The Actress and Her Makeup Artist

The ageing actress looked at herself in the mirror. She made a small smile. A smile that meant ‘no regrets’. Today was going to be her last day of shooting. It was a decision that was not forced upon her. Despite getting some very interesting roles suiting her age she knew she had enough of it. She wanted to act till she didn’t get bored. Now she was beginning to. Time to hang up my lovely stilettos, she said to herself. She sat in her vanity van, waiting for her makeup artist to come. It was also going to be his last day at work. A decision that he had made right after she did.  

Just then he walked into the van after gently knocking twice on the door. He looked much older than the actress, though he could have been a few years younger than her. She enjoyed his company. Over a span of 15 years, she had seen him graduate from a junior makeup artist to her exclusive makeup artist (only he was allowed to touch her face, nobody else!), and from being a young boy to a married man with two kids. She even in fact sent him to an elite makeup school to update himself - relearn his art. He was a satisfied man. Besides, she was a good paymaster. Appraising him annually, despite her movies doing well or not at the box office.

She made it a point to ask him about his well being every now and then. But she knew where to draw the line. She didn’t like anyone asking her in return about her personal life, questions like why did she choose to be single all her life despite being proposed by best of actors and industrialists in her heydays.  

“Hello, ma’am,” he said as soon as he entered the door.

The actress smiled and said ‘hello, Manny’. 

He quickly went to the sink, washed his hands and wore his makeup gear.

"Last day, huh? So how do you feel?” she asked as he came closer to her and began arranging the creams and makeup bottles on the table.

“Sad but also satisfying in a way. Like a race that has come to an end. It has been a pleasure working with you, ma’am,” he answered in his soothing voice.

“You know you can carry on working for other actors. You have been in demand always and with me retiring now, I’m sure you must be getting offers from other actors,” she said with a husky laugh. 

“I am getting offers, ma’am, but I would like to now go back to my hometown. Besides, you have taken care of my financial needs, so today I can retire decently,” he said.

“Hmm, you have been a sensible man, Manny!” she said as she pursed her lips and closed her eyes while he cleaned her face with a cleanser.  

“How about you, ma'am? How are you feeling?” He then asked her.

“Relieved. To be honest with you, it is such a relief. No more makeup, no wearing of such fancy wigs,” she said, touching the long auburn wig that she was to wear for the shooting.

“Must feel like a burden on your skin and body,” he said, as he dabbed her skin with a toner next.

“Yes burden, that's the word! A burden, how true!”

“And these dialogues?” She said, looking at a file that was on her lap. “They are so dull. Half the time I don't even know what I’m saying. They are so lifeless!”

“Well, that is why we have you ma’am, to give these lines a life!”

“Just like you give life to my face, my otherwise, so dull face!” she said, laughing again.

“No ma’am, you have the finest skin of all. Had it not been for the harsh camera lights and the various types of roles that you have to do, you would not need makeup too!” Manny said, sounding earnest.

“How would you know about others’ skins, as you have done only my makeup for most of your life!” she said. 

“True ma’am, but I have seen your contemporaries and even this younger lot. Not even a patch on you!” 

She smiled. 

“I know you don't need me to tell you this but you are very beautiful, ma'am. The beauty magazine was right in saying that you are one of the most beautiful women in the world!” he said, after gathering some courage. Maybe this conversation was getting a little personal, but then it was their last day together.

“Pfff, that was like a decade ago and these beauty polls, you don’t even know how transparent they are. You are only beautiful till you are successful! There is a correlation!”

“You are humble, ma’am.”

“And you are besotted by me!” She said with a laugh, and then nodding her head sideways as you would do to a child. 

“So what will you do after you retire, ma’am?” He asked.

“If you think I am going to judge those talent shows on TV, then you are wrong! No more camera for me! I haven’t thought about it, to be honest.”

“Will you stay here...in the city?” he asked.

“That’s one of the beauties of being single. I can move about anywhere.”

He really would have liked to ask her why she chose to remain single but he dared not, even if today was the last day together. Strangely, she was never known to date anybody in her entire career. She kept to herself and perhaps, he and many others felt that this was the reason she had lost out on many meaty roles. She chose not to ‘please’ a few big directors. But she was happy. 

As if reading his mind, she then said:

“Don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere, maybe to my house in the hills when it gets too humid in the city! And I’m not going to live in isolation. I have my pets, my friends and even you can visit me,” she said.

He smiled. And started applying primer on her face. 

They kept silent as he worked upon his artist for the one final time. This was going to be his swan song too. After half an hour, she looked at herself in the mirror.

“I look stunning!” she said. 

“You are the most stunning woman in the world!” he said. 

She looked deep into his eyes as she got up to go out of the van, ready for her shot. She wore her stilettos, and now stood taller than him by a few inches.

“I’m not a woman, Manny! I never was!”

He looked at her dumbfounded.

“I’m a transgender,” she said softly. 

He continued looking at her.

“Can you keep a secret?” she said in the end with a smile, walking out of the van.