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Queen Of
The Market
staying close by so as not to get lost in the throngs of market-goers.
The girl dawdled along, scrutinising the items along the aisles
like a queen would inspect her subjects. Her father let his daughter
take her time – they were in no hurry. She seemed particularly
taken with the potted cacti, though quickly learnt not to touch
them, having accidentally pricked her finger. Yelping, she gingerly
fingered the petals of a cactus flower instead. To her delight, the
fuchsia petal was velvety and smooth, caressing her fingertip like a
fairy’s kiss. Having just read the Rainbow Magic book series at
home, she decidedly announced that the stout bristly plants
adorned with tiny unfurling blooms were rather like hobgoblins
playing dress-up.
Moseying past a rack of fluttering silk scarves patterned with a
myriad of colours, the little girl suddenly caught a waft of aromatic
cinnamon on the slight breeze. She perked up considerably at the
scent of what she’d been waiting for all morning, and her father
smiled wryly at his eager daughter and her pleading eyes.
“Can I have three doughnuts today Daddy?” she wheedled,
knowing it was unlikely.
“One.”
“Two?”
“Two then,” he acquiesced.
Skipping gaily towards the jam-doughnut van the girl hopped on
the end of the queue, two gold coins clinking in her pocket. It was a
long queue as always, but before too long she was eagerly reaching
up on tiptoes to pluck the white paper bag from the outstretched
hand of chef, like she had done so very many times before. The girl
took a huge bite, spurting molten strawberry jam all over the sweet
dough. A bit of jam dribbled down her chin and she hastily licked it
up, unwilling to waste so much as a drop. The tangy, sugary goodness
made her tastebuds sing. Her dad chuckled at the icing sugar and
cinnamon moustache she now sported, coating her upper lip with a
dusting of glitter. She didn’t mind though– she was thoroughly
satisfied with this market trip.
The young girl would have many more delightful trips to the
market in the weeks and months to come. What she didn’t yet
know however, was that the following year she’d be joined by a new
baby sister. With the baby around, the family found themselves
going to the market fewer and fewer times. From weekly trips to
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