Que sera sera

It was a Christmas evening. The clogged George street arcade, Ireland was embellished with adornments. Plastic Festoons, Buntings, fairy lights, snowflake cutouts, and ribbons entangled all over. The air was full of happiness with symphonious, carols and communal songs playing around. And the joyous Christmas tree stood tall with a glamorous flair catching the eyeballs!

Albeit Sheryl, still caved in her duvet with her face buried in a pillow. 'Come on sweety wake up! Everybody's out.' Mom asserted while stretching her arms. She yawned and twisted herself by an inch to plant a peck on her daughter's cheeks. Sheryl tossed and turned sluggishly peering at her digital watch with one eye open. 

'5:25 Pm.'

 It was pitch dark in their room except for the faint light conceded through the sheen panels behind the undrawn portiere.

'Careful, Sheryl!' Mom affirmed while her fingers ran dramatically on the switch next to their bed. The feeble light emanated.

 Sheryl slowly hauled her distended body towards the closet. Her sunken eyes dug deep. She rubbed her temples. There was nothing new to wear except for the old worn tatters. But, she excitingly feigned, came rushing back to embrace her mom from the back. 

'Merry, Christmas!'

 Sheryl hummed adorning herself in the filthy white dress that now stretched at her breast. Seams had come apart near the plumpy ridged waist. For her body has seasoned from a high school girl to a twenty-one-year-old woman. And they couldn't afford to buy a new dress after Sheryl's father's demise. So, she enveloped herself with another layer, a fleece coat. Mom spruced up too!, in her pink, used fripperies dress gifted by Mrs.Lindt. Excitement showed on her face to work an extra hour on Christmas eve.

The sodium lights on the streets paved the way to them. Snow heaped on the edges of the road under the warm street lights looked like a scarlet tongue with white teeth served as a fence to the mouth. Mom drove her old van like cataract and parked. Throughout the drive, Sheryl sat with her arms crisscrossed as a spectator blinking owlishly. Except for the moment when her eyes glued to digital number '525' written on a store. It reminisced of her father who would read her fifty-two-bed time stories. And then she would sleep in five minutes.

 Giving a side hug mom vowed to meet at the beach after an hour. She now sprinted towards Mrs.Lindt's mansion. Whereas, Sheryl rambled like a snail with her reflexes on a perpetual strike. She dared look at people, scrunched within, walked with chin down. Young kids on the street summoned her, but she refused.

As she walks past the street towards the beach, harsh street lights blazed on her, exalting her neatly combed hair looks dishevelled in the shadow. She sprinted startled by her umbra. The leafless Eastern Redbud and Crabapple trees looked like the giant's forked fingers. The spooky trees made bosom friends with snow. All of sudden Sheryl's darting eyes gazed at the sky. Mesmerizing it was to sight blessings of the clouds wrapped in the pearly cotton wool. She had none! No boyfriend, no one close to caress her the same way except for her mom and sister. 

The night seemed pitch-dark as a lump of coal. The treacherous ebonic heavens had even abducted the twinkling stars. But the smitten hearts on earth perceived it joyfully. They assembled and multiplied at the Rossnowlagh beach for the seaside party. Although, parting space, with frequent walkers, surfers, and windsurfers. Sheryl picked a secluded corner. She removed her boots and sat on them hugging, her hunched knees with slender arms. Plunging into the odyssey, she got nostalgic. When her delicate, fingers engaged in making sandcastles. Each time she smeared the loose grains of sand, she felt unsettled. She would then rub her tender phalanges against each other to get rid of them. For all, she missed her young days when mom dad would coddle her. They would brush the coarse pieces off her hands. But now with her hindquarters buried in the shifting sand, there left profound impressions not only on the sand but her soul as well! Admittedly her upbringing was a heartfelt investment! 

A whiff of fresh air ceased her endless thoughts. The fragrance roomed in her, tranched with rejuvenation. She breathed in it. Without even looking up, she could tell it was Versace. Her father's favourite cologne! She remembered buying gifts for him. And for his shows, as he was a musician. The best one who sang lullabies, for her and promised to compose her wedding songs. But unfortunately, the crooked destiny parted their ways. 

The fragrance got closer and closer as if she sweated it. Just then a stranger hurled a soft warmed coat at her, disrupting her interior monologue. She laid startled for quite some time until her searching eyes got on to work. Overwhelmed ears discern the splash dive as if someone plunged into the sea. Sheryl held the coat tight and embraced it. Despite, her honest heart thrust her to find the owner. 

Stumbling over her stockinged feet, she made a hard scrambled up, holding her shoes in one hand and coat in another. But it turned out to be snipe hunt. She then made a deliberate effort to address it to cops who stood at two hundred yards. Unfortunately, they didn't validate anyone diving. 

'Swimming in chilly water is like inviting death.' They giggled lending out mist from their mouth. 

'Aren't you feeling cold lady!' They enquired yet exchanged Christmas greetings with her. 

Mom was late by an hour, but Sheryl didn't apprehend. Nervously her legs paced up, and heart thumped in ears. She rummaged through the pockets to find the lead. In a fraction, long fingers clasped around a hard piece that lolled in the deep-seated pocket. 

Her eyes couldn't wait to scrutinise. She procured it out. 

It was an inscribed silver slice of metal. 

