Day in, day out, I saw children dragging their parents into the store and begging them to buy their desired toys. New toys would be put up and instantly would find themselves a new home. Yet, it had been days since I had been put on the display window. However, I could not blame them. Who would want a brown bear with only one dull black button for its eye?
I was about to be taken off display when I saw a little girl looking at me through the window. Her bright blue eyes always caught my attention when she walked by, they were filled with so much hope and innocence. I only wanted to protect her. However, like any other day, she grabbed her mother’s hand and walked away. Every time this happened, it would hurt, for she was the only one who looked at me as though I was valuable.
To everyone around me, I am just an inanimate object that feels and hears nothing, but I do have feelings.
I am very much aware of myself, like any of them, and, like them, I dreaded what was in store for me. As the gentle hand removed me from the display, all I could do was stare after the blue-eyed girl sending a silent prayer that I may see her once again.
After having accepted my fate, she turned back and saw what was happening. As though on impulse, she released her mother’s hand and ran to the store. Before I could see her, I felt myself being pulled from the store assistant’s hand and falling into a warm embrace. After a few muffled cries, I found myself being taken from the embrace and, soon enough, packaged into a pink bag.
When we left the store, I was overwhelmed with the sights and sounds, since I had never seen outside of the store. There were people rushing past with their briefcases, umbrellas and their smart work suits, their children happily skipping along in checked uniforms.
I could see the drops of rain drizzle down shop windows and cars that whizzed past causing a gust of wind to spray over us. I could hear the clip-clop of the posh women’s heels as they strutted through the streets. It was amazing.
After walking through the busy street, we entered a black car and, without hesitation, the blue-eyed girl, Alice, took me into her arms and looked at me as if I was the most precious bear in the world. In that moment, if I were more than a teddy bear, I would cry, for I finally had someone who would care for me, love me.
From then on, Alice and I were inseparable.
Days turned into weeks, weeks turned into months and months into years; yet she still kept me. She still looked at me fondly, still the little girl that had loved me and taken care of me. However, she was now all grown up and greying. I thought she was going to leave me and go away, but, as I looked at her, I saw the love she held for me. She carefully placed me into a box and sealed it tight plunging me into darkness.
I couldn’t remember how long I’d been inside the box, but I waited patiently till the lid was open. Two small arms pulled me out and, just like that one day, I found myself looking into a pair of innocent eyes that contained so much love and joy. Eyes that made me want to protect them from all the bad the world had.
Eyes just like my Alice’s.
