by Angela Hope
The Doll with Odd Eyes
by
Angela Hope
Copyright 2013 by Angela Hope
Annie, an elderly lady was trying to clear out the heaps of old memories in the basement of her house. It was a very difficult process as everything she looked at had a story and instead of throwing away she found herself hesitating and putting things she could not part with, back into another box. It contained a lot of things she had when she was a young girl, drawings, an old book of her favourite stories, photographs of her deceased parents as well as an assortment of old toys including a plastic duck that had sat at the end of her bathtub many years ago.
Annie was packing up and leaving her beloved house, moving into her daughters place for her own safety.
So many memories came flooding back as she sifted through the chest and her thoughts went to the doll with odd eyes. Where was she? Betty! She must be here somewhere. Annie dug deep into the musty smelling old wooden chest and there she was, “Betty” her first ever favourite doll. She pulled Betty out from under a torn pram cover and held her up to look closely at the face. She was still in quite good condition, her head used to have hair and her dress was dirty but looking into those eyes made the elderly lady smile. Betty had one blue eye and one green. Remembering the day her mum had given the doll as a birthday present. She had thought that Betty was odd looking and wasn’t sure she really liked her, but when her mum told her that she’d found the doll looking very unhappy in a charity shop, that changed her young mind and she rarely was seen anywhere without her doll with odd eyes.
“How sad it is that you have been hidden away for so many years.” said Annie, “Now is the time to let you make another child happy.” Betty was placed on the ground until the elderly lady had sorted a box of things to take to the charity shop.
Betty was washed and was now wearing the clean and ironed dress. Unfortunately there was nothing that could be done about the missing hair unless she went to a doll’s hospital. That was out of the question on Annie’s small pension. She had found an old knitted bonnet in the trunk so after a wash put onto Betty’s head. She now sat on top of the box by the front door ready to go to her new life.
As the days past Annie found herself talking to Betty as she used to 60 years ago. She loved the fact that Betty had one blue eye and one green and her eye lids closed when she lay on her back. As her mother had reminded her, Betty was different from all the dolls owned and loved by other children. “How lucky you are to have such a special doll.” She used to say. “It was probably a mistake that went unnoticed when she was put together.”
A week past with the box still by the door, Betty now sitting on a chair, Annie kept herself busy prolonging the trip to the local charity shop.
Unfortunately Annie’s daughter didn’t have a large house and although Annie asked if she would like to have the doll with odd eyes or any of the things that were to go to the Charity shop, the answer was “no thanks Mum.”
Betty was put back on top of the box by the door, then taken to a car and placed in the boot.
Annie watched as her daughter took those prized positions into the shop and come back to the car without saying a word.
****
Unpacking the box in the small Charity shop the assistant picked up the doll with odd eyes. “What an unusual doll you are” she said. “You probably should go to an antique shop as you must be very old. I’ve never seen a doll with one blue eye and one green.”
Talking it over with the manager the decision was made, not to put the doll in the shop window but have a bit of time to think about what they should do for the best. Plus they had no idea what to charge a customer if someone wanted to buy her. Betty was placed behind the front desk on top of a small painted chair.
Looking through the shop window was a lady holding the hand of a 6 year old girl called Faith. The door opened as someone was leaving so they entered to have a look around. Faith held tightly to her mum’s hand as she was a vision impaired child that wore rather thick lenses in her glasses.
They both smiled and said good morning to the assistant as they passed the front desk. “Is there anything I can help you with today?” Jane the assistant asked.
Faith’s mother replied “We are just looking to see if you have any doll’s clothes. My daughter here (pointing to Faith) likes to dress up her dolls. Unfortunately she spends a lot of time in hospital so I can’t afford to pay very much.
Looking at Faith, Jane noticed the strangest thing. Faith had one blue eye and one green. They were emphasised by the thick glasses.
Without thinking about it she picked up Betty. “I must show you this lovely doll, she came to us today and if you look at her face you’ll see that she has the same eyes as your daughter one blue one green.”
“Oh my goodness!” said Faith’s mum. “That’s amazing! Look Faith,” she said, holding Betty very close to Faith’s eyes.”Can you see, this doll looks just like you.”
Immediately Faith fell in love with the old doll and held her tightly to her chest. “Oh please mummy can I have her?” “How much is she?” Mum said to Jane.
Jane didn’t know what to say when she opened her mouth the words just came out. “Promise me you’ll take good care of her and you can take her home for free.”
Faith was delighted and her mum overwhelmed by Jane’s kindness. They left the shop and sitting in the car Faith cradled the doll in her arms. “I’m going to name her Hope.” she said.
Hope went everywhere with Faith and was admired by everyone. Faith would make a point of telling people to look and compare her dolls eyes with her own.
Then one day at the eye hospital Hope was stolen from the back seat of mum’s car. It had been easier to leave the doll behind as Faith had to have her mum’s arm for support and carrying the doll had become a bit of a problem.
She was now devastated and very unhappy.
The car window had been smashed and items stolen. The young boy that had taken the doll for his sister hadn’t thought his actions through. He ran off as fast as he could before jumping over a low garden fence, he hid behind a bush to check he wasn’t being followed and stopped to catch his breath. The bonnet got caught up on a branch of the rose bush and was hanging around Hope’s neck revelling sparse hair and the odd eyes
“Ugly!” he thought and threw the doll to the ground before making his escape.
