A Red Day — a short story for English reading and speaking

Colin had always worn the same colour socks for most of his life.

At school, socks were grey. Part of the uniform and no choice in the matter.

So that was what he wore.

He went to university, graduated, got a job, and his taste in socks shifted.

Calf-length and black.

He didn’t have to think about what to wear. He got up in the morning, took a shower, got dressed and grabbed a pair of socks from his drawer.

The black socks went with his limited choice of footwear. Either the black office shoes or his brown brogues, the black socks matched with both.

His suits were either dark grey or dark blue.

And again, the black socks went with both colours.

Colin liked his life of regularity. He liked systems and routines.

So he surprised himself the day he bought some new socks in an assortment of colours.

It seemed to come out of nowhere. One day, he left his office and was on the way to the train station to take the 6:10 back to Langport and home, when he felt suddenly compelled to turn left when he should have turned right.

He found himself on a busy shopping street. The entire area was filled with shoppers, their hands full of bags of clothing and other items.

Colin turned down a side street and that’s when he saw the small shop.

Inside was the biggest array of socks he had ever seen in his life. He had never seen such a wide variety of styles and colours.

Colin felt captivated. He could not stop staring at the vast selection of socks and all the vibrant colours.

A woman appeared and asked him if he needed any help, and he suddenly felt the need to buy as many different colours of socks as he could.

‘Um, I would like to buy some socks,’ he said. ‘In as many colours as you have in stock.’

The woman smiled and picked up a few pairs, all in vivid and bright colours.

‘How about these ones? Do you like these?’

She passed them to Colin and he was captivated by the texture. And the colours… they seemed to enter his very subconscious mind and put him in a dreamlike state.

‘Yes, all of these,’ he replied in a whisper. ‘And maybe some more.’

The woman selected some pairs of socks, all in different colours, and then placed them in a bag for Colin.

He paid and rushed out of the shop.

He had never felt such an emotion before. It was like his entire life was about to make some huge change that he had no control over.

He ran to the train station, caught the next train — the 6:52 — and got home.

By the time he had made his usual dinner, eaten it and watched one of his favourite TV shows, it was late and he went to bed.

During the night, Colin’s dreams were filled with psychedelic colours and images of everyday items in bright reds, greens and blues.

Like something from a children’s storybook.

Colin awoke the next morning and jumped into the shower. He scrubbed his body, shampooed his hair and brushed his teeth.

Then he went back to his bedroom to select a new shirt — today, a light blue one — and one of his suits.

It was then that he remembered the new socks he had bought the day before.

The bag lay casually thrown on a chair by the window.

Colin opened it and pulled out the socks.

Even in the dim light of his bedroom with the curtains drawn, he could make out the brilliant vivid colours of his brand-new socks.

He chose a red pair.

Colin pulled them on his feet and he had a slight sensation that ran over his feet and legs. Like a cool breeze sliding gently over his skin.

He chose the black lace-up shoes that went well with his dark pin-striped suit.

Then he checked his appearance in the mirror.

Everything looked great.

And the red socks flashed between the slight gap with his trousers and his shoes.

He felt like he was doing something daring. That he was performing a special kind of stunt that would force people to look at him twice as he walked down the street.

Downstairs in the kitchen, Colin made his usual breakfast — a cup of coffee and a slice of toast made with brown bread. He spread marmalade on the toast and, lost in deep thought, he munched on it and sipped at his hot cup of coffee.

Colin did a little twirl on the floor and looked down to admire the flash of red from his amazing socks.

It was so strange that such a simple item of clothing could give him a new boost in life. He practically felt like a new man.

Very soon the time came for him to leave the house and make his way to the train station.

He had to catch the 7:55 train into town every morning if he wanted to arrive at the office on time.

Clicking his heels together (where did that come from? He had never done that before!) he waltzed down the corridor to the front door, opened it and strode out into the new day.

What greeted him was a bright kaleidoscope of tones in the colour of red.

The sky was a bright indigo red with darker red clouds whisking above the rooftops.

The trees on the street held heavy crowns of deep red leaves.

And the houses on his street… every one a different shade of red.

Colin took it all in and got to the pavement.

Each slab of stone beamed out a bright red light as he stepped on it.

Today was indeed going to be a great day.

A red day.

Colin smiled to himself and began walking towards the station.

But after a few steps he stopped.

Across the road, Mrs Harper was standing by her gate watering the flowers in her garden.

The water from the hose poured out in a bright red stream.

And the flowers she was watering — roses, tulips, daisies — were all the same colour.

Red.

Mrs Harper looked up and waved to him cheerfully.

‘Lovely morning, isn’t it?’

Colin looked around once more at the glowing red street, the red sky and the red houses.

Then he looked down at his socks.

They were still bright red.

‘Yes,’ he said quietly.

‘Perfect.’

As he continued down the street, Colin suddenly remembered the woman in the shop.

Her quiet smile.

The strange calm in her voice.

And the way she had watched him so carefully as he chose the red socks.

For a brief moment he wondered if she had known something that he did not.

Then he looked around again at the glowing red world and smiled.

Perhaps she had.