A Seated Woman

She climbs up the stairs, opens the window and, as usual, sits on her favorite little chair by the window.

It is dawn and the sun hasn’t yet risen high enough to warm the town and there are still several stars hanging in the little bright sky. The window is facing the street, the narrowest and busiest street in the town, but now the town is still sleeping. Everything is still sleeping, in tranquility and peace. Her husband has gone to the factory located miles away and her babies are still in their dreams. It is a rare hour in a whole day when she can enjoy herself. 

She is standing on the second floor. If there was a higher floor, she would have seen the amazing view of the sunrise. But all she can see is the grey walls and the old windows of her neighbors’ houses. She doesn’t want to have a deeper connection with her neighbors whom she thinks are low-class and vulgar although they all live in the same shabby street. To show her superiority, she tries to decorate her window with some flowers, as she did before her marriage, but she now must spend much less on such luxuries.

She dresses herself in her favorite dress and hat, which were gifts from her parents on her eighteenth birthday. Even though that was ten years ago now, she still keeps them. The silk dress suits her perfectly. Both the color and the design are truly fantastic. The hat is decorated with precious feathers and jewels and it  matches her dress very well. There should be a precious necklace around her neck, but she has pawned it. Even so she is still beautiful enough to impress anyone. If anyone passed by the window, they would have thought that she was prepared for an important party.

A party is exactly what she is thinking about. in the dark second floor and enjoying the rare fresh air and quiet atmosphere of the day, she is immersed in her memories. She has recalled her eighteenth birthday party when she wore the same dress and hat. All her friends came to celebrate with her. They had champagne and had fun until midnight. She received piles of gifts packaged attractively and opened the boxes one by one. Time flew.

In the summer when she was twenty, she met her husband. He had nothing but they fell in love with each other at first sight. He named the brightest star after her as a gift. He taught her to ride a wild horse. He proposed to her with a pull-tab of a can as a wedding ring. She had never met a man like him. She married him despite all her relatives opposition. The memories rushed back to her. She recalled more details of the past. Washing dishes was the first housework that she learned, since it was much easier than cooking. Looking after babies was a hard job without the help of babysitter, but it was surprising to hear the first “mom” from her child. It was in the store at the end of the street where she found very cheap flowers by coincidence. All these pieces of memories washed over her. All the images and colors are so clear that she can’t tell whether she is in reality or a dream. It is her ceremony everyday.

The sun is rising and the sky is turning lighter. The dealers who sell breakfast have begun their work. Some women walk toward the well with pails. Some children cry out. A new day has begun and the town begins to be busy again. Although she wants to stay for another minute, she hears the cry of her babies. She closes the window, moves the chair to its original place, hurries back to her bedroom and changes her wonderful dress into a simple cotton one. She becomes astute, quick and hardworking again.