It was 5 am. She got up and heard a thud sound. The glass fell to the floor and the remnants of unfinished wine filled the carpet. Cursing, she raised her glass and placed it on the coffee table next to the hydrangea. A tiny room was chocked up by flowers from floor to ceiling. The girl stretched, gathered her hair in a bun and went to the kitchen. As in the previous room, there were flowers everywhere. However, you wouldn’t call this apartment cozy. Charlotte doesn’t like housework. She lives alone and it seems that she’s already accustomed to dusty shelves and unwashed dishes. She made black coffee, smoked a cigarette and stared at the window for a couple of minutes, gathering her thoughts. “Today I’ll do it”, she thought. Sharply turning towards the bathroom, Charlotte felt dizzy. She stopped, took hand behind the chair and stood for a few seconds, closing her eyes. When head stopped spinning, Charlotte went to the bathroom. It was small, with old plumbing and dim light. Despite the size of the room, there were an ivy, a dracene and a few small pots, placed on the shelf next to the mirror. The bathroom was lit with candles and an empty glass was in one corner. The girl looked at herself in the mirror. She was pale and little bruises appeared under her eyes. She was looking tired, but it didn’t hamper her beauty. The girl is slender, pale-skinned and has thick brown hair and blue eyes. There is something cold, but attractive in her appearance. Charlotte took a shower, washed her face, brushed teeth, applied cream and wrapped herself in a towel. When she returned to the living room, it was already sunny outside, but the lantern still burned. She looked out the window and saw several people on the street: her neighbor from the second floor, going to work in school, a vendor from a bakery, opening the shop and a janitor. After standing for a minute at the window, she took a watering can and began to water the flowers. It took forever. Charlotte loves flowers since childhood. While still living in her parents’ house, her room looked more like a greenhouse than an ordinary room. Having finished with the flowers, Charlotte made an easy make-up, took out a pair of jeans and a cashmere sweater from the huge old closet, got dressed, combed and perfumed. Then she put on her boots, took the bag, turned the light off and went out.
It was cool outside, but that day was going to be sunny and pleasant. She crossed the road, walked along the bookstore, turned the corner and went out onto the main street. She was following her benefits. On the way she smoked another cigarette and made two stops: the first time she tied a shoelace and the second she looked at a silk scarf in the shop window. That was an expensive thing that she couldn’t afford. Charlotte loves beautiful clothes. She could not to eat a whole week to buy some new blouse or dress. Sometimes she steals from stores. She knows, it’s bad, but she can’t resist. Having taken her benefits, Charlotte decided to snack in a cafe nearby and sit in the park for a while. For breakfast the girl ate a half omelet, a toast with jam and a cappuccino. Then she headed for the park. It was nice outside, the sun was shining, but there was autumn in the air. The girl sat down on a bench near the fountain, took out a book and a pack of cigarettes from her bag and began to read. But she couldn’t read much. Charlotte was interrupted by a child’s laughter. That were two children about five years, a boy and a girl, ran racing, and their mother shouted to them: "Be careful, dear!" Charlotte secretly watched the children’s game until the family disappeared from her eyes. The girl loves children, though she doesn’t imagine herself as a caring mother. She looked at watch. A couple of hours remained before volunteering, so she decided to sit another hour in the park. Having smoked two cigarettes and read 3 chapters, the girl put a book and a pack in her bag and headed toward the southern entrance to the park. That day, Charlotte was a volunteer at a charity fair in support of cancer patients. It’s ironic, because the girl smoked like a chimney. At the fair, she sold food to visitors. There weren’t many people, but Charlotte was happy to be useful to society. Thus, it justifies her unemployment. She doesn’t want to work for money. She doesn’t want to do some ridiculous work like a salesperson or a waitress. She wants to be an artist. Charlotte dreams about painting since her childhood. She graduated from art school and moved to the city with firm intention of becoming an artist. But, to a great disappointment, the muse left her. Now Charlotte doesn’t draw, she is unemployed, she receives benefits and waits, when she can give the world her creation. What stops her is unknown. But the girl can’t squeeze out even a little still life. It is not drawn. Having finished her volunteering, Charlotte took a couple of sandwiches as payment for help, said goodbye and went home. It was evening, the sky turned gray-blue, in the air of the city felt fatigue. Charlotte smoked and thought about winter, “In a couple of months everything will sweep, people will put on their warm coats and boots, then New Year will come – and everything will be back again... But what if something changes?”
Charlotte returned home, took off her trench and boots and felt the coolness. Having washed her hands and closed the windows, the girl took out turkey sandwiches and began to supper. She slowly ate and went into the room. Charlotte switched on the top light and stood beside the easel, sat down, took a brush in her hand, and looked at the canvas. More than twenty minutes passed, but she just sat and looked, then put the brush up and went to the balcony. Leaning against the rail, she looked at the evening city for a long time. Now the sky became dark blue, a pale month and thousands of small stars appeared on it. She smoked a couple of cigarettes and went back to apartment. Having taken a shower and changed into a nightdress, Charlotte returned to the room, untidily spread the bed, looked at the easel once again and lay down. “This day will come”, she thought.
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