Betty should have noticed it when she was washing up in front of the mirror. But, she was late. When you’re late, you don’t spending time admiring your face in the mirror. So Betty didn’t. She was always late to office, but for the past week she was managing to reach on time. Today is not going to be the day where I reach late. She dressed up in jiffy and was out the door.
Betty was in hurry. Her feet clacked on the street, step after the step. People instinctively parted way to let her through. She jumped into the metro and was on her away. That’s when she noticed - the stares that came her way. She glanced behind. It can’t be me, must be someone behind. The train slowed down and came to a stop at the station. She rushed out with a group of people who all had to get off at the station.
From there, she went to the office. A quick turn of the wrist, a quick glance at the watch underneath, she had just made in time. Yes! If I keep this up, I would have been coming to the office on time for the whole week!
People were still getting settled in. A few people were gathered at one cubicle and having a laugh. Other people were getting settled in their cubicles and switching on their computer systems. Betty gave a quick nod to some of the folks she knew. If I can get a head start, I can leave early. She sat down, placed her bag on the ground, flicked a switch and waited for her system to come on. Two friends came over to greet her, but there was something odd, they had wide grins on their face. Then, each and every other person came over to greet her. For some reason, they too had wide grins on their face.
Is there something wrong with me? Betty’s system finally booted up and she dived into her work. Her worries temporarily faded into background.
“Betty, you need to come with me”, her boss was standing above her cubicle.
“Roger, did something happen? I’m already half way through the first document”, Betty looked up and said.
“Come on”, her boss turned around and walked away. Quickly Betty got up and entered his office. “I don’t know how you haven’t noticed it, but have you looked at your face all morning?” He asked.
Betty nervously replied, ‘Not really… Is there something on my face?”
Roger passed over a hand-held mirror. Becky held it up and stared at her reflection in the mirror. Her hair, forehead, eye brows all looked fine. Then she saw her nose. It was completely straight… with some kind of bone running in the middle. “Ahhhhhhhhh”, a scream escaped her lips.
Everything else was a blur. Weakness hit her legs and collapsed to the ground.
***
“I have a straight nose. How did this happen?” Betty was in the hospital and in front of her was the doctor. Her fingers kept rubbing her nose, up and down, as if to check if it really did happen.
That’s why everyone was staring at me, that’s why everyone was laughing at me. Oooh, why did this happen?
“It seems that you suffer from a rare disorder. This is something that has been developing, but you never really noticed it till now”, the doctor commented. The doctor and everyone else in this world had a crooked nose. A crooked nose is a beautiful nose.
Betty looked across the mirror behind the doctor and saw her reflection with the straight nose. I look so ugly.
“What can I do doctor? I can’t go on with my life with a straight nose”, she pleaded.
“What you have is treatable. You just have to go in for an operation and we’ll set your nose right”, the doctor suggested.
“I’ll do. I’ll go in for this operation.”
The doctor nodded.
***
“Cherrrs”, they all cried out as their glasses clanged against each other.
Betty retracted her hand and took a deep sip from the mug. The cold beer beverage slid down her throat.
It was good to be back among friends. It was good to be back among people she knew and loved. None of them gave her weird stares, none laughed at her. Her nose was set right. She ran a finger on her nose’s bridge and felt the crookedness. I look beautiful with the rest of them. Betty’s fingers rub against her nose and felt the beautiful crookedness.
