The Small Suitcase

Travelling alone calls for minimal baggage. You have to account for the fact that your brother/friend/boyfriend/father will not be helping you with your three bags stuffed to the heavens with unnecessary clothes, shoes and accessories .

So... one pair of jeans, one pair of black formal pants, 5 T-shirts, 3 'nice' tops, underwear.
1 silver chain, 3 rings, 2 pairs of earrings. Lounging slippers (1), all-purpose high heels (1), walking around functional sneakers (1), One BIG handbag, Make-up Bag, Toiletries.

There.

But I bought these awesome jeans that are just dying to be worn... so maybe I'll make that 2 pairs of jeans. And it may be cold, so I'll take a couple of sweaters along with the T-shirts. The sweaters need different jewellery, so I'll take a couple more chains and some nice dangly earrings. But the sweaters and jewellery won't match my shoes, so I'll have to take the sling-back heels as well. I should christen those my all-purpose heels...

Maybe I won't have the time to do any laundry for a bit, so my jeans and the other pants will be dirty and I'll have nothing to wear; I'll take a skirt as well... OK, two. But I'll have to wear different shoes with the skirt so I'll have to take my boots. And if I'm taking the boots then I have to take some tops that match them... so make that 5 'nice' tops (Note to self: Buy opaque tights to wear with the skirt and boots)

A coat! I must take a coat! Maybe two... one for the day and one in case I go some place fancy. And a couple of stoles and shawls... just in case it's too warm for a coat but still cold enough to want to cover myself. Maybe I should take one more bag... you know, a little fancy one when I can't take the big one everywhere. But the little one is brown, and brown doesn't go with everything so I'll need to take the red one too...but that's it, just 3 handbags!

Done.

Well, I'm quite proud of myself I must admit! I didn't add a single thing to either the make-up bag or the underwear list.

But maybe I'll take the slightly bigger suitcase after all...

Parents

The ultimate infidelity is when your body betrays you.
What can you trust, when your one surety is no longer yours?

When the memories are no longer crystal clear,
and the loud voices become barely heard whispers,
As your firm handshake and steady penmanship are indistinguishable from the tremors,
When your bones break and your skin is no longer alabaster-smooth,
You look into the mirror at a stranger, an old person who looks like your father, your mother,

And you are scared.