avatarSam Letterwood

Summary

"The Colors of Joy" is a personal narrative about a lipstick named Ruby who finds new meaning and purpose during the pandemic, symbolizing hope and healing through the connection with its owner, Sarah.

Abstract

In "The Colors of Joy," Ruby, a once prominent lipstick, recounts the existential crisis faced during the pandemic when lipstick application became obsolete due to face masks. Despite the initial despair and feeling of obsolescence, Ruby's story takes a turn when Sarah, a woman with a unique perspective, embraces Ruby as a symbol of hope and resilience. Through Sarah's use of Ruby, the lipstick transcends its original purpose, becoming a beacon of joy, happiness, and good health in a world overshadowed by the virus. The narrative concludes with Ruby recognizing its newfound significance beyond mere vanity, embodying the enduring spirit of laughter and endurance shared between Ruby and Sarah.

Opinions

  • Ruby, the lipstick, initially feels hopeless and forgotten as the pandemic renders its use seemingly irrelevant.
  • The author personifies Ruby, giving it a voice to express its emotions and experiences, creating a unique and empathetic perspective.
  • Sarah is portrayed as an optimistic and defiant character who finds joy and meaning in the midst of a challenging situation.
  • The story suggests that even in times of hardship, objects and relationships can take on new, profound significance.
  • Ruby's transformation from a cosmetic item to a symbol of hope reflects the broader human capacity for adaptation and finding light in darkness.
  • The narrative emphasizes the importance of companionship and shared experiences during difficult times.
  • The author acknowledges the impact of the pandemic on the beauty industry but also highlights the resilience and creativity of individuals in response to these changes.

FICTION | HOPE | HEALING

The Colors of Joy

My pandemic story

Photo by Pille R. Priske on Unsplash

I am Ruby, a lipstick as bold in both character and color.

You’re damn right. It’s not your ordinary color stick; I have a story to tell.

Let me take you on the wavy life in the freaky great age of pandemic delight.

Are you ready? Let’s begin!

I lay silent and out of sight in my shelf, alone. Then came the pandemic out of nowhere!

Lo and behold!

Face masks were all over to accentuate the features in the name of so-called safety.

What’s the one thing people don’t do behind them?

Apply lipstick, obviously.

It was a three sixty degree turn in my life. I became invisible from being the first and most attractive point of desire. I suddenly became nobody.

The very last remnants of me very well sensed the desire and yearning in men to see me, and to feel lost in my beauty, but I could not make myself appear. I was as if sentenced for life behind the three-layered high security thread-prison cell of cellulose.

Can you imagine how does that feel!

Hopeless!

In the twinkling of an eye, my family was changed from being experts in makeup to dead relics lying in the aisle under BUY COSMETICS NOW banner itself — nowhere.

Left, abandoned and forgotten!

There came Sarah, a courageous spirit that hugged me and said, “Well, Ruby, it’s you an’ me against the world now.” I little realized; I was on the threshold of my most thrilling chapter.

Sarah wasn’t like ordinary people. She had a knack for turning the common place into ludicrous jokes.

You could almost say that our conversations then, seeing out life behind masks, disinfectant gel, and social distancing as highlights in my daily routine — were laughing bursts amid this chaotic world around us all.

Then one day, as she colored me on her before going out (yes, someone still wore lipstick!), she looked into the mirror and said, “Ruby, you’re not just a pigment on my lips; in this masked world of ours, you represent hope.”

I have no idea what made her say that, but it felt so good like a rain in desert, or the sunshine that summons rainbow after rain.

It smelled like freedom! Liberation!

I found my new confidence and courage. Sarah found her color in life.

As I think over those things now, a warm thrill of pleasure and fear flow through my heart. The virus may have cast a shadow over me, yet it was unable to destroy the laughter and endurance which Sarah and I shared together.

The next time you hold me, do not just treat me as a kind of vanity. I am an old friend, ready to bring the colors of smile, joy, happiness, love, attention, attraction, art, style and good health.

This story is written in response to the lovely invitation from Liberty. Thank you.

Also please read these fabulous writers. They are quite good. A shoutout to Sara, and Tamara!

Humour
Fiction
Life
Pandemic
Storytelling
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