The stranger

As soon as I opened my suitcase I realised that something was

wrong. It was not a disturbing day until this happened. I know
myself better than anyone, and being inveterate is not a trait
that slips unnoticed easily. Having an organised life, and
always being precautionary leaves behind marks, marks of
full attention and observance. My suitcase is invariably well
prepared. On the opening side of the classic brown leathered
suitcase I have my writing tools along with the paperwork, for
which I travel a lot to Dublin, ID card, passport and money. In
the main side of it I put my favourite office skirt, some white
and light blue shirts beside the red lipstick, hand and face
cream, hair brush, teeth brush and mint toothpaste, and
obviously my round fancy earrings. I don’t carry much,
especially when I travel, because it is easier to take everything
with me when I move a lot. Back to the event that changed the
whole day, I was concerned that something was wrong from
the first time I touched it. I immediately knew that someone
had opened it before I arrived in the Hilton Garden Inn’s 4 th
room. This custom house is in a busy area of Dublin, right
near Dublin Port. That time it was the only accommodation
avabile that I found. My suitcase was from the beginning well
placed, as I know how things can turn out. It’s locking sistem
is not complicated I would say, more like thoughtful. The
passcode was not my birthday year for sure, nor my dog’s. It
was 41217, the equal number of teeth a Dilophosaurus had,
more specific four teeth in each premaxilla, twelve in each
maxilla and 17 in each dentary. Interesting and uniqe from my
point of view. I was thinking about how could someone knew
it when I’m the only one that knows it. I analysed precisely,
lookimg for forced opening signs and quess what? My
intuition was right, the marks left on the edges looked like
they were made with scissors, not very proffesional done. It
took them some force, enough to open it a bit, that’s when I
saw some hammer and finger nail marks. This could only
indicated it was a woman that opened it. How do I know?
Well, the marks aren’t big, so the nails could not have been
too big, and also there were some shiny pink nail polish
remains, meaning she is in her 50’s, has a self-care routine
because I could smell the dandelion handcream which was not
mine, and also the perfume was so old-fashioned and
combined with naphthalene, meaning that she doesn’t have a
husband anymore and she can’t afford to buy new clothes,
that’s why she’s using the rusty pink nailpolish that remained
all over those marks, and the dandelion handcream was
probably made by her. Inside my suitcase was nothing
missing, and the lady did not find what she wanted from me.
Do I think she chose me personally? Yes. Why? Because I
have a known name and even though she had not done her
plan proffesionally, she left a note, on which she wrote with
an old pen with nearly dry black ink “I will wait, and come,
and wait, and see, and look, and observe you from all the
noxious views”. I was not scared, me being used to this kind
of things. The detail which opened my eyes wide was the
laconic and petulant words written with the ink that was not
dried yet, meaning that the lady is still around and she could
not had left for too long. I went downstairs of the hotel but
there was nobody. The dowdy lady case will not remain a
mistery for me, will it?
- Original story by Kolozsi Denisa