But before dialing the number, I move in closer. This cherry-red mark seems almost drawn. It doesn’t resemble a technical substance or a forcing tool. A doubt crosses my mind. What if it’s not what I thought it was?
That’s when the obvious hits me. That red, that texture… it looks like makeup. And not just any makeup: lipstick. I think back to my wife this morning, in a rush, her makeup bag overflowing with tubes, pencils, and other little cosmetic treasures. Her keys? Hastily stuffed into the middle of the mess.
The unexpected twist: when lipstick becomes suspect number one
I burst out laughing. The stress suddenly disappears. My « incriminating clue » is none other than a morning clumsiness: the lipstick probably dripped onto the keys, and when I inserted them into the lock… this is the result!
When she came home that evening, I showed her the famous stain, a bit theatrically. She looked at me puzzled, then understood and laughed too. « Next time, be careful with your lipstick, I almost called the police! » – we still laugh about it.
What we remember from this story (beyond the laughter)
Ultimately, this lighthearted mishap reminds us of one essential thing: our imagination can sometimes go a little too far… especially when fatigue or stress get involved. But it also highlights the extent to which our daily lives are full of tasty little anecdotes, which we just need to look at with a little perspective (and a good dose of humor!)
So if one day you come across a strange mark on your door… take a deep breath, look carefully, and think about lipstick first before panicking!
Sometimes the biggest scares are just a touch of mascara behind them.
