Discoloration

Outside the elevators it caught my eye. A large mark spread across the floor in uneven curves and a splatter pattern. The fallen drink—whatever it was—had left the tile several shades whiter; it made me think of bleach, and the way my mother would pour it on our uniforms to remove the discoloration of everyday wear. But the black collar could not avoid it, and turned red and orange in uneven shades. The instructor pulled me aside one day and said my mother really oughtn’t use bleach; it’s ruined; and I need to buy another.

No. 151