Veby On The Move

Dusk was falling when the little girl of merely 10 years was returning from her daily chores of collecting discarded articles like plastic items and useless glass bottles. Her day wasn’t blessed by the dear lord as her sack was not filled up enough to satisfy her parents and she actually dreaded on the consequences as she slowly walked back home: a small shack in the suburbs of a bustling city.

Crawling below a barbed fence as she had always done to reach the barren ground which she considered the huge border line between the rich and the people with whom she belonged. Dangling along the stick which she picked up from one off the bushes nearby the girl prayed hard to god to take away her fear of not living up to her parent’s expectations and save her from another dilapidated night.

As she crossed the ground, she sat on a bench, rather on the ruins of what was once a bench across a dustbin. Sitting into the quietness she tried her best to sink into the situation that she would face once she is home.

Suddenly an object caught her eyes and she rushed across the street to inspect the element that had caught her attraction. The gloominess in her eyes suddenly disappeared and happiness filled her heart as she picked up the discarded doll from the dustbin. Though it was full of dust and dirt and not in its perfect condition, the girl embraced it. It was her childhood dream to own her personal doll but none was ever brought to her.

Holding the doll carefully, she went back to where her sack was kept. Filled with joy and excitement she cleaned the doll to the extent she could. It was almost dark when the girl still sat there admiring her newly owned possession when a small boy about half her age came forward to her. He hadn’t had any clothes on his body and seemed to be belonging to a dreadfully poor family-more than hers’ she guessed.

When the girl asked for his name he shied away but still stood where he was and in fact took a step or two forward. As soon he outstretched his hands the girl understood what attracted him so much to be brave enough to come up and ask for her newly found treasure.

At the first instance, the girl wanted to shoo him away and run back home with her toy which could make her forget all about the harsh words she has to hear for being born as a girl in such a poor family. But the innocent look on the urchin’s face melted her heart and with a final hug to the doll she gave it to him.

There was a reflection of pure happiness on the kid’s face as she slowly walked away holding tightly onto his priceless gift as the girl stood here amazed at how happy she was while giving away her dream for the happiness of someone else.

That day the girl learned the lesson on her own – giving can bring you much more than happiness. The girl felt proud of who she was that day.

From Pooh's Diary.......