Fragment #72 - The treasure box

It is eight pm and I am getting ready for a drink downtown. On the table, a mug of tea is getting colder, next to some Philadelphia sandwich I’ll probably never finish. On the bed, I left two different dresses. Which one should I wear tonight? Black or blue? The dark one is a bit formal for a drink with the girls… But I feel like wearing it. It might need to be accessorized. I look in my closest, find a glittering bag. Too much maybe. I take the big black box containing my necklaces. I open it, go through the jewels, like a little girl. I am looking for this long pearls necklace, or maybe the long multiple chains that could match my golden sandals… The pleasure of feeling the small delicate things under my fingers, the thrill to look at the sparkling treasure, I just feel like a kid. But I am sure all women are: what is the point of dressing up or collecting jewelry, other than fulfilling our childish fantasies? In this treasure box I find under my fingers my father’s present. My fingers smoothly feel the pattern on the pendant… Hathor… This exotic piece of jewelry made a strikingly strong impression on my mother. Maybe while I am in France this summer I could take some time to have it looked at in an antics shop. I don’t want to ask my mother what she thinks she saw. I should definitely do that while I am in Paris. Summer is promising. I am spending three weeks with Alison in the Loire Valley. Jack agreed to be my date at Charlie’s wedding. I didn’t expect things would last this easily but it’s just going fine with him. This invitation was actually a good surprise, coming from someone I may be able to name “a new friend”. I hadn’t seen her much lately, I guess her pregnancy is tiring. Still busy with dressing up, I remove the white and green dress I was wearing at work, check out in the mirror if my hair still looks good. Looking at my reflection, I smile at myself. Will I ever be able to predict what will be coming next? Or will I be all along surprised, all over again? Things don’t ever turn out the way I would expect them to. But accepting that makes life easier. And then you can deal with the unexpected twists of events. Well, at least I want to believe I can … I look back at my dresses, pick up the necklaces I left on the table. I quite like the blue I just bought in Topshop after all and I promised Alison she could see it someday. I could wear it tonight then… Let’s wear the blue dress, long chains and matching golden sandals. Which time is it again? A quick look at my computer’s screen… A quarter past eight? I am running late. No more rambling, the girls are waiting...