The Red Envelope

Photo by Siora Photography on Unsplash

A red envelope. Kept in a drawer for many, many years.

I opened it.

Inside, another cover, cardboard-coloured. I didn’t remember that.

The plastic binding had darkened; the contents had not.

I read the dates. I started reading.

I closed it, as I had done so many years before. To protect myself.

Then I opened it again. And I realised that no, I will never be ready. Not even many, many years from now.

I read the last pages.

I stayed there, listening to myself.

How many years, still. How many questions. How many doubts.

I looked at it and made it disappear forever.

Regretting it an instant later.