SHORT STORY

The Perfect White Dress For The Girl From the Patchwork Village

Do wishes come true?

The windows were cracked into diamonds like stained glass. Still, the mid-sized girl stood by the smaller children as they pressed their noses against the broken pieces to see what the fuss was about. She was curious, too. A car had driven up in their village, white and shiny like a metal savior, and a few brave men went out to see what it was about.

Car noises were an odd occurrence. No one usually came to visit this small village of rag-tag houses hemmed in by unkempt hills. The sound of an engine pulling up was a signal to run behind the big hill in the back with her younger siblings and cousins.

They would all hide from the bright blue lights and the men in black with shiny badges until they went away. An eerie silence in their usually noisy town would always follow the flashing car’s departure.

But this time it was different.

There were no lights. Just a nicely dressed man with a strange accent, speaking friendly words. The adults were smiling.

And what was he pulling out of that bag?

It was the middle of summer, but could it be Santa had finally come? Usually, old Saint Nick passed over their patch-quilt village to deliver presents to nicer-dressed children. The adults said he came to visit good boys and girls. She tried to be good, but it wasn’t easy with six needy rugrat siblings to keep up with. Santa could be very strict.

He’d only come once, but the joy was quickly smashed like an unlucky mirror when her parents started fighting about money. She remembered too much alcohol and her mom's red-rimmed eyes staring at her with a strange look before she rushed at her with a knife.

It was a memory she would rather forget, but she still had scars to tell that story.

As she stood with the curious kids at the makeshift window, her dad beckoned for them to come out. So, it was safe! They rushed the car like kids to an ice cream truck, caught up in a spontaneous moment of glee.

There was no ice cream but a lot of clean clothes and toys. All the kids got at least one. With so much temptation it’s no wonder that some of the kids turned the festive scene into a brawl to get clothes in the right size and a gender-appropriate color. She shook her head with a crooked smile as the unruly scene unfolded.

The strange, generous man with sunglasses flashed her a smile. “And what would you like?” He asked her — just like Santa.

At first, she was surprised to be noticed. Then: “A dress!” she piped out like an eager child before her more mature side could reign the words in.

A frown creased his brow as he looked through the dwindling pile. “I don’t seem to have anything your size…”

She nodded and swallowed a lump of disappointment. She was in that awkward in-between stage — too tall to be a child but a few years young to marry.

Presents were for little kids.

Her mom gave her a stern frown from behind the man’s back. Idiot! She seemed to say. Show your age.

“You know what,” the man said in sudden decision. “I’ll come back tonight and bring you the perfect dress.” He looked her up and down as if trying to guess her size, before flashing a smile with perfect white teeth. Then he got in his perfect white car and drove away like a knight.

The girl watched him leave with a pensive stare. She’d learned not to put much stock in an adult’s promise. Still, a quiet hope inside her wanted to believe that this time a fairy godmother might smile down on her and actually grant her wish. Any clothes would do as long as they were clean and not tattered from years of wear.

But could you imagine a brand new dress, bought just for you in the right size?

Once the girl put the younger children to bed, she quietly slipped out of the house. Her mother wouldn’t miss her as long as the younger children stayed quiet.

The night had already gotten dark and the brightest star ascended the heavens like it was slowly climbing stairs. It was pacing itself to give the man time to come through on his promise before the day ended.

As the night got darker, the clean man with the flashy smile still didn’t come. In a last-ditch effort, the girl threw a quick — possibly foolish — wish out into the night.

The star winked back.

It was a sign!

As she reentered the house, their mother was already passed out on the sofa, clinging reverently to a brown bottle. When her mom woke, she would be a terror. But for now, the girl profited from the few hours of respite to daydream.

A smile crossed the girl’s face as she went to clean the dishes, and then feed the baby who had woken again and was crying. She gave her tiny sister an extra kiss on the forehead before lying down next to her.

Do wishes really come true? She wondered.

Then, she drifted off into a dreamland full of rows and rows of perfect white dresses.