There once was a doll who lived in a toy store display. Many walked by and admired her beauty and sweet smile, but eventually, everyone left. That is until one day, a girl stopped and stayed. She smiled at the doll, looking beyond the smile and seeing the passion hidden behind her lonely eyes.
The girl begged her mum to take the doll home and fought valiantly against the flurry of no’s. And finally, the girl’s mother gave in. Overjoyed, the girl received her new friend from the shopkeeper and held her tightly.
“Your name will be Lola, and I will love you for forever!” She squealed. The shopkeeper smiled warmly, trying to tell the girl that she already had a name. But his words were lost to the excitement.
Days and months passed, and Lola had her fair share of tea parties and garden adventures. Yet, she wore the same smile, just happy to spend time with her playmate, hoping the summer days would never end—even if all the sunshine meant her face would fade faster. Lola loved her.
But then, the years went by, and she began to see less and less of her friend. The girl had finally started school and found new friends. Sometimes Lola enjoyed spending time with her new friends and rejoiced still sharing her life with the girl. But more often than not, their days together were few and far between—and their future together, uncertain.
More years elapsed, and Lola’s new home moved from her companion’s bed to the chair in the corner to the shelf above her drawer, where she sat collecting dust. Once new, Lola shone in her white dress with gold highlights and had a look of dignity on her. Now, her presence dull and her face tired.
Still, Lola’s soul screamed for her love.
There once was a doll who lived in a doll shop display. She was befriended by a joyous girl and was taken home. One day the girl’s mother returned from work. After walking by her daughter’s room for months and seeing Lola silently watch the days go by, the mother decided it was time to take her away.
Scared, Lola lay motionless, unable to do anything about it. She was placed in the backseat of the car, seatbelt on and everything. This new adventure should have been exciting, yet, she knew it wasn’t right. And Lola never saw the girl again.
Over a counter, Lola was exchanged for a few coins and pieces of paper that seemingly held value for the mother. And finally, the older lady who managed the register bid the mother farewell. She smiled at the doll, who had seen her fair share of days and desperately needed repainting.
As the antique shop closed for the day, the lady brought the doll into her workshop and began working on breathing new life into it. The eyes once revealed an ember glow but only showed fatigue until they were covered with fresh paint. Glazed over, its tired eyes disappeared, but any trace of passion was also snuffed out.
Once subtle and sweet, its smile was wiped away and replaced by something somewhat unnatural. The fake smile was plastered on the doll’s face and made permanent on its lips. It was only to be seen and not heard. Lastly, the lady undressed the doll and began cleaning its dress before returning it to the doll.
Before retiring for the night, she placed the doll in a glass case in the nook of her antique store, ready for a new day. Months and months passed, and the doll continued to hide behind a glass case with no one to wipe away the tears that ran down her porcelain face. Any last trace of her spirit was broken and laid to waste in the glass cabinet in the corner of the antique store.
It remained unseen and unheard.
There once was a doll who lived in a doll shop display. It found its new home, living on top of a white doily inside an ageing glass cabinet in the back corner of an unassuming antique shop on the edge of town. And for months on end, that’s where it stayed. Visitors to the antique shop were very few, and even fewer for those who made it to the back corner. It was lonely.
But one remarkably ordinary day, a man in his late sixties entered the shop. He browsed the shelves and cabinets at a leisurely pace after making small conversation with the woman at the counter. He perused joyfully, eventually stopping in front of the glass cabinet where the doll stayed. He wore a curious look for a little while but walked away. It was the longest gaze the doll had felt in a long time.
Among the chatter in the front of the shop, the older lady approached the glass cabinet and opened it, reaching for the doll. She brought it to the front where the man had been. And after an exchange of coins and pieces of paper, the doll left the store with the man.
The man brought the doll home and placed it in his workroom full of fabrics, varnish, and paints. He quickly went to work and started by covering the doll’s clothing with a sheet. Next, he used a damp cloth that smelled of strong chemicals to wipe away the paint that he thought unsubtle and outrageous.
And the doll began to feel signs of her old life. The man brought his brush to her face with such tenderness and purpose. It was a warmth she had not experienced in what seemed like a century.
Once he was done, he took her to a different room. It was a room full of warmth—the sun filtered through the sheer curtains and gave an air of grand otherworldliness. Other dolls were placed in different spaces that seemed random at first glance, but it was very purposeful.
The man put the doll down among some others. He smiled and gently declared, “welcome home, Amadea.”
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