Cinderella’s Dress
I feel proud and ready for the carriage with four white horses to come and take us to the prince’s celebration
By Rosita Dadashi
Yesterday, that young girl came to see me again! I wouldn’t be lying if I said she’s come to see me every day of the week. She’s a bit shy and quiet. When she enters through the door, she softly says hello, walks straight in, and stands right in front of me! She looks me up and down. She spreads her fingers and measures my waist with her handspan. She rolls up my sleeve and adjusts my skirt. Then she takes a few steps back and carefully examines me from head to toe. It’s as if she wants to memorize my size and style.
I’ve felt much better These days since she’s been visiting me. Sometimes, my cheeks glow with happiness. You see, I had been standing alone in this corner of the salon for a year, behind other glittering dresses, waiting. These days, the salon is filled with tulle bridal gowns. Dresses full of ruffles and puffs, tulle and ribbons. Nowadays, people are all about appearances. They prefer heavily embellished and ruffled dresses. Dresses that use a lot of fabric, with two or three layers of tulle, lining, and silk. It seems that the heavier the dress, the more people like it.
But I have always been a fan of simplicity. I think a simple long A-line skirt with a light lining is enough. A simple, fitted blouse with long, flared sleeves is perfect for the bodice. A simple boat neckline that stretches from one shoulder to the other enhances the neck’s beauty. Lastly, a simple long veil hangs from the back under the hairpiece and reaches the ground. That’s it!
It saddens me to think that it’s been a year without a single bride who appreciates simplicity coming to choose me. A whole year of waiting and watching is no short time; it feels like a lifetime! Until this girl showed up and brought joy to my world. Her appearance was simple, as were her bag and shoes. I liked her simplicity. Every day, she came with a measuring tape in hand. She folded and adjusted my fabric. She took measurements and left.
But yesterday, when she entered the shop, she went straight to the counter and started talking to the shopkeeper. I was too far away to hear their conversation. It seemed like they were negotiating the price of the dress. When she finished, the shopkeeper approached me with a large white box. He carefully folded me and placed me inside the box. I wanted to scream with joy, but the lid closed.
When we got home, the girl opened the box and hung me on a large clothes hanger. Then she was called from the kitchen and went to have lunch.
I took a deep breath and looked around. Beside me was a table covered with narrow and wide beautiful tulle, small and large pins, spools, white and colored buttons, and a sewing machine. A little further away, a small, simple invitation card caught my attention. I had seen many wedding invitation cards before. But this one was simpler and more elegant than the others. The simplicity of the wedding card touched my heart. I glanced at the printed date on it. The date was six days away.
Oh my God! Does this mean the girl and I will be a bride six days later?
I choked up with happiness, and my eyes filled with tears.
A little later, the girl came and put me on. She stood in front of the mirror and looked at herself thoroughly. I fit her perfectly—it was like I had been made just for her. She walked around a bit with me on, then took me off, hung me back up, and left.
Today, early morning, the bride-to-be came to see me again. She pinned the white tulle and beautiful ribbons from the table onto me. She attached a wide, shiny white ribbon around my waist. She glued a few tiny white blossoms to my bodice. She also sewed the same wide ribbon to the hem of my skirt.
For several hours, she kept pinning, gluing, and sewing. Now, I feel like she is Cinderella, and I am the dress she will wear to the prince’s ball. I feel proud and ready for the carriage with four white horses to come and take us to the prince’s celebration. #mohajirtimes
