Felicity – A Philosophical Fable [Chapter 2]
Her kimono sleeve was half covering her face. She woke up with the cool silk brushing her cheek. Mimi felt like she slept a long time, but she couldn’t be sure. There was no clock. There were no windows. She didn’t know if it was day or night. Though she felt like she slept a long time. There was light in the room, a subdued light that bespoke the dawn, but there was no source of illumination.
The bed covering upon which she lay was pumpkin-colored cotton with a paisley print that felt familiar. It hadn’t been there when she went to sleep. Or had it, and she just too tired to notice? She didn’t recall ever seeing it before, but it felt comfortably familiar. So did the kimono. It was blue batik, the blue subtly graduating from azure to violet, the design intricate and delicate. Was it hers? She hadn’t been wearing it when she went to sleep. Or had she? She didn’t recall what she had been wearing when she went to sleep.
Mimi wasn’t troubled by these mysteries, just mildly curious. She picked up a hot cup of tea that sat on a low table by her bedside. She didn’t even wonder how it came to be there, or how it could still be hot if it had been placed there before she awoke. Instead she nestled into the pillows, blowing on the surface of her tea and drinking it in small sips.
The room was small but it didn’t feel confining. Quite the opposite. It felt peaceful, tranquil. And the pale and neutral color scheme, so soft and sleepy, was livened up by the paisley bed covering and her bright blue kimono.
Only one thing troubled Mimi, and it didn’t trouble her all that much. The room had no door. It didn’t seem possible for a room to have no door. She had come in through the door. Of that she was certain. Yet there was no door.
She looked in her cup to see if any tea remained. It was full. And piping hot. And she was glad of it. As she sipped, she noticed lights reflected on the surface of her tea. The reflections came from the multicolored fairy lights strung on the walls. They were charming and Mimi was pleased to notice them. She also noticed that the wall that had no door did indeed have a door. It was a shōji door. The colored lights reflected off the translucent paper panels.
She still didn’t know if it was day or night. It felt like morning because she had just woken up, because she felt refreshed. But she didn’t know. She went to the door, put her hand lightly on the bamboo frame, and slid it open.