October 20, 2010

Back to the future!

The alarm on my cellphone rang it's annoying ring!

"God! Can they make any more annoying ringtones?", I thought as I stepped out of bed rubbing my eyes. I hadn't gotten much sleep and was irritated that I had to wake up. I tried to think of an excuse to stay in bed a little longer, but was too sleepy to do even that, so I made my way to the bathroom still half asleep.
I stood in front of the bathroom mirror and tried to open my eyes wide to look at my reflection. Leftover mascara from the night before had left me looking like a raccoon. But the bathroom lights were disturbingly bright for a person as sleepy as me so I closed my eyes again as I turned on the faucet. I reached for the soap and started to lather it in my hands.
It was a new bar of soap. Creamy white with patches of peach. I had my eyes closed still and the fragrance of the soap wafted up with the warmth of the water. A comforting, familiar fragrance. I tried to recall the smell.

"The soap we always used at my parents' house!"

I shut my eyes tighter and I breathed in the scent with the longest, deepest breath I could muster.
It filled my senses and took me back to a distant past.
My eyes still shut tight, I imagined standing in my parents' bathroom.
I imagined the still running faucet was the faucet I grew up using. I washed a finger under the warm, comforting water, being careful not to wash off too much soap. Not just yet.
I imagined the bathroom mirror and it's exact position so high up that it I couldn't see my reflection below the chin.
I imagined the pink and white, flowery shower-curtain to my left, using all my willpower to block out the fact that my gold shower-curtain was on my right at that moment.
I imagined the dark brown door on my right and I imagined turning the golden knob and stepping out onto the rug outside the bathroom; a rug, worn but still comfy to step on.
I imagined walking further towards my room, passing my parents' bedroom on the way.
I peeked in and imagined seeing my dad, just back from prayer, collecting his files and folders from the shelf to finish off some work; work that never ended.
I imagined walking past my brother's closed bedroom door, the loud music blaring, almost making the door vibrate.
I imagined reaching my room, my sisters sitting inside, one sitting in front of a huge pile of papers and the other on my bed, looking bored and picking at her face as usual.
I imagined my mom calling me from the family room where she would be sitting in her favorite chair watching her favorite soap on tv, a cup of tea in her hand and the remotes in the other; my dad's cup waiting for him on the coffee table. I wanted to touch it, feel its warmth.
Just then the cold marble of the sink touching my hand startled me and I opened my eyes.
It brought me back.
Back to my bathroom, the shower curtain on my right and the door on my left.

8 cared to share ♥:

Anonymous said...

beautiful post .. thats what nostalgia do to you.. I sometimes imagine my old times with all my folks too :)

Blue Pearl said...

It is funny how on work mornings especially that ringtones and alarm annoy the living daylights in a person and it's almost as if morning comes too soon. Love your writing style! Hugs and love

uzma farooqi said...

honestly fragrance hold that power to push us back to open the memory bags!

Anonymous said...

I shut my eyes. I smell Lifebuoy :$

Alice X said...

ah nostalgia! It's so wierd how a scent can whisk you right off into the past. Who says time travel isn't possible?

Really well written post.

Tanvi said...

Unique post :) Ringtones well I always wondered about that....
Nice post!

Thanks for visiting me..keep coming :)

Cheers,

DISGRUNTLED GENIUS said...

Time travel post ............. Nicely crafted :)

Unknown said...

Beautiful !

 

Blog Template by YummyLolly.com