Judgment in Glass

Chapter 6 - Reflection

In the morning, Serafina scolded herself for returning the necklace. She literally slapped her forehead. After all, it could have been her day for receiving gifts.

As she got up from bed, she spied on the mirror that she got from Curious and Curioser. She had placed it on the wall in such a way that it would be the first thing she would see whenever she rose in the morning.

Rafina did not know if she imagined things, but a shadow seemed to have passed in front of the mirror. She shook her head at that and sighed. She often woke up before 6 in the morning. It was still dark, and the vestiges of the night still clung to the room. Of course, she would imagine things.

Reluctantly, she got up. She still had to prepare breakfast for the whole gang of girls. Her mom had no job but somehow could not muster any motivation to fix up something, anything. She could not even prepare milk or coffee. Francesca and Theresa were still sound asleep.

Something seemed to be nagging Rafina to go to the mirror and look at her reflection. After all, she got it for a reason, right? Why not use this freebie for something it was made for?

Walking gingerly towards the mirror as not to wake up the girls, she felt a passing excitement. It was just a mirror, she knew, but walking towards it certainly made her day a little bit different.

What she saw gave her a little shake that woke her up as if she had her first mug of coffee. Or two. In the mirror, she saw her reflection. But something was different about it.

It was smiling sweetly, not wearing the usual sarcastic look that Serafina wore. Her face was also wearing makeup, and her hair was in gorgeous waves.

“What the f-?”

Serafina’s eyes widened with fear. The last time she felt that sudden chill was when they found out that her father had been left in an alley, dead. It was years later when she wondered why he was even there in the first place. What was he doing there? It seemed like blasphemy to question your murdered father’s movements.

She looked back at her reflection. She squinted at it. The Serafina Todd in the mirror was wearing dangling gold earrings. She was laughing as if she had no care in the world.

Was she going mad? Rafina started slapping her cheeks to wake herself up. Then, she turned to the mirror again. The edited version of her reflection was still there.

Agitated, she went by Francesca’s bed and started shaking her sister.

“W-what’s happening?”

“Come here. I will show you something.”

“School’s not until 9, Rafi.”

“Really? So what if I needed help in the kitchen, you wouldn’t wake up?”

“Do you? Okay, okay. I will get up.”

Franny was still rubbing her eyes when her older sister maneuvered her towards the mirror.

“Well, open your eyes.”

“Okay!”

Francesca looked at the mirror, frowning. She squinted at it. Then, she shrugged her shoulders while Rafina watched her, expectantly.

“What do you see?”

“What do I see? Hmm. Well, it’s an expensive gold mirror that you cannot possibly afford but was given to you by a strange old man with a strange name.”

“But do you see anything strange? The reflection?”

“Haha. Funny, Rafi. I see myself, of course. If that is your way of calling me strange today, well, it somehow worked. I am wide awake now. Let us go and fix something up.”

“No! I am not joking around. You don’t really see anything, do you?”

“No,” she said, already heading down the stairs.

I looked back to the mirror. Yes, she was still there – fake, posh Rafina. Happy Rafina. What else could be faker?

***

Next door, Dragomir woke up just as early. He was used to waking up even earlier. As a soldier, he did it for discipline. As a mercenary, he did it for stealth. He decided he was going to cook himself some eggs that day.

Humming, he ran down the steps. It was going to be a good day. He could feel it. For some reason, he thought of checking the mirror. After all, after splurging on jewelry, he got something for free. How much was it again? His mind was fuzzy, but he could recall that Mr. Tarus seemed to agree with his assessment – that the mirror cost a lot. Thousands of dollars. But the old man simply gave it to him, claiming that it was calling to him.

Dragomir looked at the mirror, remembering the fleeting figure he saw pass through it the night before.

He did not see anything out of the ordinary.

What was that?

He looked at his reflection again. There was something different about it. He was clean-shaven, and he had a broad smile on his face as if somebody had just told him some good news.

What was going on? This man, a version of him, turned around. A woman was behind his back. He could not see her face, but his reflection gave this woman a kiss. Then, as sudden as the image formed in front of him, it was gone.

Dragomir now looked at himself in the mirror. He was not pale. He seemed healthy. Was he finally going insane? Whenever he was in a fit of rage, people asked him if the war did it to him.

What have you seen, Dragomir? Was it so terrible? How could you take all that and not let anyone in? Talk to someone.

He had returned to Desiderium to avoid the questions from people who had been with him as soldiers, even as mercenaries. Their wives and girlfriends. Their parents. They had been asking after him.

Are you going home to your family? Don’t you have a girlfriend waiting for you? Have you sown your seeds and have children somewhere?

He was alone, but did that mean he was also slowly and inevitably going crazy?

***

“Good evening. Mr. Tarus,” Serafina called out as she swung the door – more confidently this time. Whatever takeout she had to buy would have to wait. She did not want to take the whiff of dumplings or pizza or whatever inside the posh antique shop.

How was the antique shop going to earn money? Again, the place did not seem to have any customers. Perhaps they came earlier, one at a time. After all, expensive shops in Desiderium could only hope to get a trickle of customers inside. She should know. She worked at Fortuna’s.

And yet, it seemed that things were turning around. She did not know if Dragomir had somehow become a good luck charm. Or was it the snobby lady who bought a ring the other day?

Whoever or whatever it was, it served as a catalyst. She had two sales again that day. It was a big deal. A man bought a diamond engagement ring for $7000. Ka-ching! Then, an old lady came and got a pair of earrings for her granddaughter. $1000. Oh, my! Leona usually got the sales in the leather section, but she was happy for her friend.

“What is going on? I mean, this is wonderful, Rafi!”

“I know! I should take you out one of these days, Leo!”

“You don’t have to. You know that.”

Unlike Rafina, Leona was what one would call upper-middle class, not quite as wealthy as Serafina used to be – but still better off at this point. Leona just wanted to work for now. She was terrible at school, she said. Selling leather in a scented luxury goods shop was good for her while she considered what to do next.

It was a stepping stone of sorts.

In Rafina’s case, it might be her dead end. So, every sale was something else. A gift! A boon from heaven, or wherever blessings came. She was not religious. She did not know what to think.

It was actually an easier pill to swallow if her roguish neighbor had jumpstarted everything. But the chill that stayed with her throughout the day made her think that it might have something to do with the mirror.

What would she give in return for whatever she was being given?

“You are finally getting the blessings you deserved!” was Leona’s explanation.

Rafina wanted to hear the answers from Mr. Tarus’ mouth.

“Yes, Miss Todd?” the old man finally answered, appearing from the back, almost as if from nowhere. Like before, he was impeccably dressed.

“Um, I’ve heard that some antiques are cursed.”

He laughed at that, head bent back in hilarity, but only a soft sound came out.

“Do you believe in curses, Rafina? A girl like you, with her head firmly on her shoulders?”

Rafina admired how the old man knew just what to say to flatter her. But she would not be swayed.

“Mr. Tarus, okay, can an antique bring good luck?”

“Mm. I guess some can. Why? Have you received a windfall?”

“Something like that,” she muttered.