Idling

That day nothing special had happened. When he got up the sun was shining. He had talked to the usual people, had followed his daily routine, had been alone when he had wanted to. Sometimes he looked without seeing and he listened without hearing. Next month he would turn ninety.

Stained mirrors

She had always been obsessed by cleaning. Whenever she looked at herself in a mirror she discovered small stains on it. The older she grew the more stains she could find on mirrors. She had a handkerchief ready to rub mirrors. She never admitted the aging spots of her skin.