Choices

           As she stood in front of the two red doors, Samantha was faced with a choice.

           She was told that one door would lead her to a life free from worry, but it would be a longer path and her road may be rough at times. The other door would be an easier route, but the outcome may not be as satisfying. The choice was hers to make.

           ***

Earlier that day:

           It was a typical day for Samantha Davidson. The alarm went off at 5:30 AM, she hit the snooze button three times before getting out of bed at 5:45 AM. She dragged her tired body into the shower to get cleaned and refreshed, then headed to the kitchen for a breakfast that normally consisted of maple and brown sugar oatmeal, two slices of toast, and a cup of hot coffee with two cream.

           Samantha would then hop on the 7:10 AM bus and ride it downtown just in time to start work at 8:00 AM. Her workday was laid out for her each day, so thinking on her feet was not a prerequisite for the position.

           Her morning proceeded as per usual until 11:50 AM. That was when she received an unusual message in her work email. She tried to ignore it, but the email notification continued to pop up on her screen. She considered contacting the IT department, but it was nearly noon, and they would be leaving for lunch soon, as she too planned to do.

           With a quick left click of her mouse, Samantha decided to open this persistent email and find out what it was all about. What she found changed the rest of her day. The email read…

           Dear Miss Davidson,

           It is my understanding that you are a woman with great courage and determination. I would like to offer you an opportunity to put those skills to work and better your future.

           This opportunity is for a limited time and you must decide immediately. If you are genuinely interested in a better future, then meet me at 12:20 PM today in the town square. I will be seated on the bench near the water fountain and will be wearing a red hat.

           Sincerely,

           O

           “O”, she thought? “Who signs their name like that?”

           Samantha sat for a moment and pondered the email message until her stomach began to growl loudly. She decided to go check it out and grab a burger on the way.

           After ordering her cheeseburger from the local meat wagon, Samantha hurried to the town square. There, across the park, she spotted a large concrete fountain. Water spewed from the mouth of a life-sized dolphin statue in the center of the twelve-foot-wide fountain.

           A young woman kissed a coin before tossing it into the water. She then turned and walked away. To the left of the fountain, Samantha spotted a black, wrought-iron bench, and upon it sat a grey-haired woman clutching a red handbag. Upon her head, sat a red beret. She glanced at her watch and looked around. Samantha also looked at the time and saw that it was now 12:18 PM. She picked up her pace and made it to the bench at precisely 12:20 PM.

           Samantha stood in front of the woman, casting a shadow over her in the midday sunlight. The woman said without glancing up from her lap,

           “Welcome, Miss Davidson. I am glad you chose to meet me.”

           “Who are you, exactly, and what is this all about?” Samantha replied.

           “All in good time. I assure you; you will understand soon enough.”

           The woman known only to Samantha as, “O”, raised her eyes to gaze into Samantha’s. Samantha was taken aback momentarily. The woman’s eyes were a pale grey, nearly the color of her wispy hair.

           Noticing Samantha’s look of shock, the woman said,

           “I know my eyes are difficult to stare into, but these eyes see more than you could possibly imagine, my dear girl. We can speak more about this later if you wish, but right now, I would like very much for you to accompany me on a short walk. Would that be alright with you?”

           Sensing no threat from this kind old woman, Samantha agreed and walked with her slowly down the paved pathway. As they neared the parking lot on the North side of the park, the old woman guided Samantha off the path and into a wooded area to the East.

           Samantha became slightly nervous as the trees became denser and the sunlight slowly faded into shadows. Dried leaves crumpled beneath their feet. A cool breeze blew upon their backs, sending a chill up Samantha’s spine. She glanced down at her watch, concerned that she would be late returning to work.

           Once again, “O” spoke as if she were reading Samantha’s thoughts.

           “Worry not, Miss Davidson. I will be sure to have you back before you are missed.”

