Chanel No 5

This post is for Day 7 of the 2019 Slice of Life Challenge. Thanks to the Two Writing Teachers for bringing this community of writers together to share our writing in the month of March.

For many years, my mother kept a bottle of Chanel No 5 on her bedroom dresser. I remember that someone gave it to her as a gift. I can recall the rich scent like it was yesterday and it brings back so many memories.

My mom was humble and we lived within our means so she would never have purchased such an extravagance for herself. The bottle was beautiful and the perfume a golden color. I thought it was the kind of perfume that movie stars would wear.

There weren't many opportunities for my mom to wear perfume. But on very special occasions she would reach for the bottle of Chanel No 5 and dab it behind her ears or on her slender wrists. It signified that it was a special occasion that lifted her away from her daily existence. To me it was a bit magical. 

I don't know what happened to the bottle of Chanel No 5 when my mom passed away. I wish I had claimed it. Now, I visit the perfume counter at the department store in search of the scent that brings me memories of my mother. I find a Chanel No 5 tester bottle and spray it into the air or on my own wrists. I take a sample card, spray it with Chanel No 5 and slip it into my pocket. For days, it fills the air with memories of my mom.

So if you see me at the perfume counter in the department store, don't assume that I am shopping for a new perfume. Oh, no. I am visiting yesteryear.