The Princess on the Wall

The Smiles From My Shelf [6]

“.....our friends were invariably proletarian and poor.... you recognized them by their clothes......But even in the way they wore their clothes, there was a fantasy, a frankness .....(the) young women of working-class families;.....they were more authentic and spontaneous.”

Michelangelo Antonioni

The family had pulled in with two shopping carts full of food, beverages and other household items. By all means they appeared a working class family of moderate means. She was wearing ordinary clothes and led her parents into the winter wear shop, walking as if there were springs on her legs and smiling beautifully. Her Father appeared uninterested and just stood holding the carts while her Mother was trying on the colorful neck scarves. She had put on a brown leather jacket and stood in front of the mirror, turning left and right, smiling all the while. Having assured herself, that it was made for her, she walked towards her Dad, strolling majestically as if she were a princess. Dad whispered something under his breath and looked the other way, sending her in her Mother’s direction. But the Mother was too busy with the collection of scarves and didn’t even look up. A couple of tear drops appeared to find their way onto the leather jacket as she was carefully hanging it back on the display railing. She quickly regained her composure and began eyeing other items. Those somehow failed to engage her attention for long and she found her way back to her Father again. This time he was more forthcoming as he pulled out his wallet and revealed his helplessness. She smiled again having convinced herself that there wasn’t the slightest dip in her Father’s love for her. She sauntered again, majestically, on the springs, towards the clothing on which she had left her mark unintentionally. Having put it on one last time, she smiled at the princess who smiled back at her from within the mirror on the walls of that winter wear shop.