           They walked for a few more minutes into the woods until the came to a clearing which spanned roughly twenty feet in diameter. Surrounding the open circle were a barrier of white rocks on one side, and black rocks along the other side. In the center of the circle, stood two red doors encased with a white frame. Samantha walked around this strange sight wondering what would possess someone to put two doors in the middle of the forest that led to nowhere and served no purpose. The old woman asked Samantha to join her at the entrance (or exit, depending on how you look at it).

           “Before you,” the woman began, “you see two doors, correct?”

           Samantha agreed.

           “What if I told you that one of these doors would give you all that you ever wanted in life, but the journey to the point where your dreams come true would be faced with hardships and difficult decisions? The other door, although an easier route, would give you great pleasure for a short time, but it would all be lost in time. Which door would you choose?”

           Samantha looked at the woman with a look of disbelief before asking,

           “Is this what you dragged me into the woods for? You want me to know which door I would choose? Is this a joke, lady? I’m sorry, but I don’t have time for games. I need to get back to work.”

           Samantha began to turn away when the old woman said,

           “I apologize for your inconvenience, Miss Davidson, but I beg you to amuse a poor, old woman for a few more minutes.”

           Samantha stopped, hesitated, then turned back toward the doors. A sigh expelled from her lips. It was then that Samantha noticed something even more unusual than the doors. There were no birds chirping, no wind blowing, no noise at all. Even the leaves beneath her feet made no sound. The only sound she could hear, was the voice of the old woman standing in front of her.

           “It is time to make your choice, Miss Davidson. Which path do you choose? The difficult path is through the door on the left, and the easy path is through the door on the right.”

           Samantha stood silent as she considered her choices and wondered where the old woman was going with this. Was it a test to see if she was a likely candidate for a position at another company, or was it just some crazy old woman who gets her kicks from tormenting people?

           After serious consideration, however, Samantha chose the door on the left. When asked why, Samantha told the woman that she would rather wait for something that was going to last than to have something that would be gone after a short term.

           “O” smiled with acceptance and told Samantha to enter the door she chose. Nervously, Samantha approached the door. The palm of her hand became sweaty as she reached for the door handle. She turned it slowly to the right until it unlatched, then swung the door open quickly, ready to jump back at what was behind it.

           What she saw instead was the grassy area on the other side of the two doors. Her excitement collapsed in seconds as she felt as if she were conned by the old woman. She turned back at the woman and scowled. The old woman smiled and said,

           “Step through the door, Miss Davidson, for every journey in life begins by taking that first step.”

           Samantha stretched out her right leg and stomped it down upon the ground two feet in front of her. She looked around half-expecting something magical to happen, though nothing did.

           “Am I supposed to see or feel something different?” she asked the woman.

           “The world you see around you has not changed. It is you that has changed, Miss Davidson. For the first time in many years, you have made an important choice toward your future. The life you live is the path you have chosen, and although you may face some pitfalls along the way, it will allow you a happy future.”

           “So, I guess if I chose the other door, I would have seen the same thing, right?”

           “You are welcome to see for yourself,” the woman stated.

           Samantha walked back around to the front of the doors and opened the one on the right. Inside, she saw visions of tropical vacations, sports cars, fancy clothing, and several good-looking men. She closed the door and turned toward the woman. the grey-haired woman was nowhere to be seen. She called out her name, but to no avail. The woman had vanished without a trace. As she turned back toward the doors, they too had disappeared.

           She began to leave the circle and stopped suddenly. She noticed that the sound of the crumpling leaves had returned as did the birds singing in the trees around her. The breeze that once chilled her bones now felt refreshing and invigorating. Smiling, she hurried back to the office and arrived just before her lunch had ended. She sat down at her desk and logged back into her computer.

           A message popped up in her email. It was from “O”. She said,

           “Miss Davidson, it was a great pleasure meeting you today. You have chosen your path wisely. If at any time in your future, you need someone to talk to, I will be just a click away.”

           Samantha smiled, stretched, and continued with her typical day.