Like every morning, I got up from my bed with the springs sinking and went to the bathroom. I took a shower in not-so-hot water, put on my school uniform, and looked at my miserable self in the mirror, which was barely visible because of the dirt. I took my mask with me and looked in my pocket, it was about 15 Liras.
My father, whose hands were injured and tired from carrying loads at night, asked if I had any money. I said I have fifty Liras with the mask I wore while talking to my family, I kissed him and left the old and dilapidated house. I smiled and chatted with the people of the neighborhood with the mask I wore in public. I bought a newspaper from the grocery store on the way to school. I read my newspaper with dozens of people wearing masks on the subway. While reading the news about the murder of dozens of women in the newspaper, I could not stop the pain inside me and turned the page. While reading the columns written by a few stupid politicians, I realized once again that what happened did not really matter, it was just the agenda of the day. I got off the subway and went to school.I put on my mask for
school.I said good morning to the class and went down to the canteen. The canteen said that it was ten Liras because the price of toast was increased. I looked at the fifteen Liras in my hand, swallowed under my mask, told the canteen that I was not hungry, and returned to the classroom. In every lesson, teachers ask are we good or bad in a fake way and we say good in a fake way. Every lesson I answer questions and I keep silent when the teachers fill their egos by getting angry with us but screaming from under my mask. During breaks, I talked with my friends about yesterday’s match and this month’s fashion as I am not hungry, unhappy, or miserable with the mask for my friends. I bought a bagel on the way home and ate it.
I came home and told my parents that school went very well and my classes were very good then went to my room. I took off all my masks and was alone with myself. I didn’t have a word to say to myself or to the world. People tell lies not the truth with the masks they wear because with the masks they are not themselves. In other words, it is a lie this saying of Oscar Wilde “When a person talks with his own identity, it is very little like himself; if it is given a mask it will tell the truth’’