The 10 Dollar Towel

In uncertain times, it always pays to treat yourself.

I bought myself a 10 dollar towel. Maybe to some people, 10 is the going price, but if you’re like me, you’ve always bought the three dollar ones that match the cheap decor of your bathroom and called it a day.

I haven’t had a bathroom in a few months. I’ve been staying with friends, supposedly figuring a few things out, and using their towels. This month I’m housesitting for a lovely couple with an equally lovely home. There’s a wide open, white-tiled kitchen, a dining area bathed in sunlight and a tastefully stocked record player nearby.

Their bath towels, for some reason, smelled like piss. It’s strange because they specifically mentioned that they’d just come from the wash, thoughtfully hanging them in the bathroom before showing me the alarm code and where they put the cat food. But as soon as I stepped out of the shower and put one to my face, I wanted to shower all over again.

I hope they don’t read this. Like I said, they’re the loveliest people… I washed the towels (which are definitely of the 3 dollar variety) and now they smell fine, but in the meantime I went out and bought myself an extravagant 10 dollar number.

I chose an earthy green that matches my everything. It’s the color of the damp moss that hugs trees in the shade. It’s the color of the thyme on the counter.

It’s soft. Not as soft as the 16 or 20 dollar towels, but you have to leave something to look forward to, right? It’s almost 6 ft long and 3 ft wide and when I wrap it around me after the tub, I put my cheek to the portion that covers my shoulders and snuggle myself.

I’m still wearing it now, almost an hour after my shower, scribbling at the table in the sunlight, writing it a love letter: “You make me feel like I don’t need any other towels. When I’m with you, I don’t think about bathrobes…”

Perhaps not having a bathroom is the best time to treat yourself to a 10 dollar towel, because I have a hunch that me and this beauty, we’re going places. Even if I do have to get dressed first.