Amelia

The Sunday Market

It was only when Amelia had finished making breakfast she realised that there were no fresh vegetables to make for the Sunday lunch.
The sun was shining brightly and no possible means of excuse could deter any fun loving individual to squander the day indoors. But this was not the case with Amelia, who was bound to follow the routine instructions forced upon her by her sisters.
She took the breakfast tray outside to the dining table and kept each one's plate before them, waiting for them to finish before she could start, she stood at a distance.

" Celia, we are out of vegetables for lunch," Amelia said politely.

" Did you squander the money which we specifically gave you to pay the home delivery boy?", retorted Celia.

"No, I didn't. It's just that the stock is over. We need to replenish the same," replied Amelia.

"The delivery boy will come after a week, he's out of town, will we starve till then?", asked Delia.

"What's the day today? -Delia spare a moment from gorging and kindly have a look at the calendar behind my back at your easy view," said Celia.

Delia, annoyed, narrowed her eyebrows, took a pause from eating and stared fixedly at Celia, in a few seconds she got back to her plate.

Meanwhile Amelia went near the wall and called out it was Sunday.

"Sunday- the Sunday market must not disappoint us. That is the only immediate possible way to replenish our stock. Delia will you come with me to the market?".

"I very urgently need to follow my beauty regime. I can't make space for forced ramblings, why don't you give these boring dull trips that make one weary to Amelia," shouted Delia.

"I hate to praise the sheer pragmatic truthful approach that you come up with in no time. You are correct, I too don't have time to get sunburned," Saying this Celia took out a yellow fur pouch from the pocket of her gown and handed over some amount to Amelia in order to go to the market and carry the freshly purchased vegetables home.

Amelia was ignorant to this weekly market. She had always wanted to take a step outside the cottage and move towards a place crowded with strangers that will treat her differently, she will get to see beautiful objects and hear new voices, walking happily and joyously with fresh air to accommodate will be her only aim, the duties at the grocer will be fulfilled but so will her desire of stepping outside to this new situation.
So today was her day. She went upstairs and ironed the best gown she could possibly spot in her almost withered off wooden almirah, after putting that on she took hold of the money and went outside the cottage, on the road that within close proximity led to the Sunday market.

It was all that one can possibly want to become a part of, the only place where one desires to get lost, the attractive hues and shades of the shops and their materials equally attracted Amelia, although the response for these objects was pretty casual for other roaming consumers on the account of them being frequently used to it. However, it was not so for Amelia, she held each section of this area to firmly soak into her memory, for when she would again return was uncertain. When reality struck her she quickly spotted the grocer and went to buy whatever vegetables could be purchased in the meagre amount handed over to her, nor did she know how to bargain being totally ignorant of the term itself. After paying what cost her the vegetables she took hold of the bag, heavy enough to make her walk slowly though light to make her walk easily.

She moved from the grocer to a shop that sold clothes. How she admired each colour & design and stood there with longing eyes to have possession of any one of the scarf or gown or even a fancy handkerchief.

"Mom can I take this beautiful scarf for the Saturday lunch outing," asked a 10 yr old girl to her mother.

"Sure girl! Select the pattern of your choice," replied the mother.

Amelia watched all of this and many other people passing by and purchasing from this and various other shops including those of china cutlery, fun games, child toys and delicious bakery.

When she was about to return her throat felt too dried up and she was exhausted by continuously carrying the bag with her, under the strikingly bright sun. She kept the bag over a piece of log to give her hands a rest when a boy aged around twenty and a two, of a well built physique and tall height came in simple peasant clothes to Amelia.

"Excuse me lady, I was just passing by and saw you all tired and fatigued, unable to carry the bag with you any further. Are you carrying it all by yourself? May I be of any help?" said the boy.

"I deeply adore your humane behaviour towards my not so very deserving attitude. I think I misled you to believe that I am presently 'unable' to carry the weight of my bag and hence am waiting for help beside this log. I was just giving my hands a rest, they are too tired of holding it for quite a time, I shall shortly resume and go my way."

"I apologise if any of my talk offended your efforts in any way but I also earnestly request you to let me be of some help, I know you can carry things by yourself but at this moment you look quite tired to resume your actions. If you let me..", saying this he took hold of the bag handle and asked Amelia to walk along with him to her house.

"It was genuinely not required, but I won't stop you from being a kind person that cared about a weary girl on the way and came to her help," laughed Amelia.

"It's all right", replied the boy. "So, where do you live and yes, what may I call you?"

"My name is Amelia and I live in a farm cottage not very far from the market".

"Do you come here often?"

"No," laughed Amelia. "I rarely get the opportunity, I came here for the first time and absolutely fell in love with the place. Are you a regular visitor?"

"I adore the energy, the cheerfulness and definitely the utility of the Sunday market. I come here each Sunday to roam, watch and buy things that are basic necessities, sometimes I offer myself a treat at the bakery too," laughed the boy.

All their way, under the sun, they shared a delightful conversation that soothed the exhausted nerves of Amelia and elated each person's spirits.