Orientation Assignment

The wind outside was bitter as I stepped out my front door. While barely past 5pm the sky was dark with the bright orange glare of the street lamps lighting the street in the sun’s place. On the ground, the frost which had failed to thaw all day glittered like diamond dust. Wrapping my scarf tighter against the chill and burying my hands in the warm sanctuary of my pockets, I took my first tentative step, wary of black ice falling under foot.

*

Blood-red drips fell from my hair into the bath tub as I rinsed the red goo from my hair with the shower hose. No matter how careful I was red splatters found its way onto, seemingly, every surface. Even that which did land in the bath formed an appearingly stagnate pool of dark red which threatened to stain the pure white bath tub. Why did it always clog up at the worst moment?

Plunging my plastic gloved hand deep into the blood coloured water, I groped with the blockage, finally pulling free a wade of matted hair. I wrinkled my nose in disgust. It was my partner’s hair, of course, as he seems unequal to the task of cleaning up after himself. Finally, I could get back to washing the dye out of my hair. I should have known better than dyeing my hair red in a white bath.

*

Huddled under the jut of a building, I looked out, frustrated by the first drops of rain as my partner spoke on the phone. We had to get to the shops quick, I’d said, as rain was coming. Still he wasted time before finally putting his coat on to leave, and then only half way through our journey had stopped to take a call. Now, here he was blabbering on and on with his mate as the rain started to fall. What was so difficult about walking and talking at the same time? And then, when he’d finally finished his call, my fears came true as the heavens opened, and all I could do was flash him a look of distain. We were going to get soaked, thanks to him.

***