A Forbidden Wish

Every Saturday I get to go with Ma to the Mackenzie house. I followed Ma while she did her chores--cooking, cleaning, mopping. She would let me help out whenever there were clothes to be dried, unbreakable dishes to be rinsed, or silver to be polished.

Then came the Saturday I've been waiting for. It was the day they would have all kind of things in there of different shapes and sizes wrapped in golden foil with colorful ribbons, in a large silver bowl. After all my chores were finished, I followed ma to the pantry. She was ironing the napkins, and I headed for the door. Behind the door, I could hear all the delightful squealing and fun happening. I opened the door a tiny bit. Being a daughter of a servant, I was supposed to ask for permission before entering rooms. And I wasn't supposed to act eager.

Once when Miss Sally gave me a sweet in a pink wrapper, I could hardly hold myself, and yet ma said, "slow down! Don't behave as if I don't feed you at all."

The silver bowl I polished this morning, had been filled up! I used my imagination to guess what they could be: Could they be creamy sweets that melted in your mouth? Or chocolates! It could be cupcakes with pink, blue, and yellow icing. Perhaps they are salty. What salty treats could they wrap? I couldn't think of any. Only salty things that came to my mind were either too runny or too awkward to be wrapped in such dainty forms-unless they were tamarind candies. But what would the Mackenzie family know of tamarind candies? Ma told me they are from the west, the Mackenzie's-a land where white fairies dwell.

They could be toys too. A soldier that marched forward and back when you press a button, a doll that danced, a dog that barked and wagged its tail, a teddy that giggled, or a talking rabbit! "Adya, aren't you going to help me fold the napkins today?" Ma called. "Ma please, not today. She's about to cut the cake!"

Ma mumbled something. Miss Sally was wearing a long blue satin dress with frills. Her dress was the same color as her eyes. A silky pink ribbon pulled all the golden hair on the top of her head, making it look like a crown. She looked like a princess. There were nine candles on the large round chocolate cake, decorated with cream and candies. If I were to celebrate my birthday this year, I would only need seven.

When she was about to blow, a crowd gathered and all I could see were colorful backs of different sizes.

"Now, close your eyes and make a wish." I heard Mr. Mackenzie say.

I closed my eyes too. I wished that none of the gifts in the silver bowl were a figurine this time, like the one Miss Sally gave me last year. You know the kind you're supposed to admire from a distance? The kind that ended up in my mother's closet, which was too delicate and expensive to be played with? Ma said it was a glass figurine of a girl.

Everyone sang 'happy birthday, Mrs. Mackenzie played the piano, balloons were popped, then finally the cake was being cut and handed out, and the gifts came wrapped in colorful boxes. I looked down at what I was holding between my fingers. I hoped she won't mind that I got her a rose again. Last year I promised her ma's tamarind candies, but they were finished before I realized Miss Sally's birthday was approaching. I hoped she had forgotten about it just like she had forgotten to open some gifts.

"It's the thought that counts," ma had told me. I didn't understand it. I could not eat or play with thoughts, could I?

I wanted to get inside before the party got over, and all the cake too. Miss Sally was not eating anything at all. She looked bored. I wondered when Mrs. Mackenzie would notice that I was standing behind the door, and ask me to join the party like she did last year. She was busy talking to someone with white hair. I looked and looked but she wouldn't look at me. Why do grown-ups talk so much? Don't they ever run out of words? I always do-especially when I was with Miss Sally.

I looked at ma. "Ma, can I go and give Miss Sally this rose?" I asked.

She looked back at me and smiled sadly. I didn't like it when she did that. It meant I couldn't get what I wanted.

"You're not invited, dear." The party was over. My eyes and my legs were both tired of waiting to be invited.

"Let's go home now-we'll have the leftover rice pudding for dinner tonight," ma said.

Why hadn't my wish come true?

Ma had told me my wish would come true if I was good, and I was a good girl today.

Oh! Was it because it was Miss Sally's birthday today, and not mine? Then maybe my wish will come true on my birthday. But we never celebrate my birthday.

As ma held my hand to lead me away from the door, I took one last look at Miss Sally. I closed my eyes and wished again. I wish they were all figurines.