The soothing scent of the perfume filled the room. Michéla closed her eyes. She had been waiting so long to buy it! She had never allowed herself such a luxury before. Even just the sight of the beautiful bottle filled her with boundless joy. Gently, as if afraid to startle it, Michéla caressed the cool cap and the unique shape.
She wanted to celebrate the moment. She opened the pantry door, and her eyes landed on a bottle of wine that she had received for her birthday. She could almost taste it in her mouth. A shiver ran down her spine. What an afternoon it would be! The sun was still high in the sky, warming the terrace. She leaned her head against the doorframe. She would love to pour herself some wine into one of the elegant crystal glasses reserved for guests, stretch out on the lounge chair, and just enjoy her own scent.
Michéla closed the pantry door and took a pineapple juice out of the fridge. She shook it, then drank straight from the carton. She didn’t want to create any more dishes to wash. Longingly, she glanced at the French windows but then headed toward her desk.
She both looked forward to and dreaded the dinner. On one hand, she loved staying up late chatting with her friends at their favorite pizzeria. On the other hand, on such a special day, she didn’t want to smell like food. She was reluctant to mask the scent of such a rare and expensive perfume with the aromas of wood-fired dishes. While torn about what to do, she undressed and prepared for a bath. She was already rinsing off the soap lather when she remembered that this meant she had washed off her scent as well.
“It’s just a dinner,” Michéla thought, and put the perfume bottle back. Instead, she sprayed herself with the usual perfume she had bought from the drugstore. She decided to save the new one for a special occasion.
***
“Would you like a refill?”
“No, thank you,” Michéla smiled.
She savored the last sip of her pineapple juice. Playfully, she twirled the cool metal straw with her tongue. It was better than paper—it didn’t fall apart. And she didn’t have to throw it away.
She stepped outside into the street. The thick autumn rain immediately began to drench her face. Her friend had buttoned her raincoat too tightly again. Michéla hurried home, walking quickly through the rain. For a moment, she thought about her large, transparent, dome-shaped umbrella, which was still hanging on the wrought-iron coat rack in her hallway.
As soon as the magnetic key card came close to the sensor, the door opened. Tired but cheerful, she stepped inside her apartment. Soon, the experimental device she had been waiting for so long would arrive. Despite her requests to hold off on celebrating, her friends had already excitedly marked the occasion. Yet, it could still take months to test, and success was by no means guaranteed.
“Let me help,” her mother hurried toward her.
“You’re still up?”
“I wanted to wait for you.”
“I’ve told you, I can manage this” Michéla gently scolded her.
“I know, it’s just…”
“At least let me handle this myself,” she interrupted. “I can manage these magnetic fasteners with one firm move.”
“Soon, you’ll be able to handle more than that.”
“So, how does it feel?” the man asked excitedly.
“I still need to get used to it,” Michéla whispered, struggling with her tears.
“And what will be the first thing you do with it?”
Michéla didn’t answer. She thought back to the afternoon when she had closed the pantry door and hadn’t sprayed herself with the new perfume after bathing. If only she had known that hours later she would be in an accident and by the next day both her hands would be amputated!