Unseen And Invisible

An empty car drew up to our house. A man got out. You could tell it was a man by the sound of his footsteps.

There was a knock at the door. I asked through the intercom, "Who is it?"

"The invisible man!" said the voice behind the door.

"I can't see you!" I answered back.

But he would not take "No" for an answer. He rang the doorbell again.

I opened the door. There was no one there. I shut the door and went back to my office.

He must have got into the house because moments later my office door opened and closed all by itself.

"Sorry to barge in," said the voice.

I nearly fell off my chair. "Who the hell are you? Where are you?" I asked.

"I am the invisible man," replied the voice, "I am sitting in the chair opposite you!"

I noticed the chair move a little and a bottom-shaped indentation on the seat appeared as some weight was put on it.

"The invisible man?" I stammered in trepidation.

"The very same!" he said, no doubt smiling by the sound of his voice.

It took me sometime to take all this in. After a few seconds I hesitated and asked, "if you are invisible, are all your clothes invisible too? Or are you naked?" 

"Does it make any difference?" he asked.

"It would, if you were a woman," I replied cheekily.

He must have liked my humour because he smiled again ... I think! He then said, "I am naked!"

"I must remember to disinfect this seat," I said curtly, "what do you want?"

"At last, we come down to business," the voice replied, "I would like you to write about me. You are a writer, I gather. Not a good one, but you'll do. I want you to write about invisibility. Being unseen. How it feels and how it affects people like me!"

"Does it cause you problems?" I asked getting my notebook and pencil ready.

"Of course," he explained, "I can't come and go as I please because if I open a door, people will see it open by itself and they would panic. Just like you did just now. So I have to wait until someone opens a door and I get through with them without being noticed."

I nodded as I scribbled quickly.

He continued, "Once at a party I wanted to go to the toilet and could not open the door as I explained. I had to wait until someone got in the toilet and I followed them in. Then I waited till they finished before I could go myself. After they left, I had not finished so I got trapped in the toilet room all alone. I had to wait ages until someone else came in and I got out unnoticed!"

I smiled. He saw that because I am not invisible.

"I think I've said enough," he declared, "you've plenty to get on with for now. I'd better leave through your window so that we don't panic your family!"

The chair moved. The window opened by itself. And then there was silence. He must have gone.

I thought a while about invisibility. Many people are invisible. People you meet in the street, in the shops, or on the bus or train, and you ignore them. People at work, like the security guard at the main gate that you pass every day and don't say "hello!" Or the people who deliver the mail and packages to your in-tray. You don't notice them because they're invisible.

Or the waiters in a restaurant. Waiters are always invisible I notice. Most people continue with their conversation regardless of the waiter being there.

Also the new person at work. Timid, afraid not to make a mistake, trying his best. Yet he's invisible to everyone else. No one there to make him welcome and help him along.

Old people are invisible too. Most people ignore them when they see them in the street or on the bus. 

There are so many invisible people in this world. I wonder how they feel?

Maybe ... perhaps ... I am invisible too to people around me.

Are you invisible?