Author: Borna Kufner, II. gimnazija Osijek
Walking on the pavement. The sun doesn’t want to be seen so it’s hiding behind the clouds. People passing by not paying attention to their surroundings.The day looks the same as any. As I approach my school I become part of a mass of students, all heading to the main entrance. I enter and pass many plain halls in order to get to my classroom. Upon my entrance I take a look at my classmates. All are black and white, have the same clothes, the same hair and none of them have faces. Just an ordinary day. When the teacher walks in he doesn’t look any different from the pupils, apart from his clothes. The class ends, followed by five more, all resembling each other. When school is over, I get home, eat while having the same conversations with my family as we do every day. Then I go to my room to study and at the end go to sleep.
The next day I have breakfast and go to school. The pavement. No sun. People passing. Everything is the same. I sit in my classroom surrounded by people who look like me. Black and white, faceless people. After the lectures I take my stuff and head home. But as I start walking…
I trip and fall!
Everybody look at me. For the first time. The short break of silence is followed by the outburst of loud synchronized laughter. I get up and run out. As I am rushing through the white halls I am followed by the laughter from the classroom. I run all the way home. At my doorstep I stop to take a breath. I enter and rush to my room. I change my clothes and go to the bathroom to wash my hands. When I approach the sink I take a look in the mirror. Immediately I screamed.
„Is everything okay?“ my mom yells from downstairs.
„Everything’s fine“ I lie.
In the mirror I see my reflection, I am in color. I have a face. I am beautiful. But I am so confused. What happened to me? What are my parents going to do if they see me like this? I stay there in shock.
„Come down, the food is ready!“ my mom yells.
I will just come downstairs, act normal and maybe they won’t notice. I sit at the dinning room table with my parents. And we start to have the same conversations as always.
„How was school?“ my dad asks.
„Fine, how was work?“
„Fine.“ he responds.
They surprisingly don’t notice. As I am eating I see my hands. They are black and white again. Maybe I am just seeing things.
„Did you hear what I said?“ my mom asks.
„Um… sorry, I wasn’t listening“
„I asked you about your maths exam“ she says.
„Oh my god, mom. You have been asking me about it for a week now and everytime I tell you that it’s next month. Can we stop talking about the same topics every lunch, this is getting really boring!“
Both of them jump in shock.
„What is wrong with you? What is wrong with your head?“ my dad asks in fear.
My hands are in color again,so I probably have a face again, too. They just kept staring at me.
„Go and get some sleep honey, maybe you’ll feel better in the morning.“ my mom advises me, but without getting any closer.
I stand up and go to my room. I go on to study like I do everyday. But, why should I do that? My next test is in a week, I’ve got plenty of time. I play music outloud and dance to it for a while. I try to sing but don’t know the lyrics since I almost never listen to music. I don’t notice that it became nighttime. Another thing almost goes by unnoticed. My room, it is no longer in black and white, it is in color.
The next day I wake up still in color, glad it isn’t a dream. I admire the sight of my room filled with bright shades before I go to school. As I exite I see that, apart from it, everything is still dull. I go to school humming the melodies I memorized last night. In school I can feel everyone’s eyes on the back of my head. I am the only thing standing out. During one of the breaks I go to the bathroom. When in the bathroom stall I hear footsteps approaching. When I exit I see a girl standing there and looking at me.
„Woah, what are you doing in the men’s bathroom?“ I ask her.
She walks towards me and grabs my shoulders.
„Please help me. I want to be like you. I am tired of this plain unexceptional world. I want to stand out, I don’t want to be like everybody else!“ and as she says that, her body starts to gain color and she now has a face.
„Turn around“ I say.
She rotates and sees her own reflection in the mirror. She stands there in shock and tears of joy come down her face.
„How did you do that?“ she asks.
„I didn’t. You did!“
„What?“
„Life is a coloring book, you just choose the colors you want to use“ I reply.
She get closer to the mirror and I go on to wash my hands.
„My name is Martha by the way“ she says.
„Jack“ I smile.
During the next couple of days I’ve had people come up to me who want the same thing as Martha. Every day more people get colorful. The sun finally shows itself.
„How did you do that?“ Martha asks me during a break.
„I already told you. I didn’t. Before everybody only wanted to be accepted. I was just someone who gave them the courage to be who they truly are.“
