i. When I dive into the mirror, I see a scared girl. She holds a portrait of her sacred temple. Her dearest asks for it. The request is something surprising — exciting, supposed to be. Is this normal? She looks again in the mirror: observing her curves, weighing her bulks, gazing at her trimmed garden. Am I pretty? Is this enough? Am I THAT pretty enough? She gives her pieces to him. A figure, a picture, a fragment of worth.
The next thing I know, they buy a one-way ticket to Guilt Street in Shame Town. They haven’t come back since.
ii. There, they build houses, facing each other. She studies his morning walk schedule and becomes a night owl. He goes blackout in his room when her room lights up from across the window. They become opposite poles, actively avoiding each other: making routines to prevent awkward encounters. They have everything inside the house. Borrowing things from each other is not an option. They buy everything for their houses, except one: a mirror.
iii. He goes on dates every weekend. Styles his hair in front of the front camera. Trying on clothes with complementary colors. It is more like a series of mismatches than a mix and match.
She never knows if a chili flake is on her teeth. Not even noticing hormonal acne on her face every month. She doesn’t care how she looks at the moment, as long as she doesn’t have to see herself in front of the mirror. Again.
They just don’t want a mirror in their house.
iv. The mirror is the ultimate tease. You stare at it, and an hour of your life is robbed. The time spent to compare, diss, and feel bad about yourself. You notice the dark circle below your eyes or the disgusting, big pores on your nose. But, time can also be spent for good use. You curl your newly washed hair or flex the newborn muscles. The mirror can help you celebrate beauty if you give them the power to.
For them, a mirror is not just a tease — it’s a black hole.
It brings them back to that image of the sacred temple they thought they wanted to explore. It was definitely a premature curiosity.
The mirror reminds him of the craving thirst. The mirror reminds her of the exposed layers.
