The girl was flitting around the accessories section of the mall like a restless teenager.
It was a high-end shopping mall. All the wealthy people came here. What stunning bags, bangles, necklaces… and what gorgeous earrings! She had always had a particular fondness for earrings since she was a little girl. Saving up from the allowance her middle-class father gave her, she would buy a few every couple of months. But those were all from the roadside. Flashy, exotic designs… but hollow inside. The beauty on the surface was fake, and the shine wouldn’t last more than a couple of days. Still, the girl cherished them with all her heart. Those earrings were priceless to her.
After marriage, she had to manage a tight household with her husband’s and her own meager salary. She still enjoyed wearing earrings. Instead of the roadside, she now frequented modest shopping malls. She would save up a lot of hard-earned money every two or three months and buy something, but the dream of buying something from such an expensive mall still remained unfulfilled.
Yet she comes here almost regularly. She enjoys wandering around alone. It feels good to pick up those incredibly beautiful earrings, examine them, and twirl them around in her hand. She holds them close to her ear and turns them, imagining how they would look on her. Oh, how her appearance would change if she wore these! How stunning she would look! They’re so expensive! Ah, when will her salary increase?
She’ll fill her collection with as many earrings as she wants that day.
Twenty-two years later.
The girl from that day is now a high-ranking executive at a renowned firm. Every day, on her way to the office in her big car, she still gazes longingly at the shopping mall.
So many new, high-end shopping malls have sprung up in the city! This shopping mall now seems faded and outdated compared to them. She now goes to the new malls to buy gifts for friends and relatives.
Yet, she doesn’t know why, but today she told her driver to park the car in the parking lot of this old shopping mall. Getting out of the car, she slowly entered.
She was a middle-aged woman now, her appearance, dress, and demeanor bearing the inevitable marks of time. The plain, white hair hidden beneath her hijab was a constant reminder of the fleeting years.
As she strolled, she found herself in the cosmetics and accessories section. She wandered around, examining everything. It was much the same as before. Not much had changed here. It was still very similar to how it was twenty-two years ago. The same long glass cases filled with rows of earrings. The salesgirls standing in front were young, just like before. Only their faces had changed. She picked up an earring she liked and examined it. As she brought it to her ear, her hand got caught in her clothing. She stumbled momentarily in her thoughts. Of course… she had ears!
Suddenly, she remembered that her ears were hidden beneath her hijab. She was older now, time had passed, and her values had changed. She sighed involuntarily as she looked at the earring she was holding. She saw the price tag stuck to the back of the box with scotch tape. She bought much more valuable things now, almost regularly.
As she handed the earring box back to the salesgirl, the girl smiled and asked, “Ma’am, didn’t you like it? Shall I show you something else?”
She opened her mouth. Her tired voice sounded unfamiliar, even to herself. Or perhaps it was incomprehensible! With a faint smile, as if to herself, she said, “No! I was looking for something a bit more classy!”
