She stood there, her nose glued to the window. As she sighed, her breath left a patch of fog on the window. She pressed her hands towards the clear glass, staring in awe at the hanging purses and dresses: the sight was amazing.
A woman loaded with silver jewellery, carelessly opened the door and brought a wave of heat from the inside. She realised she was very cold and sniffed. The stuffy nose was getting to her. She craved to get inside.
No. Not for the expensive clothes or the purse. Yes, for that as well but there was something more she wanted. She wanted to be well. To be free from the world she was living in. The world she called 'outside'.
She watched the woman with the swinging bag get into a sleek black car she didn't even know the name of. If only she had been the one on the driver's seat. If only the woman had the chance to be in her shoes for a while. Shoes? What shoes? She giggled at her own sick joke and then sighed in agony once again.
She sprinted towards the car, knowing the woman would never pay attention yet holding onto hope.
Miss. I'm hungry. I don't have a shilling and I have so many to feed. Please ma'am.
But the woman drove away, oblivious of a young girl having little in her pocket but a lot to wish for. She ran back to the shop window but something stopped her in her tracks...
How many times do I have to tell you we don't have anything to give? Now go away. I see you touching those windows one more time and you'll be in a lot of trouble. Now go!
The worker was quite harsh. The girl never did anything wrong. She never stole a shilling. All she did was wish. Was she not allowed that? But fate was cruel enough to restrict her to everything until she died of hunger on a cold winter night.
Nothing was to blame. Not her. Not the rich woman. Not the worker. Just fate: the fact that she was born an annoying beggar. The hard truth that things would take too long to change in her case...longer than her life.
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