Little Gal
02-21-2012, 11:52 PM
She came down the stairs. “Once more”, she said to herself. The afternoon sun stood upon the fences. Curtains flew free. She climbed up the white stairs. The open hair kept falling upon her lashes. It was difficult to look down directly through them. But she loved the way they made little curly grills before her, swaying happily when she looked down at her tiny anklets. She lifted up her skirt a little. The anklets shone. They looked like a round string of pure light, light that made small sounds. She skipped down the stairs slow, and singing, “a-one, a-two, a-three, a-four”, and came to the last stair. She looked up at the door. It was locked from inside. The lawn was green after the rain. Winter could be there anytime. There was no sign though, yet.
The anklets went a little down at times. She sat on the floor and pulled her knees together. The anklets played their small sounds. “You look as though you were quite mine”, she said looking at them. They beamed in gold. She thudded her heels and the anklets shook and sang again. She felt their happiness in the melting sun outside. “It is a long afternoon, let us walk together.” The anklets must have heard.
It was a big house. And empty. And clean. The walls were white and lemon. Black marble floors sparkled all along. Everything was arranged and used and rearranged. It looked ancient because of the elaborate furniture. Huge beds and chairs, wooden and rich . The fur carpets, white and over-soft, lay unconsciously here and there. She walked on them. She walked holding up her skirt, so that the anklets made music to her eyes too. She ran suddenly and closed the windows and pulled down the curtains straight. Now she put on the lights, all twenty three chandeliers, and walked again. She saw herself on the floor. Not a shadow, but a picture. Not a picture, she thought…a princess.
And the thought sounded loud in her. Or maybe she thought it so hard. She stood for sometime in the anklets quietly. “Dark Hour”, she said to the anklets… “You must slip off now”. The grandfather clock was making noises. “yeah, I know you were just ticking away my happiness you damned old clock, I know you will move slower from now, but no matter how slow, my hours will come back tomorrow, again..and again”…
A great black car stopped outside the garden. And a few minutes later a strong buzz shook the house. Two women and a man stood exasperated when she opened the glass doors a little later. “You are an insensitive little creature, are you not?” said one of the women. “You will get over sloth only when I get after your pay, and don’t give me that look, be what you are. The other woman looked with a half smile, “Don’t waste yourself on a maid Emmy and you evil little thing, she said looking at her your eyes are too small and too dull for dreams…even day-dreams.” She looked at their graceful walk-away into reality.
She smiled in her hidden light as the Grandfather clock ticked away… “We'll meet again, Cinderella”…
The anklets went a little down at times. She sat on the floor and pulled her knees together. The anklets played their small sounds. “You look as though you were quite mine”, she said looking at them. They beamed in gold. She thudded her heels and the anklets shook and sang again. She felt their happiness in the melting sun outside. “It is a long afternoon, let us walk together.” The anklets must have heard.
It was a big house. And empty. And clean. The walls were white and lemon. Black marble floors sparkled all along. Everything was arranged and used and rearranged. It looked ancient because of the elaborate furniture. Huge beds and chairs, wooden and rich . The fur carpets, white and over-soft, lay unconsciously here and there. She walked on them. She walked holding up her skirt, so that the anklets made music to her eyes too. She ran suddenly and closed the windows and pulled down the curtains straight. Now she put on the lights, all twenty three chandeliers, and walked again. She saw herself on the floor. Not a shadow, but a picture. Not a picture, she thought…a princess.
And the thought sounded loud in her. Or maybe she thought it so hard. She stood for sometime in the anklets quietly. “Dark Hour”, she said to the anklets… “You must slip off now”. The grandfather clock was making noises. “yeah, I know you were just ticking away my happiness you damned old clock, I know you will move slower from now, but no matter how slow, my hours will come back tomorrow, again..and again”…
A great black car stopped outside the garden. And a few minutes later a strong buzz shook the house. Two women and a man stood exasperated when she opened the glass doors a little later. “You are an insensitive little creature, are you not?” said one of the women. “You will get over sloth only when I get after your pay, and don’t give me that look, be what you are. The other woman looked with a half smile, “Don’t waste yourself on a maid Emmy and you evil little thing, she said looking at her your eyes are too small and too dull for dreams…even day-dreams.” She looked at their graceful walk-away into reality.
She smiled in her hidden light as the Grandfather clock ticked away… “We'll meet again, Cinderella”…