[EN] Ep.7｜That Voice
From My Closet To You
〜Narrative essays, weaving fashion and heart〜
1. A Clipping
A thick fog covers everything in front of me. I can’t even see a single step ahead—I need some kind of light. What do I do…? Something… anything. I fumble in my pocket. My fingers brush against paper. Out comes a clipping―a photo of a woman in a leopard-print dress, like a little piece cut from a magazine. Even in the fog, that pattern of black spots is clear. A high-fashion mood, completely out of place in this situation. Why would I have this? The moment I think that, a voice comes from nowhere. “…nd it.” Huh? What? “Find it.”
2. Reality
—I woke up in my bed. It was just a dream. That clipping… I’d seen it somewhere before…and that voice…What were they again? “I’m so tired.” With a sigh, I sat up. It was already past noon. Ever since I was transferred to a new team 6 months ago, the tiredness never lifted. My work had changed…from a job I loved to something completely different. It was still hard to accept. Wanting to shake off the gloom, I reached for my phone. There was a missed call from my parents’ place―an old house about an hour away. Oh, I was the one who’d said I’d come by today!
3. Happiness
As soon as I stepped through the front door of my parents’ house, my father talked to me. “Mami just had her second baby.” I didn’t know who he was talking about. Sensing that, he added, “Your cousin. The one in Nagoya.” “Right! She stayed here when she was job hunting.” I remembered that time. He continued, “Yeah, she wanted to work in fashion around here, not back home. But in the end, she didn’t get an offer from any of the places she applied to. I’m glad she’s happy now.” …Happy? No words came. Then, a memory surfaced—That was it!―Telling my father I was going to drop my stuff off, I dashed up to the second floor.
4. Her
Yes, that’s Mami’s…! I pulled a cardboard box out of the closet. Inside, there were many notebooks. Long ago, I used to cut up fashion magazines and make collages. One by one, the notebooks passed through my hands. Not this one… not this either. Before I knew it, only one notebook remained. Almost ready to give up, I opened it quietly. What caught my eye was the leopard-print dress. The same clipping I saw in my dream. It was a little faded. Looking at her, I said, “I found a piece.”―At night, I dreamed of that day.
5. Find It
Mami is getting ready to head home. I call out to her. “What time are you leaving?” She turns around. “I’ll go once I’ve finished getting ready.” Then she takes out a small piece of paper—a clipping of a model in a leopard-print dress. “For you.” “What’s this for?” She smiles. “It’s a good-luck charm. To help you become a woman who knows what she wants. And never gives up on who she wants to be. My fashion dream’s coming true soon. So, as your older cousin, this is my gift! Next, it's your turn.” That voice says―Be who you want to be. Your piece is out there. Find it.
Fin (Ep.7 That Voice)
© Hilda Tutu. All rights reserved.
◆Related Content
▷ Ep.7 Aterword –Hilda's Voice– ◁
▷ [Reel] Ep.7 Piece Guide ◁
▷ Japanese Version ◁
*Coming soon：Ep.7 Reading Fashion
◆Series, Fashion & the Author
▷ About “From My Closet To You” ◁
▷ List of Available Pieces (Stand-Alone Episodes) ◁
▷ Fashion Writing ◁
▷ About the Author ◁
― Hilda Tutu ―
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