The restroom that doesn't rest

If walls could talk, what would they say, would they tell you secrets of the day, well here you'll find out, what they see when you go for a pee!

It's strange being a wall in a woman's restroom, the things you see and hear, but let me tell you, it may sound strange, but a restroom is a place where you see things no others do.

In this busy office toilet, there are many faces you see. Being on the ground floor means you see the regulars who you develop nicknames for until you learn their names, but you also see the guests and the one-timers. Let me tell you about my favorite.

The person I'd like to mention is Juliette, she's been visiting this bathroom for around 4 years so I'm guessing it's around the time she started working here, I only recently learned her name when a colleague called it out as she was leaving, before then, I called her raven.

I once saw a picture of a raven on a wildlife magazine that was left next to the sink, the blue-black feathers had me mesmerized. I'll never know if they're real or not, but Juliette had long blue-black hair that reminded me of that bird, hence her nickname.

The first day I saw her she was nervous, straightening her skirt and adjusting her shirt, I'm guessing this was her interview. She spoke to herself in the mirror and looked stunning, she stood out to me as she looked nervous and concerned, but as soon as she was ready she squared her shoulders, breathed deeply, and nodded to herself in the mirror like she was saying 'let's nail this '.

Given I've seen her most days for the past 4 years, it's obvious she did in fact nail it. During her first week, she'd come into the bathroom each morning and look at herself in the mirror. I assumed she was prepping for the day, but around month 3 I noticed something else. She came here to compose herself, to make sure the red in her eyes didn't show, they weren't always red but more often than not, it was obvious she had been crying.

Soon after, her eyes didn't seem so red, but sunken, like she had given up. There were no longer pep talks in the mirror, just a dejected once over. After that, I didn't see her for a month, as usual, I watched other people come and go and laugh and chat on phones and I enjoyed the juicy gossip, but I missed my raven, I was concerned about her, and yet I was a wall, how could I grow attached?

After a while, I'm sure cracks were showing on my walls from the stress of worrying about Juliette, was she OK? I knew she hadn't been fired as I listen to too many conversations and no one had mentioned it, and yet my raven hadn't looked great the last time I saw her.

After another couple of weeks, Juliette came back and I nearly cracked the plaster with my happiness. She had lost weight and still looked sad, but there was more light than before. I had spent weeks concerned and worrying and now the raven had flown back to me. I had become accustomed to her, I listened as she spoke to herself, gave herself verbal beatings, and then boosted herself back up, I had watched her before meetings be a nervous wreck, then after a moment in the mirror, look like a radiant ball of confidence, she was amazing.

After watching her for a while, another woman entered the bathroom and look shocked, and then ecstatic to see her, she threw her arms around her and asked how she was. I listened to the conversation and learned Juliette had lost her father and had taken time off to grieve and go to the funeral. I had never had arms and yet I wanted to reach out and hug her, I wanted to tell her it will all be OK.

She and her coworker left, and yet I felt I could cry. This was strange as these emotions were so human, if I started to cry, I would be ripped apart and fixed back together after looking for a leaking issue.

I've watched her ever since, I've watched her cry here and I've not been able to hold her, I've watched her scream at people on the phone in anger, but I've also seen the way she lights up when she flirts on the phone, or laugh with a coworker, or do little victory dances. I've seen the parts she hides from others and the little things only I know make me adore her more. I know my raven may leave one day and I won't see her again, but she'll take a piece with me.

Walls are like jigsaw puzzles of all that we have seen and watched and learned, so many memories and experiences, and yet, Juliette has become a big piece of that. She taught me excitement, as seeing her makes me feel as if I light up too, she taught me to care, to worry, and to long for something, she taught me what it was like to feel human.