevin was right, who celebrates Christmas in a sunny place? Are we supposed to decorate palm trees or something? Since it is not geographically possible to snow on her Caribbean island, she stopped by the beach where the sand is white as snow. It was busier than expected, but that did not stop her. She left her bag in the car and started to walk towards the beach. The grainy sand was still warm and did not feel like snow.

Submerged

She stopped near the seashore and watched the sun. It was already setting. She thought it was a shame that she lived on a beautiful island but that its people barely get to enjoy it themself. She dipped her toes into the water. It was lukewarm and pleasant. There was no reason to wait for her body to adjust to the temperature. She jumped when her knees were covered in the Tiffany blue-like water, and her entire body was submerged. She kept dunking her head in the water. Then she looked around. The people around her were looking at her funny. She jumped in the water with her work attire and left only her shoes and blazer behind at the seashore. Her grey pants and blushed-colored shirt were entirely soaked. The children nearby were laughing. She heard one of them ask their father if she was allowed to do that. Then she started to laugh hard. A child stared at her with his mouth wide open.

“I feel energized like a caffeinated beverage. I feel like white coffee! she screamed.”
“What did she say?”
“Madam, are you alright?”
She looked at the man for a moment. She stared at his long white beard.
“I’m better than ever! It has been a while since I’ve felt like this. It has been a while since I have done something fun and crazy!”
The people around started to distance themselves from her.
“Mom, should we call the police?”
A young girl whispered to her mother with a worried look.
“It is okay. I am alright, really. I don’t care what any of you think.”

Away from the norm

She stayed in the water for another fifteen minutes. Afterward, she sat by the seashore for another half an hour. She thought of the beauty of life but that it can also get too overwhelming sometimes. She promised herself that she would no longer let herself get overwhelmed by insignificant things. And that she will listen more to her body and try to love herself more. She also promised herself that she would visit the beach more often.
“I wonder if someone is talking to the beach right now, just like me.”

Note: this story was inspired by the ‘1 month of writing ideas for December’ by @the.plottery