Story: The House
March 11, 2022
One day while out strolling I glanced up and saw a house that was magnificent. Never had I seen a home so lovely. There were red rose bushes on each side of the house and hedges shaped perfectly. Tulips in unique colors were on each side of the walkway leading to the front door. The sun reflected off the windows, causing them to sparkle like gems. As I was about to walk away, it seemed as if a magnet drew me to the front door. This house looked familiar, but I could not recall why. Unable to resist, I rang the bell. When no one answered I knocked on the door. No one answered. It occurred to me that maybe no one was home.
Standing and staring at the house, I imagined the interior was beautiful. In my mind’s eye I could see a foyer with an arch, handcrafted with designs that projected majestic scenery and with white marble columns on each side. A round glass table was in the center of the foyer with a floral arrangement of rich exotic handmade silk flowers that almost touched the enormous crystal chandelier. I had to get a look inside this house. Walking around the house, I hoped to find a window with the drapes open to peek inside. When I got to the back of the house, it surprised me to see the back door crack. “Hello, is anybody home?” I called out, pushing the door open and wandering in.
Standing there, I looked around in pure astonishment. Spider webs covered the walls and curtains. The furniture overturned or badly stained. I strolled through the house in utter disbelief, seeing pictures smashed or laying on the floor. The beds unmade, and clothes scattered here and there. The smell in the house was stifling. Feeling sick and faint, I turned to leave when I heard the front doorbell ring. Oh no, they must not catch me in someone else’s house. Turning to run out the back door, the bell rung again and I heard my name called. Startled, I turned around and went to open the front door, looking at that the foyer it looked just as I had imagined it. “Hi neighbor” she said, “I was hoping to catch you at home”.
Is this the story of your life or someone you know? Masking so long that when you step outside yourself and look back, you don’t recognize the person you see. Isn’t it surprising the attention we put on managing the outward self to look good, while the inward is suffering? “Come in” I said, “Wait for me here in my foyer.” “The front of your home and your foyer is utterly breathtaking” my neighbor remarked.
(All Stories and Poetry are original mine and has Copyrights… Belinda M. Lane)
(12) Daryl Coley - The Removal of the Mask - YouTube
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