Sometimes I dream about being as nubile as I was in my early years. I think I would give anything, to return to the good old days when I could contort my body and squeeze into small spaces. One day, I visited my former colleague Maggie at her apartment. She boasted about how she kept her body in shape, by practising yoga and contortion, like of old.
“Can you do it?” said Maggie, as she pointed to her small shoe cabinet.
“No, its been too long.” I said.
“You mean you didn’t practice at all after leaving the circus? I bet you ten bucks that I can fit into that!”
“I dunno. If you’re so sure you can squeeze into that, it means I’ll end up being $10 poorer.”
“It could work the other way around and you’ll earn $10 if I lose the bet.”
Before I could reply, Maggie had opened the narrow cabinet and tossed out its entire contents. Shoes of all colors for all occasions landed in a pile beside the cabinet. She removed the plywood dividers to make space for herself. Within seconds, she had squeezed herself into the cabinet.
“OK, you win.” I gave her a round of applause.
“Now, the most tricky part is to get out. Can you help me?” asked Maggie.
“Oh no, I can’t. You figure it out.”
“I can’t believe you can be so mean to leave me stuck like this.”
“You have done meaner things to me. You stole my boyfriend and married him. That’s why I left the circus, remember?”
“Aww, c’mon. That was 40 years ago.”
“Yes. I had an axe to grind and this is my day. Goodbye!”
“Wait! You can’t leave me here like this. Call the fire department for me.”
*The door slams*
#prompt 8/21 #tuestories with photo of a female, older adult contortionist squeezed into a narrow cabinet.
