Fifi’s Point of View - Part 2

I’m loving this Meaningful Object prompt with Creative Non-Fiction, all thanks to my writing friend, Kymberly Dakin.

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Continued from Fifi's POV:

Soft and cuddly, I knew I needed a human, not an inanimate object like myself, to hold and care for me.

Oh, sure, the doll’s lap I was sitting on was nice and all, and we were a feature as part of the Christmastime window dressing at Higbee’s Department Store in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, but I needed more action. Heck, the little rocking chair the doll and I were placed on never rocked! Sheesh!

Then, one day, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a little girl and what looked like her two grandmas walking by the street-level windows. They all paused for a moment, and I could tell from the twinkle in the little girl’s eyes that she was looking at me and even, perhaps, longing to hold me and not the doll that so many little girls love to cuddle with like a baby.

Since many shoppers have walked by these windows with nary a glance, I didn’t want to get my hopes up with the perfect kid to call me their lovey. I tried to follow their movements in that area of the window displays but then lost them to the crowds of passersby at the busy intersection a few yards away.

Crestfallen to this potential loss of opportunity with the little blonde-haired girl, I dutifully sat stoically on the dolly’s lap, hoping and praying someone would want me. I had nothing against the doll, but she was not as cuddly. My biggest competition in that window scene was the adorable teddy bears all placed magically around the vignette.

Teddy bears of all shapes and sizes were a hit with most kids in the early 1960s, so my being a one-off little stuffed dog was quite scary in the realm of stuffed animal offerings.

Fifteen minutes later, I heard the chatter of two older ladies and a little girl. Was it the same folks I saw standing for a few moments at the window from the outside? Could it be them? My heart was racing, hoping it was.

And…there she was… the cute little tow-head girl with a pensive smile and her two grandmas a few feet away. The little girl stood silent as she stared at me (or I hope she was staring at me) as the adults chatted with the saleslady. My heart was pounding, and I tried to lean in to hear what they were saying. I wanted so badly for them to pick ME, not the doll!

Could I look any cuter at this last moment of decision with this group of lovely folks?

With all the overhead Christmas music wafting through the speakers in every corner of this huge store, I tried to hear bits and pieces of the conversation the saleslady was having with the two grandmas about removing me from the window display before Christmas. The saleslady was trying to decide whether to call anyone to help her remove me or grab me off the rocking chair without fanfare.

If my eyes could talk, I was begging to be removed.

All those Teddy Bears were good enough for the doggone display; I know the other toys and bears would not miss me; just saying. Even the doll I was sitting on could find a bear to sit with her on the rocking chair.

Finally, in what seemed like eons, the saleslady reached into the display and plucked me right out of that stinkin’ rocking chair.

I knew once I got into the little girl’s mittened hands and her big heart, my life was going to change with adventure around every corner.

Let the kisses and snuggles begin!

bSoleille!

Terri

Fifi