SHORT - Precious' Wish

I have officially started writing my 1st novel. Hopefully, when I get back to the Philippines by March, I’d be ready to give my manuscript to my publisher.

I’ve read in a book, written for idiots who want to create a novel that doing short stories will hone your storytelling skills. So here it goes, my first “short”, ala Jacob Ludwig Karl Grimm.

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Once upon a time, in a Thrid-World Country far far away, there lived a young gay named Precious. He was born to a poor family in a poor city in the middle of a poor country. His mother, father, 3 brothers and 8 sisters had names that will neither be known nor remembered in history for they contently lived a normal and simple life.

Precious only finished third grade and had to stop to work with his mother, selling sampaguita on the street. When times were good, they ate twice a day. They slept every night on a crowded floor. Through all of these, Precious never complained for every night, right before going to sleep, his mother told him "Don't worry son, life will get better."

Though he didn't have money, he had something more important. He had a dream. He wanted to become the best beautician anyone has every seen. He hoped of helping people to look good, for Precious believed that if one looks good, one will feel good, and when one feels good, one will do good in life.

One day, four of his sisters got a stomach ache. After that day, his four sisters died. They spent all the money they had on finding a place for his sisters to be buried at. They can only afford one plot, and no coffins. While his brothers were digging the hole where his sister will lay to rest, his mother told Precious "Don't worry my son, life will get better."

After a week, four of her remaining sisters also had a stomach ache. Since they did not have money to bring them to the hospital, his father and brothers resorted to stealing as nobody wanted to help them. His father and brothers were caught robbing a thrift store and were shot dead by the police. The same day, his other 4 sisters died.

Precious and his mother went back to where his sisters were burried. There they planed to put the bodies of his other siblings and his father. While digging, Precious' mother told him "Don't worry my son, life will get better."

After a week, his mother got the same stomach ache that took his family away. Precious' mother told him to start digging their family's grave as it looked like she will join them soon. Precious started to cry but his mother stopped him and told him "Don't worry my son, life will get better."

The next day, Precious' mother passed away. As he did not have money to buy a proper grave marker, he looked for the biggest stone he can lift and put it on top of his family's grave. He then used a rusty nail and a smaller stone to inscribe an epitaph.

As he wiped his tears, he threw away the rusty nail and small stone that he had.

When the stone hit the ground, it broke into half and a wondrous thing happened.

From the stone rose a fairy as small as a thumb flying on wings that looked like a dragonfly's. The fairy was clothed in shimmering blue light and smelled of vanilla and sampaguita.

Precious was so surprised at how beautiful the fairy was that he could neither move nor speak. The blue fairy hovered closer to Precious and talked to him without moving its lips, "Your broken heart has called to me from where dreams and hopes lie. Tell me your desire, and it shall all be thine."

Precious did not need to think as his heart already knew what he wanted.

"I wish to be where I will never be hungry again. Where I shall not need to worry about sickness. Where I will be able to help people become so beautiful that they will forget about their unpleasant lives."

The blue fairy nodded as soon as Precious said his wish, and the wonderful fairy flew near and kissed him on his cheek.

Precious fell asleep, never to wake up again.

There he stayed forever with his family and his wish beside the gravestone that he marked “Life will be better.”

(Header Pic from DeviatArt.com - Blue Fairy Crystal by *Buninou)