The woman with one blue and one brown eye was standing in front of one of the mirrors in her bathroom. She opened the bathroom cabinet and took out the lenses. Blue today. Blue eyes at work. Not different-colored eyes. Not at work. At work she was not her true self. At work nobody knows who I am. And anyway, it wasn’t her real job, was it? It was just a cover. Just for appearance’s sake. She pulled her hair into a tight ponytail and bent forward toward the mirror. Placed the lenses carefully against her eyes and blinked. She put on a fake smile and studied herself. Hi, I’m Malin. Malin Stoltz. I work here. You think you know me, but you have no idea who I really am. Look how good I am at lying. Smiling. Pretending that I care what you’re talking about. Oh, your dog is sick? How awful. I hope it’s feeling better now. A glass of OJ, of course, no problem, Mrs. Olsen. Now, let me change your bedlinen as well, make it more comfortable for you. There’s nothing nicer than fresh linen. The woman with one blue and one brown eye left the bathroom and went to her bedroom, opened her wardrobe, and took out her uniform. Staff wore white, a good rule. When everyone wears the same, we become invisible. Unless our eyes are different colors. And now they aren’t. Now they are blue. As blue as the sea. Norwegian eyes. Beautiful eyes. Normal eyes. Sandwiches in the break room. Totally, I completely agree with you. She should have been kicked off the show, I certainly didn’t vote for her, that woman has two left feet. Dead faces. Empty. Vacant. Empty words. Lips moving below dead eyes. Did he really say that? Your ex-husband? How dare he? Yes, of course I’m on Facebook. Coffee. Eight o’clock. Sometimes I work night shifts. I park in the garage. But it’s not my real job, is it? Not really? No, reality is completely different.
The woman with one blue and one brown eye went out into the hall, picked up her bag and her coat, walked downstairs, and got into her car. She started the engine and turned on the radio. They are missing, but no one will find them, will they? Not everyone is capable of having children. Who gets to decide? Who decides who can have a child? Some people lose a child. Who gets to decide? Who decides who will lose a child? It’s not my real job. Not this. No, no one can say what my real job is. Yes, some people know, but they won’t tell.
The woman with one blue and one brown eye changed radio stations. It was the same everywhere. The girls are still missing, and nobody knows where they are. Where are those girls? Are they still alive? Is someone holding them captive? How many girls do you need? How many children do you have to have? Two point three, isn’t that the norm? Normal? So you are not normal if you don’t have children? What if you can’t have children? The woman with one blue and one brown eye drove slowly out of the city center. It is important to drive slowly if you want to be invisible. If someone were to stop your car, he might discover that it isn’t yours. That your name isn’t Malin Stoltz. That it is something completely different. That would not be good. Slow is better. Sometimes you can hide in plain sight—at work, for example. Some people think you need an education in order to get a job. You don’t. You just need papers. Papers are easy to fake. You just need references. References are easy to fake. The woman with one blue and one brown eye turned off Drammensveien and drove up to the white brick building. She parked her car and made her way to the entrance. Ten minutes to eight. If you arrive on time and do your job, nobody asks any questions.
She opened the door and went to the staff changing room. Hung up her coat and left her bag in her locker and looked in the mirror again. I have two blue eyes. I’m a little girl with blue eyes. This is just for fun. My real job is completely different. As long as nobody says anything, everything will be just fine. Sometimes you can hide in plain sight. The woman with one blue and one brown eye tightened her ponytail and went to the nurses’ station.
“Hi, Malin.”
“Hi, Eva.”
“How are you?”
“I’m really good. And you?”
“It was a long night. Helen Olsen felt unwell again. I had to call the ambulance.”
“Oh, dear, I do hope she’s feeling better.”
“It’s fine. She’s coming back today.”
“Good. That’s good. How is your dog?”
“Better. It wasn’t as serious as we first feared.”
I’m not ill. You’re ill.
“Who is on duty today?”
“You and Birgitte and Karen.”
I’m not ill. You’re ill.
“What is this?”
The woman with one blue and one brown eye looked at the notice above the coffee machine.
HØVIKVEIEN NURSING HOME CELEBRATES 10 YEARS!
“Oh, that’ll be nice. Big party on Friday.”
“Yes, it’ll be fun, won’t it?”
“Will you be there?”
“Yes, of course. Of course I’ll be there.”
You’re all sick. This isn’t reality.
“Some of the girls talked about getting together for a drink beforehand. Are you in?”
“Of course I’m in, sounds like fun. Do you want me to bring anything?”
“Talk to Birgitte, she’s organizing it.”
“Right, I will.”
“Can’t wait!”
“Neither can I.”
“Have a good shift, Malin.”
“Thanks. Drive safely. Say hi to your husband.”
“Thank you, I will.”
The woman with one blue and one brown eye poured herself a cup of coffee, sat down, and pretended to read the newspaper.