The Match-Box Girl

.. And that's when I carried you..

He watched the crowds as they traversed through the city streets. The ends of his black-overcoat flew with the breeze, allowing his silhouette to blend with the dark sky. Perched high up on a billboard, he watched the people with a grim expression. His lonely eyes displayed no emotion and stared into thin space point-blank. He had been a part of the crowd long ago.. Now, he was nothing but minute particles of dust.

He chuckled out of sheer pity for himself. His life remained an album of memories, a useless pile of ashes at the bottom of a river. But then again.. death did have its benefits. It was a morbid way of escaping the cruelties of life.

He jumped off the billboard and landed on the roof top of a thirteen storey building. His eyes turned to the sign blinking above him. In red and blue flash bulbs, the billboard boasted of a home screen theatre.

Live the luxurious way..

On the pin-up, a scantily dressed model had her hands out-stretched towards the company's model on display.

His eyes narrowed at the overlarge picture. Media and modernization had corrupted people. Little could be done to bring back the honesty and integrity of the old age. Time couldn't turn back.. and those mistakes couldn't be redone.

That was the irony of it all.

He moved to the ledge and stared at the tiny figures below. People of all ages, from different walks of life, moved like herds of clueless sheep. They had no destination, no purpose and always moved with the flock. Among the mannequins, he found an even smaller figure staggering from one street corner to another. She was just a puny child. Her eyes had dark circles and her face was as pale as a ghost, easily masking her age. Though she looked older, the young angel guessed her to be just eleven years old.

What on earth was she doing down there?

His white wings emerged from his back. They stretched until hovering above his head. With a small movement, he jumped off the ledge and flew to the lower ground. The air beat across his streamline shape. Flapping his wings, he landed smoothly under the dim yellow luminance of a street-light. Invisible feathers scattered onto the road, never disturbing the people passing by. Nobody could see him.. or any part of his existence.

I am visible only to those who need me..

His eyes rested on the little girl who was staring at the window of a shop. He followed her gaze and found her eyes lingering on a morsel of bread. His heart bled on the spot as he continued to observe her helplessly. Her clothes were tattered and torn at many places. With a lone jacket protecting her from the winter cold, she turned away and picked up her worn bag. She began walking on the pavement, escaping the looks of disapproval from the public.

The young angel followed her with a heavy heart. There was a glow around her.. the kind of heavenly glow he had seen many times before. It's significance couldn't be ignored. He watched as the girl stopped to rummage through her maroon bag. She began taking out small boxes and started stacking them up on the ground. He looked over her shoulder curiously.

The tiny boxes had some dusty stickers attached to their top. He felt disappointed when he couldn't read what they said.. The girl picked up a few packages. Facing the street, she took a deep breath and stepped forward.

The young angel watched as she went up to a passing businessman.

"Sir, would you like to buy these match boxes? They are cheap and cost only-"

But before she could complete her sentence, the man shook his head grumpily. "I don't need any!"

Pushing her out of his way, he resumed his path. The angel sighed as the girl's face turned paler. Her eyes watered, tears threatening to spill. But mustering her courage, she refused to let despair take over her.

He watched as she tried to sell her large number of unwanted matchboxes. If there was one thing he felt, it had to be pity. Most of the people ignored the girl's plight. They passed her as if she was nobody worth their time. They failed to realize that she was just like them.. a human with hopes and wishes. A living being with feelings and needs..

When would they open their eyes and look around?

The girl went up to a woman.

"Madam, would you like to buy these match boxes? Please have a look at them. I assure you that-" she asked in an innocent voice.

The woman walked past her without even glancing her way. The girl shrunk back in disappointment and cowered near the wall of a pastry store. The angel stood next to her with hung shoulders. His wings had disappeared within his skin, leaving him to look like an ordinary person.

A fresh aroma drifted through the air. The pastry shop was lining up a new menu and customers kept walking in and out. They hardly paid attention to the small girl sitting outside in the freezing cold. The only warmth she received was from the smell of hot breads.

After an hour, the shopkeeper came out. With his hands on his hips, he looked at her with a look of complete disgust.

