LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT!

“I wish… I wish to be loved”, Denise thought silently as she blew out her candles. This wish, the wish she had made for every birthday she ever had. She solemnly pulled out the candle from her cupcake and brought it to her mouth. Every birthday was just the same, her and her cupcake. And every year she has to undergo the raging torment of loneliness.
She wiped off the cream from the corners of her mouth and stared blankly ahead of her. . She could almost hear the harsh whisper of the cold, icy wind. Gloomy, grey clouds were looming above her, as if threatening to stab the ground below with lightning any moment. Stretches of slumps lay beyond her sight, each dampening her mood a notch lower. Scattered groups of people, each plastered with a saddening look on their face, dragging their feet to their next destination. It all merged to paint a picture of bleakness, a depressing sight to behold.

Denise’s eyes drifted away. As she laid her eyes on the pile of garbage, she spotted a piece of red cloth sticking out from the piles of garbage. To feed her curiosity, she got up and approached it. Reaching her hand forward and ripping the garbage bag apart, Denise revealed the mysterious object. She stared at it for a long time, contemplating what it may turn out to be. As she gently brushed off the dust, her heart skipped a beat. It was a doll.

It stared back at her with its wide blue eyes. Its hair was the colour of charcoal, and its face the colour of soil. Its untamed hair fell loosely at its shoulders. Its dress was decorated with multiple patches of stains and pieces of torn cloth that hung loosely.

It was old and tattered indeed, but Denise could not tear her eyes away from it. Its wide blue eyes seemed to talk to her, as if whispering softly in her ears. Telling her that it knew what she was going through, telling her everything was going to be alright. A strange feeling overcame her. What was this feeling, she asked herself. Comfort? Happiness? Love? All she knew was that it was something she has not felt for a long, long time. All she wanted was for the doll to be hers.

She continued staring at her new found friend, observing every single detail it had and admiring it. She had always imagined herself owning a doll, dressing it up and having tea with it. However, considering her financial status, it remained to be a figment of her imagination. That is, until today. Her frown broke into a grin when the realization that she can proudly announce that she owned a doll hit her.

She motioned her hand slowly towards the doll, carrying it into her arms ever so lovingly like a mother embracing her child. She gently brushed against its cheek and smiled. “I’ll name you Yvonne. From now on, you are going to be part of my family and my best friend,” Denise said to her new found partner as she skipped happily home.
-SHEENA!