I wake. It's Friday morning, seven o'clock sharp. Punctuality – it's key. I slip out from
under my covers and turn on the shower. Everyone gets three minutes programmed exactly, so I hop in and clean myself as quickly as I can, the smell of plain, white soap engulfing me. I towel off and put on my outfit for the day: a slim-fitting grey pantsuit and a pair of rose-coloured ballet flats. Sometimes I miss the feel of a nice pair of structured pumps under my feet. The power a pair of shoes can give one – I miss it, despite the blisters and aches. Our government banned them several years ago. They felt them to be an unnecessary burden to working women. They wanted us to be able to keep up with the men, so it's been flats ever since. I walk into my kitchen to eat a quick breakfast before I head off to work: a bowl of porridge with berries and a sprinkling of dark chocolate over top – a nutritious bowl to start my day. Women are required to have a small amount of dark chocolate each day. Scientists have proven that it makes us happier; our government wants us to be happy and healthy. I was pretty pleased with this law when it first came into play, but you'd be surprised by how quickly chocolate can lose its appeal after a time, especially when you have no choice in eating it. I take a quick look in the mirror beside my front door before I head out. I stare at my face: it's not beautiful or eye-catching, but pretty enough with the lack of make-up. If I look closely, I can start to see tiny lines sprouting from the corners of my eyes and the odd grey hairs sprinkled throughout my long brunette hair. Nothing I can do about either. We consider it unfair to try and hide our aging. Some of us have more money than others to slow down the process, so now none of us can. We are taught to embrace our age – it shows wisdom and a life lived. We should be proud and not try to hide it. I grab my compact purse and head out the door.
I take the bus into work. In the big cities, cars for individual use are not permitted unless you are a very important person. Instead, we use subways and buses to cut down on our greenhouse gas emissions. Details. That's our country's new motto. Details. Success and prosperity are a result of remembering the details. So far, it seems like this has proven true. We are slowly, but surely, digging ourselves out of the pits our past government dug for us. I sit down next to an older lady. She smiles at me and compliments my shoes. I don't miss my car much.
My stop startles me. I'm still getting used to how efficient traffic moves with fewer vehicles on the road. I say good-bye to the lady, wishing her a good day, and step off the bus. I stop and look up at the building in front of me: Headquarters. Every time I look at it, it takes my breath away. Tall, sleek, window-covered, daunting even, but inviting at the same time. There's a statue out front I like sitting at during my lunch break. It's in the shape of a globe with women from all over the world united holding hands, smiling, on top of Earth. At the base it reads, "TOGETHER WE ARE STRONGER. TOGETHER WE CHANGE THE WORLD."
I enter through the lobby's big brass doors. They're still just as heavy as the first day I walked through them. We don't believe in doormen. We are strong enough to do things for ourselves, no matter what the task. The lobby is bustling with women headed in every direction, most going toward the elevators at the back. I head for the line passing quickly through security. I greet the women I know and smile to those I don't. Once I get into the elevator, I press the bottom for the top floor. Many women look at me with jealous eyes. Quickly though, they alter their faces. Jealousy is not a characteristic we favour. It doesn't lead to anything productive and it is not attractive.
I step out onto the top floor and see fresh flowers on the secretary's desk. We like surrounding ourselves with beautiful things. It inspires us to do great work. I pass through another security station. We don't really need to have it, but there will always be people who want to cause other people harm, especially those more powerful than them. There's nothing we can do about that no matter how hard we try.
I enter the office room. There are thirty seats around a big round table. The room is painted light blue, like a robin's egg – a peaceful colour. I grab a tea from the side of the room. I take it black. Too much sugar makes the brain rot. Nine o'clock arrives and all of the women are seated with their notepads out and pens at the ready. Remember: punctuality is key. The meeting progresses smoothly as I watch from the sidelines. The leader, a normal looking middle-aged woman, controls the meeting, but everyone's input, old and young, is heard and respected equally. It's better if one person doesn't have all the power. They discuss everything from the environment to global affairs to the toilet paper in the bathroom. Decisions are made, voices aren't raised, and the meeting concludes within the hour. The women disperse to their separate offices with smiles on their faces and friendly chatting amongst them. I follow the leader out, hand her a tea, and walk beside her to her office. She has more power than me, but she lets me walk with her and talk openly and honestly to her, while giving me a detailed, ordered list of tasks I am to complete today. I think she values my opinions and ideas even though I'm only her assistant. I want to be her someday. Someday I will. Anything is possible for women now.
Sometimes I feel bad that men, so far as I can predict, won't hold power again, at least in my lifetime. Other times I don't. They were doing a rubbish job for years. Yes, we survived, but the state we took over in was dismal. But it's getting better now, everyone can see that, even the men. Maybe once poverty, war, and pollution are gone forever we'll let them come back slowly. For now, we are happy. Countries that were at war are uniting in peace. More and more are being controlled by only women. We've banded together like a true sisterhood of sorts, instead of always putting each other down, judging one another, and trying so hard to be people we aren't. There are more women than men after all; it's only logical that we have the majority of the power.