Everywhere I looked, the light was frenzied around me, it was eager to enter my eyeballs, and at the corners of my vision, it was performing the Mexican Wave. I swam through the sea of light out of the cafe. The sky was golden although the sun had not come out yet. The urge to go shopping arose in me, so I began to saunter to the end of the road where it met with a busier main road with shops and cars. Shop windows glistened in the sun like gleaming jewels, behind them were the objects of the hearts desire: items which you could caress, love and own. I pushed my face against its reflection to steal the treasure with my eyes. I tried the door of the store, but it was locked. So many stores that teased me with their wares, but none were open to receive my business.
Then a glint caught the corner of my eye, a gleaming edifice slowly swallowed my vision. The steel and glass monster loomed over me with an authoritative shadow that it cast onto the road and surrounding buildings. It seemed to say, I am your master, you will kneel before me and for that reason was I drawn to it, an invisible force propelled me closer. The windows were filled with beautifully adorned mannequins, draped in the finest fabrics and each one portrayed a different scene. One window displayed a long banquet table with mannequins seated along one side and facing the street, each lady was dressed in an exquisite evening gown and put into various poses, some appeared to interact with one another and others were eating. There were taxidermy fowl and foxes chasing each other around and under the table on a floor which was covered in artificial autumn coloured leaves.
Suddenly, I heard clanking from the closed front doors, the jostling of mechanisms as someone from the inside was unlocking them one by one. A minute later the doors swung open, and another minute later I was wandering around the large department store. Elevator music was played at a volume just below what might be considered loud by most people, the soothing sound of xylophones pumped out of the retro wooden speakers, played to the beat of a relaxed heart. An army of colourful fabrics and glittering jewellery paraded the aisles, readied for my inspection.
The ceiling was a homogeneous diffused flickering white glow from hidden fluorescent tubes. I couldn't see the source of light, but I could detect their audibly low frequency thrum in the air. The open plan space, uninterrupted by partitioning walls, seemed to span indefinitely in all directions, and the dull monotonous lighting provided acute visibility for all the objects and signs beneath it. The smell of cellophane, corrugated cardboard and perfume hung in the air.
This is all quite nice I thought to myself, I could do with a new suit. I found a store directory next to the elevators and took the elevator to the fourth floor for formal wear. A pair of formally attired mannequins greeted me as the elevator doors opened. It was quite empty although once again, well lit and spacious. The same ambient music was playing as downstairs. There was a huge sign hanging from the ceiling that said 'Men Swear', as I strode over towards the section, I couldn't help but be annoyed by the typographical error; I kept staring at the space between the S and the n, trying to will it shut, the closer I got, the more significant the gap, and the more frustration it gave me. I approached a male mannequin and punched it in the face, it rocked for a few seconds on the stand and stared blankly at me, my fist began to ache and I swore loudly.
“Hello Sir! How can I assist you?” said a soft, effeminate male voice. I turned around to see a jockey-sized man in a pink shirt and blue waistcoat with the store logo on the chest pocket which contained a calculator and a pocket protector with a gold ball point pen clipped to it. He pouted, and raised a thinly plucked eyebrow at me.
“I need a suit!” I said authoritatively, and straightened my back, and aimed my chin towards his cleanly shaven face.
He clasped his hands together with a nod of acknowledgement and an extended blink as if to further emphasize his acknowledgement. “What kind of suit are you looking for? Any particular occasion?” he brought his clasped hands towards his chest and leaned his head towards me, bringing his ears closer to await verbal input. The pungent smell of aftershave mixed with hair products infused the air, and made me giddy. He looked like he was waiting for me to punch him in the face, I cranked my bruised fist shut, and saw that there was a hairline crack on the face of the mannequin that I hit.
“I'm looking for a suit to attend a formal dinner in, I need something smart and snappy, you know what I mean?” The words seemed to rattle off his head like tennis balls, as he nodded eagerly to each syllable as it left my mouth. I clicked my fingers and he snapped out of his trance.
“We have this suit.” He swept his hand down the length of the mannequin with the hairline fracture on its face. It was a seventies vintage baby blue polyester three piece suit with a black shawl lapel.
“No thanks.”
He stood there slightly stunned, “Are you sure?”
“Yes, no thanks. What else do you have?”
“This is the only suit we have in the store.”
“Why didn't you just tell me that instead of ask...” He looked lost, “Okay never mind, let me try this one then.”
I had expected him to get me a brand new suit, but he meant what he said about it being the only suit they had; he began to strip the mannequin, and in the process there was a tearing sound as he tried to manoeuvre the trousers around the rigid posed legs, at which point he quickly checked the damage and brushed it off, “It's fine, don't worry, nothing to see.” He handed me the items of clothing and ushered me in the direction of the changing rooms.
that's all I got
No comments:
Post a Comment