Happy Birthday, Princess

Her birthday was only two days away now.  Still, I had no idea what to buy.  Perhaps a trip into the city would give me some ideas. This couldn’t be just
any present.  It had to be the best present ever; one befitting my Little Princess!  She was turning three.

The commute into New York was a cold one.  Arriving at the station, I walked to the nearest subway terminal. With no particular destination, I departed near Central Park and walked the streets looking for a shop that would pique my interest.

There it stood.  It was a tiny little storefront, with a shade on the glass.  A dusty bell announced my entry into the quaint little shop.  I was greeted by a rather large cat who purred greetings to me when the cold air rushed in along with my coat tails. 

It was a peculiar little shop filled with all kinds of oddities.  There on a shelf was a collection of origami, folded meticulously by hands so long ago that the paper was now yellowed. A spinning wheel sat in a corner, spindle aslant.  On a foot locker in the aisle,  mint condition Marvel comic books were displayed.  A silver hairbrush gleamed nearby.

The shopkeeper startled me when she spoke.  Her accent was thick, a Slavic language possibly.  I hadn’t seen her walk up behind me, and she was standing quite close, as if she had materialized from thin air.  “Is there anything particular that you seek?” she asked.

My usual reply was “No, thanks”, but today, I found myself explaining that I was seeking a special gift for my Princess.

She motioned for me to follow her, and led me to a nook in the rear of the dimly lit room.  Amid boxes and crates, she pulled out a package wrapped in newspaper. Carefully she peeled away the layers revealing a hand-painted cabinet.  There was a tiny key on the end of a gold chain that unlocked the door of the cabinet.  Slowly, she pulled from the cabinet the most glorious Matryoska dolls I had ever seen.  Russian made, these brilliantly colored nesting dolls were the gift I had been seeking.  My Princess would be absolutely thrilled!

I knew that I had to have them, no matter what cost.  I paid the price she asked, although in retrospect, I probably could have haggled with the owner.  She re-wrapped the exquisite present, this time in lovely pink paper and tied it with a large white bow.

I retraced my steps back to the station and boarded the train for my return trip.  The weather turned nastier as I neared home.  It would be bedtime soon.

January 9th dawned.  Birthday time! I gently carried the beautifully wrapped box down the stairs of my apartment to the street. It was only a short trip.  As I entered the gate, it creaked slightly.  I walked the few short steps until I reached my Little Princess. 

The marble slab was as cold as the loneliness that filled my heart.  “Happy Birthday, Princess,” a tear slid across my cheek.  Surrounding the grave site were presents from other occasions. Some were in pristine condition; others were beginning to wear with time.  I added the pink covered parcel to the rest.  “I know that you will like it.”