Hurrah! In the corner of her eye, she spotted a thrown away half-eaten carrot in the street a few feet away. She began the arduous process of reaching her prize. Alas, she was too slow; a crow flew down, snatching the vegetable away before her tired legs could catch up.

Ooh! She spied a red round shape a few feet away. Was that an apple in the filthy ditch? She ran as fast as her fragile legs could take her. Sadly, it was not an apple, but a red ball.

Suddenly, she had a flash of memory. There was a market a few streets down. She arrived at the market exhausted. There was a delicious smell in the air. Her mouth began to water as she spotted the source of the smell; a merchant selling fresh cakes. But she had no money to pay him; she had to trick him. She did not rejoice at the thought, but had no other choice. She noticed a striped orange cat in a cage next to the vendor’s stall.

Eureka! She approached the vendor and pretended that the animal had escaped the cage. She nabbed a cake quietly as the vendor’s eyes wandered around the market looking for the missing cat.
Unfortunately, her ruse did not last long. Sadly, her frail legs could not outrun the vendor. He caught her by the nape of her neck. She trembled before the bulky man. She thought she would at last join her parents in their eternal slumber. But suddenly, an old woman stopped the fuming merchant as he was about to strike the little girl. The thief sighed with relief. Next came shock. The kind old woman offered to pay for the cake with one of her rusty golden rings. Her hunger was finally satiated.

She rolled the small black ball from one wall to another like any other day.

She raced her beloved dog Chico across the gardens like any other day.

She scowled at her old musty governess’ lectures about the virtues of motherhood.

She played with the dolls her father had carved for her like any other day.

Her mother quietly entered the room.

She looked strange-her red eyes looked at her young innocent daughter grimly.

Not like any other day.

She watched on, shoulders slumped with worry, until the little girl finally noticed her and turned around.

“Mama”, she screams excitedly.

Her mother ran towards her, hugging her tighter her than she had ever before.

“Mama, it hurts, I can’t breathe”, said the crushed little girl weakly.

As her mother let go, the tears flowing down her cheeks fell on her daughter’s small shoulder.

“Are you well, Mama?” she asked scared.

Her mother grabbed her daughter’s face in her hands, gently rubbing her pink cheeks.

She looked at her wistfully.

A long moment passed until she finally said: “How would you like to play in a bigger garden, my dove?”

“Why?” asked the confused child.

“Do you remember Grandfather’s friend, Lord Cullen?”

“..Y..ess”

“His wife and oldest son just passed,’’ she said with a false smile. “He.. he..he is looking for a new.. w..*sigh* wife”, she continued her voice breaking.

Her daughter looked at her puzzled.

“He.. he..” She took a deep breath. Her voice was coarse and her eyes wet. “He has asked your uncle for your hand.” Her head sunk. “He wants you to be his next wife.”

The little girl’s eyebrows were furrowed.

“I don’t understand, Governess says that girls marry when they can become mothers. I’m too young to be a mother” she explained, her small brown eyes full of fear.

The tears her mother had tried to hold back, now flowed freely.

“Yes, but you will not be his wife now. You will live in his household, but only truly marry him in many years. Only once you become a woman, my dove” she assured trying to convince them both.

The little girl twisted her head from her mother’s hands and shouted “NO, I DON’T WANT TO LEAVE MAMA!”

Her mother moved towards her.

“Do not worry, my dove, it will not be so bad. You are close in age with Lord Cullen’s two youngest daughters. One is even of an age with you.”

Her mouth twisted in shame as she said the words.

The little girl recoiled from her mother and shouted “NO MAMA, NO MAMA, NO MAMA. I WANT TO STAY WITH YOU AND CHICO”.

They both cried for a long moment.

***

She had never been as finely dressed.

Her mother bore a somber expression.

Her own face was sullen.

The joy of the occasion was only reflected in her uncle who smiled proudly.

Her uncle and Lord Cullen had made all the necessary arrangements; it was time to take her away.

Her groom was taller than any man she had seen before.

He was like a giant from the stories her maid read her before bed.

He looked at his bride coldly, with no hint of care.

“Come wife,” he beckoned her.

He walked towards his carriage without looking back to see if his little wife was following.

She looked from his retreating back to her mother to her uncle and again to her mother, tapping her small feet, unsure what to do.

“Go on, go on, child, join your husband” her uncle said gently but firmly.

She looked towards her mother.

She had turned away from her daughter, shielding the tears of despair cascading down her pale face.

“Go on, my dove”, she said weakly.

The little girl took one last look at her mother’s back and bravely moved her tiny feet towards her giant husband’s ginormous carriage.

Her mother began to sob. The further her daughter was, the faster her restraint left her, the louder her sobs became.

Her irked brother grabbed her arm and dug into her sleeve.

“You always loved that child too much and too senselessly,” he said with disgust.

The small black ball sat motionless on the floor like any other day.

Chico walked aimlessly in the gardens searching for his little mistress like any other day.

Dust collected on motionless carved dolls like any other day.

Her mother cried herself to sleep like any other day.

Years went by.

One day, Chico finally smelled the familiar smell of his little mistress.

He expected to see her running towards him.

Alas, it was not to be.

She came in a wooden box along with the child she had borne her husband.

Her husband had waited, but not enough.