She looked back at me with a rueful smile.
I finally saw the beauty in her eyes, the messy softness of her hair and the fullness of her cheeks. I had always said that everyone is beautiful in their own way and beauty is something that radiates from within. It’s not skin deep, it goes right down into your heart. But I had never believed in her beauty.
‘It’s not your fault. The lies, the hurt… none of this. You are beautiful.’
She smiled as she heard those words but the smile wasn’t reflected in her eyes. I saw the hesitancy to trust in the crinkle of her eyes. The automatic analyzing and dismissing of my words in the way the momentary sparkle in her eyes dulled.
I wanted to reach out and hug her. She looked so vulnerable. She was careful to hide it and put up a wonderful front that could fool anyone except someone who cared enough to look deeper. But no one bothered to care these days so it was effective. But you could see it in the defiant point of her chin and the way she would suddenly go quiet that she had a lot to hide.
‘They don’t change a damn thing about you. You’re still a great person and one day you know that someone is gonna come along and wow you. If anything, all they’ve done is make you stronger, wiser and prepared you for what people are like.’
She looked at me. A look of concentration. A slight frown.
The corners of her mouth relaxed. The wrinkles eased out of her forehead.
The radiant, full smile was reflected in her eyes.
Satisfied, I walked away from the mirror.
Christina De Silva
03 October 2010
...speechless...
ReplyDeleteYou have a wonderful way with words!
thank you (:
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