The Lift.

She cries.

Tears roll over her cheeks while she looks out at the Makati skyline. The city-lights appear as smeared shining stars. She feels alone, scared and contemplates giving up. “Why did I accept this so-called stretch assignment, when I already knew that Manila is so different from Singapore? I should have known better, and now I’m a mess. My career is over before it even got started”. Vicky feels small and hopeless.

?

WEDNESDAY 8:45AM.

She wakes up in the bay window, leaned against the cold glass. Somehow she fell asleep, exhausted and not hearing her alarm. Being late, she quickly showers, gets dressed, grabs her heavy business backpack, leaving the room with no energy. She enters the lift, softly pushing the lobby button.

But instead of going down, the lift moves backwards…

After a felt eternity, the lift stops with a crisp ding.

?

THE ELEGANT SILVERY MADAM.

?Is your backpack heavy, my dear?“ the elegant woman asks. Vicky gives her an exhausted nod. “It is”, she says with a low voice, while looking down. ?It’s ok, my dear, we all have tough periods in our life where we carry a heavy burden and feel small.“ Vicky looks up, wondering how the lady knows that she feels small. Before she can ask, the lift arrives with another crisp ding, and the elegant madam steps out with an even more elegant nod.

?

THE BLIND MAN WITH A LABRADOR IN A HURRY.

Just as the door closes, a yellow labrador dog squeezes through, dragging a blind man into the lift. He almost stumbles. “Are we in a hurry today. Scarlett?”. If a dog can laugh, it certainly looks like Scarlett is laughing. The man stands absolutely motionless, with his feet planted safely onto the floor, while Vicky is not sure if he is aware that they share the lift. She hears her inner voice for the 10th time this morning: “Vicky, you don’t have the guts to pull this through. Give up before you make an even bigger fool of yourself”.

“Excuse me. What did you just say?” the blind man asks. Vicky looks in disbelief to the blind man, then to the dog. “Did he ask me or the dog?”. “I asked you, miss.? I heard you saying that you don’t have the guts and that you should give up”, the blind man says in a gentle voice. “If you give up now, miss, who would you be?”. Vicky is perplexed.

Ding, once again.

She can only watch as Scarlett drags the blind man out of the lift. Definitely Scarlett smiles, again in a hurry.

?

While the doors silently close, Vicky cannot help to ponder the question. “Who would I be if I give up?” Her head-cinema switches on and a movie appears. She sees herself walking towards an aircraft with a heavy backpack full of broken dreams, starting an indefinite garden leave. “No, that’s not me!”, she bursts out, feeling a boost of defiant energy for the first time since long.

?

THE CLEANING LADY WITH BIG DREAMS.

Ding. In steps a young cleaning lady with a fully loaded laundry cart.

“Good morning, madam” she says, with a voice full of lightness and joy. “Who do you believe you can become?” she asks. “What the F***”, Vicky says. “How come everyone ask me questions today? What’s going on here?”. “Sorry madam, I was just talking with myself. I handed in my application for my law studies last night, and I just can’t stop thinking about what I can become”. The cleaning lady beams at her, her hopeful soul filling the lift.

Ding, the lift arrives and the young woman that believes she can become a lawyer leaves, seemingly not touching the ground while she pushes the heavy cart out.

?

“What a great question that was”, Vicky mumbles. “Who do I actually believe I can become?” Once again the head-cinema switches on. She sees herself walking towards an aircraft. But this time the backpack is light, her stride is firm and she realizes that the woman about to enter the aircraft is full of confidence. It is a hopeful and optimistic young female leader about to fly to the regional headquarters in Singapore, to present her business plan for the Philippines.

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THE SWIRLING BALLERINA IN THE KNOW.

Ding, once again. The doors slide open, and the lobby appears.

Vicky is confused, not sure what to do now. Walk into the lobby, or wait until more people come in and ask her questions? Her light trance is interrupted by a ballerina swirling into the lift “Miss, are you ready? The world is waiting for you”, she says. “I need a ride with this lift, so that I can be my very best at the premiere tonight”, she says with a knowing twink. Vicky laughs – one of those laughs that come from a liberated soul.

?

“Yes, I am ready”. Vicky steps into the lobby, carrying her heavy backpack with resolute steps towards the taxi stand.