LILLIAN WHITE'S TOILETTE

 Isaac Warden Lewis

I am a young woman. My name is Lillian White. I am married. I get up early everyday to prepare myself to go to work, but when my husband gets up, I am not ready yet.

I go to the bathroom. I look at the mirror for a long time. Then I open the cabinet and take out the tooth-brush, the tooth-paste and the soap-ball. I look at the mirror again. I wonder whether I am still young or I am getting old. Then I wash my face and clean my teeth. I look at the mirror again. Then I take a shower. I dry myself with the towel. Then I go back to the bedroom. I choose a dress. I put on a blue dress. I look at the mirror.

I notice that my husband is awake. He is looking at me. I take off the blue dress. I put on a white blouse and a brown skirt. Then I take off the blouse and the skirt and put on a green dress. I look at the mirror. My husband is still looking at me. I get nervous. I wonder why he does not get up at once and go to the bathroom and leave me alone in the bedroom. I know that when he gets up he will be ready in thirty minutes. He will fetch the morning paper. Then he will go into the bathroom. He will sit on the toilet and read the newspaper. Then he will open the cabinet and take off the tooth-brush, the tooth-paste and the toilet-soap. He will shave himself, wash his face, clean his teeth and take a bath. Then he will come back to the bed-room, choose a suit, a shirt, a tie, a pair of socks and a pair of shoes. He will put on his clothes immediately. He will pick up his wallet and his wrist-watch. Then he will have his breakfast and in the next moment he will be urging me to finish my toilette. I take off the green dress. I remember that my green shoes are at the shoemaker’s. I put on the blue dress again. Now I have to choose which umbrella and handbag I must carry. Finally I look at the mirror once more. I am not very happy with my toilette. My husband is looking at me sarcastically.

“Why are you looking at me?”,  I asked.

“I think you are getting mad, but you are very lovely today”, he answered.

…………

In: Lewis, Isaac Warden. Practical English Course. Manaus: Editora   Mundo Novo, 2009, p. 34-35