The Color in the Corner

The Color in the Corner

Adam was an enigma, a man shrouded in mystery, his existence a puzzle that baffled those who dared to cross his path. He was a ghost in his own life fleeting as a wisp of smoke, simply unseen and unheard.

One evening, a knock shattered the usual quietude of Adam's apartment. He peered through the peephole, surprised to see Elara, his next-door neighbor that he ironically found eccentric, standing with a plate piled with cookies. Hesitantly, he opened the door.

"Elara," he said. "Come in."

Elara, a whirlwind of color and chaos, stepped into the apartment, the smell of cinnamon clinging to her like a fragrant cloak. "Just dropping by, Adam! Thought you could use a little company and some cheering up."

Adam, ever the recluse, mumbled a thank you, his discomfort evident. Elara, however, was undeterred. She settled herself on the worn armchair.

After a decent moment of silence sitting and occupying the two, Elara said, "You know, Adam," her voice laced with a hint of concern, "sometimes the greatest mysteries are the ones we keep from ourselves."

Adam remained silent; his gaze fixed on a painting on the wall – abstract colors that seemed to mirror the disarray within him. For Adam, colors did not peacefully exist within him, not in a flourishing way, but in splashed, unclear shades and confusing ways, reflecting his contradicting desires and actions.

Elara sighed. "We all have stories, Adam. Even you. Why don't you share yours with me sometime? Maybe together we can unravel a piece of your enigma yeah?"

Adam's lips twitched into a semblance of a smile, the first Elara had ever witnessed. "Perhaps," he said "But don’t you think some mysteries are best left unsolved? "

Elara smiled back. "Maybe so, Adam. Maybe so”. 

Elara got up while looking at the painting on the wall “But sometimes, I find the journey of doing a puzzle is more rewarding than seeing its completed result."

With that, Elara walked to the door, leaving behind the plate of cookies and a lingering sense of curiosity to accompany Adam. As the door closed behind her, Adam picked up a cookie, the sweetness a stark contrast to the bitterness that usually clung to his thoughts. He took a bite, and for a fleeting moment, the world outside his self-imposed isolation seemed a little less intimidating. The mystery of Adam remained, but a seed of doubt had been sown. Perhaps, just perhaps, there was more to life than the solitude he had so carefully constructed.

Days turned into weeks, and the plate of cookies sat untouched on Adam's coffee table, a silent reminder of Elara's visit. One evening, he found himself staring at a worn leather, a memory flickering in the recesses of his mind. A memory of warmth, of laughter shared, of a life that felt complete. A life he had purposefully forgotten.

Adam decided to reach out for a dusty box tucked away in a corner of his closet. Inside, faded photographs and worn letters whispered of a past he had locked away. Tears welled in his eyes, a long-dormant emotion threatening to spill over.

He spent the night lost in memories, the fragments of his life slowly piecing themselves together. By morning, a decision had been made. He wouldn't unravel the mystery of Adam entirely, but he would begin to rewrite his story.

The next day, Adam found himself standing outside Elara's door, a bouquet of lilies in his hand. He wasn't sure where this path would lead, but for the first time in years, he felt a flicker of hope. The enigma of Adam might remain, but a new chapter was about to begin, a chapter filled with connection, with the possibility of shared laughter and a life less solitary. He took a deep breath and knocked on the door, ready to face the unknown, one step at a time.

Written by Nada