Sheryl read it aloud! The engraving reflected, 'We repeat what we don't repair.' Mighty-brain contemplated but, the heart was still spellbound with the fragrance. It impulsed her to put the coat on. And she followed her instinct.

Cosy cuddles embraced her! They showered their utmost love with a promise never to leave. Sheryl brimmed with ecstasy. It was an experience! Somewhere deep in the depths of her throat, she thanked the Good Heavens. 

Mom's phone call tinkled in. 

"Apologies, dear!' Mom regretted.

 " Here you are!' She pointed in the dark watches of the night. Sheryl's was still euphoric with her fingers rambling in the air. They form images and then her right-hand fingers gently touch the left elbow and she narrated the inecdote humming. (While mom kept feeding her the plum cake in between.)

'When I was just a little girl

I asked my mother, what will I be

Will I be pretty

Will I be rich

Here's what she said to me

Que será, será

Whatever will be, will be

The future's not ours to see

Que será, será

What will be, will be....' 

It was Christmas morning. Sheryl walked down to her sister's college dormitory. The girls were basking in the sun. 'Fida!' Yelled Sheryl from far away. Fida turned around, zapped to see her sister wrapped in the oversized coat. She took her to the corner and inquired. Albeit Sheryl gleamed with joy like a ballerina, humming her inecdote once again. Twirling, and twisting her eyes validated a sulking face of a young girl persistently counting the euros. Sheryl gazed at her with the startled eyes, her fingers began to ramble as she went closer. She then touched her elbow and left with her sister. They must have covered a distance when the sprinted foot tried chasing them, followed by shrieks. But, the screeches got admixed with the celebrations in the college. The two sisters camouflaged in the mob. 

Further down the street, they walked humming 'Que sera sera'. Since childhood, both sisters had gone fifty-fifty in everything. 

A thought flared up in Sheryl's mind! 

'Fida try this coat on.' 

 But the moment Sheryl, removed the coat disparity took over her. 

It followed by beads of nervousness on her forehead. She immediately armoured wearing it back. 

The street was silent except for a Magician who bumped into them. His forehead adorned with the ridges, of destituteness. Ears stuck to his phone like a pole star in the sky. He was pleading to sponsors for mercy, to extend his contract by a year. The papers in his hand-loomed revealing the debt he had taken. Sheryl's eyes met his presence like the foam on the crest of the sea, she grinned at her life-glitches. As yet, her fingers rambled up again, and she rejoiced in the humming. Meanwhile, his fellow partner joined in. They shook hands in greeting and took out a selfie. A little did Magician walked further he felt something had been scooped out. His forlorn eyes randomly engaged in searching but, all in vain.

It was after a year, the video got viral, exhibiting a blurred image. 

The news circulated from colleges to offices, the natives. Blabbering mouths made it the grist for the gossip mill. Meanwhile, an unanticipated interview aired on the national Tv. 

'Magician achieving an award of honour!'

 He reflected through his gratitude towards the natives, and media for treating him with reverence. 

The inquisitive eyes raised, overwhelmed Papparazi asked questions. 'Mr. Loius, please enlighten us with your success story.'

He grinned, yet his eyes rolled transiting him into the past. Scrutinising unambiguously, through the phone screen startled him! He endorsed. The release furthered travelled, passing through Fida's ears. It soon met her eyes. She zoomed in to the highest pixel. Gradually people came up with their stories. Youtube, videos went viral every minute. 

' Someone just scooped out! My pockets got deep! A part of me lays excavated!'

Unenlightened Fida left for home, bunked her classes at the college. She even spoke to her mom, met her in person. They called up Sheryl. But, her phone came switched off! Mom and Fida looked around and finally found her at the graveyard.

Sheryl was talking to her dead father crying her heart out. 

'Daddy I remember, you arranging my university fees. Your eyes gleaming with joy, as you relived your childhood dreams through me. You were proud since I met your expectation. It was our blissful world of happiness. But, someone ripped it off, pickpocketing the hard-earned cash leaving us threadbare. We lost you to cardiac arrest.'

Sheryl drew in a long breath, gathered her broken self. Her voice switching from soft to steely. She lifted her head and revealed with a proud feeling.

' On that very day, I designed my destiny. Being a college dropout doesn't matter now! I relived my destiny through Fida. I cherish paying her fees.'

Wrapping herself into the lapel of the coat she adduced.

'The coat that I wore is not magical, but it has your body fragrance. Your presence! A demeanour to pull me through! And daddy it has a spark to enlighten lives. The smile I lost during my adolescence, is what I cherish to see on other's face. Daddy, it gives me immense pleasure to be a proud pickpotter stealing worries and rendering life long happiness. I swap the sorrows with happiness, working as a secret Santa. Paying fees, buying secret gifts, praying secretly, blessing others with happiness! And daddy prayers work wonders if done whole-heartedly for others.'

Sheryl mellowed down sobbing. She sniffled.

'The pickpocketer that stole your soul taught me a lesson of life to not repeat what we cant repair. '

Just then the sky opened its vault lending out a feather descending upon daddy's grave. Sheryl cleared up the leaves and there flashed '525'. A message that 'your guardian angel is watching over you!'

Sheryl hugged the coat tight. Another updated video virally on the youtube. 

'Threadbare pockets bear a tickled pink heart!'