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Gina wondered if Marvin had ever been tempted into an affair. She wouldn’t put it past him, but deep down she knew he’d stayed faithful. He loved her. In his own weird way, he loved her. And the sanctity of marriage was important to him. Even if respecting his wife’s personal choices wasn’t.
But... his love wasn’t enough.
And it wasn’t right.
Hewasn’t right.
Whether it was the after-effects of the migraine, the medication, being in a different room, or the trip down memory lane today with her childhood-in-a-box, she didn’t know, but Gina felt removed from the world around her, as though she was a cardboard cut-out; glued onto a picture of a world in which she didn’t belong.
She tried to listen to each woman sharing her progress, concerns, and goals for the month ahead, but kept losing focus. She vaguely heard something about Cara giving up too easily after approaching two art galleries unsuccessfully (and remembered reading something similar she’d said on Facebook), and how she was using her family responsibilities as a safety net to keep from moving out of her comfort zone. She heard Liz guiding Miranda, saying something about needing to love herself before she could find love with a man. This made Miranda obviously uncomfortable.
‘Gina? ... Gina?’ Liz prompted.
‘Huh?’ She snapped out of her cardboard cut-out world for a moment.
‘Are you okay?’
‘Oh, sorry ... I had a bad migraine yesterday. I’m still a bit fuzzy.’
‘Sorry to hear that. How is everything going, apart from that? ... Gina?’
Words came out eventually, as though someone wrote them in a speech bubble above her cardboard head and she had no choice but to say them. ‘I feel trapped. Trapped in a dark prison with no colours around me. And there’s no tree, no lake with ducks, there’s just cold. Cold, dark ... emptiness.’ If there were speech bubbles above everyone else’s heads, they would probably say, ‘Lake? Ducks? What is this womangoing on about?’, but Gina didn’t care. She knew exactly what she was saying.
Liz’s brows drew together in a concerned furrow. ‘Gina, it might be a good idea to have a chat to a colleague of mine, Dr. Hartman, to sort through those feelings.’ She fossicked in her briefcase, and pulled out a card.
Gina held up her hand, pushing the card away. ‘I ... I don’t need a doctor. Sorry Liz, I didn’t mean to sound a little crazy there, it’s just...’
‘Just what?’
Gina sat still, limp, and heavy, as though waiting for the words to be written in her speech bubble so she could speak again.
Liz pulled her chair close to Gina, and took her hands. ‘Gina. What do you feel you need to do, to not feel ...trappedanymore?’
Gina removed herself from Liz’s grasp and walked over to something that caught her eye on the back of the door to The Lotus Room. It was a small sign written in calligraphy. She ran her hand over it gingerly.
May the strength of the lotus inspire courage, persistence, and purity of thought, no matter the challenges that surround you.
Gina walked back to Liz, eyes wide open, all fuzziness draining from her head. ‘I need to leave my husband.’
TWENTY
“Whether you think that you can, or that you can't, you are usually right.”
~ Henry Ford
Every job had its perks and its ... well, just plain yucky things to do. Miranda threw away the hair-laden wax strips and applied after-wax soothing lotion to Mr Gellerman’s back, before sending the regular customer on his way. He’d taken a liking to Miranda, booking a permanent spot with her every third Saturday. Plus, he’d booked an appointment for next week to have his nose hair trimmed and a men’s deluxe facial.
Oh joy.
Miranda cleaned up the room and prepared it for her next client. She checked the computer to see who was booked in next.Oh my God!Naomi was coming in any minute for a full body wax. With any luck, she wouldn’tremember Miranda. After all, it’d been almost a year since she’d seen her last, and she’d only attempted two sessions with her. She was sure childbirth would be preferable to a session with Naomi.
‘Miranda, long time no see!’ Naomi entered the room.
There goes that idea, then.‘Er ... yes, it has been a while. You’re still working here?’
‘Sure am. Love my job.’
I bet you do, you mean, mean woman. Putting clients through torture - all in a day’s work!