"Girl, this is no place to sit. You are scaring away the customers. Go hide somewhere else.. "

The girl opened one eye. She looked up at him and nodded. Picking up her bag, she stood up and staggered to the alley behind the shop. Her gaze fell upon the snow-covered garbage cans. Her eyes flickered in disappointment but she knew she had no other choice. Opening her bag, she pulled out a crumbled newspaper. It was an old edition which someone had left behind in the park.

Spreading it out on the thick white cover of ice, she sat on it. Pulling her jacket closer to her, she counted the minutes passing by.

The angel had followed her to this filthy spot. He watched her with sad eyes. How could one small girl have the courage to face so much despair? She was more stronger than he had ever been when he had been alive.

Though he was angered by the ignorance of people, his frustration grew when he realized his helplessness.

All he could do was watch..

The glow around the girl grew with every passing minute.

He knew what it meant. The other realm was calling her to their side. But she was too young.. How could he watch her wither into nothingness? She was just a budding rose. If she had been given the chance to nurture and live, she would have bloomed into a beautiful red rose.

But the same rose was fading away.. right before his eyes.

The snow began to fall harder. The girl lay under the slight warmth of her jacket. The lights around her began to fade one by one. Her stomach grumbled but she didn't have anything to eat. She had long forgotten what she had eaten last. Some lady on the subway train had been generous enough to give her a sandwich the day before. But luck was not always on her side. Today was one of those unfortunate days.. No one had paused to bestow kindness upon her.

She looked at her wrinkled hands. Her slender fingers had gone numb. She began rubbing them but the warmth refused to return. Her gaze fell upon her bag. She reached for it and pulled a match box from its inside. Pulling open the flap, she picked out one stick.

She struck it once.. twice until it finally ignited with a spark. The beautiful yellow flame made her smile. The angel found it surprising. Such a trivial thing could bring the brightest smile on her face.. Why hadn't he seen this beauty before?

Believing himself to be invisible, he crouched before her. Giving her a gentle smile, he reached out with his hand. His fingers grazed through her untamed burgundy hair. He was careful of not disturbing her. Then again, she couldn't see him, could she?

He was taken by surprise when her eyes locked into his. She knew of his presence.

"Who are you?" she asked softly.

His surprised expression was soon replaced by a humble one. "An angel .. "

The girl took a deep breath. White smoke erupted from her nose and she snuggled under her jacket. Sneaking a glance at him again, she spoke, "I never knew you existed."

"I am visible only to those who need me."

The girl nodded. She seemed disoriented and the young angel began to grow anxious. He feared for her life yet he couldn't do anything. Her breathing was becoming shallow; her eyes- weary and tired. Hunger was a fearsome killer.

"Are you alright?" he asked her. He used his hand to lift her face to his. She was surprised to see the worry in his eyes. Tears began to flow gently from her dark orbs.

"Why are you crying, kiddo?"

"Nobody cares. No one cares about me."

"Don't say that. I care for you.. " he said softly.

"Really?"

"Yes," he replied. He touched her cheek and nodded to calm her fears.

A deep sigh escaped his lips. He brought his arms to wrap around her tiny form. Slowly, he lifted her up from the ground. His wings grew from his back, hovering over their heads. The girl's astonished eyes traced their elegant shape and she uttered a cry of disbelief.

The young angel tightened his hold on her. Her life was fading away.. but he didn't want to let her go.

The girl was shivering due to the cold. She stuttered, " Th-thank you."

"You don't have to be grateful, child."

The girl nodded meekly again. Her eyes closed and her head dropped against his shirt. The angel couldn't mistaken the signs any more. Death was approaching at a fast pace. The last moments were always tough especially if he was forced to comfort the dying ones. Yet what comfort could he actually bring them at the last moment of life?

Before drifting into her long sleep, her voice asked a final question.

"Will there be someone waiting for me?"

With a smile, he patted her head. "Yes. There is someone waiting for you, kiddo. Someone who loves you and will take care of you from now on."

She may have heard him.. she might not have. The tiny figure in his arms had been claimed by the other realm. Only a motionless body remained under the hood of his wings. There was no heart-beat; just the last remains of a frozen girl.

A small tear escaped from his own brown eyes.

The match stick lay on the ground in the form of crumbled black moss.

The flame had been blown away.

..--..