There she stood
Her
gaze scrutinizing my face
Not
but inches from
Where
I was.
Her
features dimmed
Due
to improper lighting,
Yet,
with each freckle prominent,
Her
hair in a disarray,
Each
strand visible to the naked eye,
Her
dark eyes steady,
Eyebrows
furrowed in deep thought,
She
stood there uncertainly.
With
a comb, she set her hair,
Turned
the tap,
Splashed
water on her face,
Dried
herself,
Then
a liner lighted her eyes
And
after a dab or two
Of
creams, powders and colours,
She
looked up at me
For
confirmation.
We
both nodded.
With
that she straightened her clothes,
Straightened
her back,
Held
up her chin
And
smiled.
Only
I could read her eyes:
“Who
cares about you?”
They
seemed to say,
“All they want is me.”
“All they want is me.”
Hence,
I
turned my back to the mirror
And
walked away.
By- Manny D