[--<--SHE-->--]

Happily ever after not was the life of this young girl. Yes, this is how her story may end at the very beginning.

She didn't have a name. And so, as I writer, I address her only as she...

As usual, she laid a tattered black mat on the floor, put the rusty bowl at the centre and sat down. It was the same scene for her, outside the dilapidated church, every single day. She frequently saw families streaming in and out of the church. With a mum, dad and 2 children. Hand in hand. Happy! Like the perfect family she always drew.

She had a burning desire. To enter the church. To pray for His guidance and a gift - a family, no she wanted the perfect family. But she wasn't allowed to. The people of Drelado despised her.

Why? - she wondered.

At the age of 3, her parents abandoned her... For the reason she never knew. The only memories she had, were the scars inflicted on her by Mother. Father wasn't a figure for her to remember at all... Basically, she wasn't accepted by her society. Labelled as the "unnamed". It was horrible. But she could not do anything about it. No one took her as their own or even offered her a job. All these while, she has been feeding onto the money of the people who throw her a penny or two.

Still at the age of 17...

Well, back to the scene - I thought

Outside the church, she had her own special way to pray. It wasn't wrong but she thought that there was a right way.

And it was then...when she knelt down and silently prayed as she heard the people at the church worshipping with love... Someone dropped a note into her bowl. She looked up and saw a girl who seemed like she was around her age. Her name was Splendor.

A few minutes later, the girl's family saw her outside the church. Unexpectedly, tears trailed down Splendor's mother. Splendor's mother knew there was something more to this girl.

Each time they came to the church, they never failed to drop something for her. And that day, they decided to drop her more than what she was ever given.

They took her home.

Suddenly... out of the blue.. She had a mama, papa, sister Splendor and brother Breyvn. Her new found parents eagerly made known to the people of Drelado that she was theirs from that time forward. Although many shunned the family aside, a few of the residents had a change in their hearts and welcomed this girl with open arms.

She was no longer buried under the wasted sheets of paper. Instead she had her home. She was no longer feeding onto the leftovers of others. Instead she had her all three meals a day. She was no longer covering herself with tattered clothes. Instead brightly coloured clothes. She was no longer begging for love or money. Instead she learnt about God.

No, this family were not the richest nor the famous. They were simply the happiest.

It took time for her to accept this new found environment and family. It was too much. She had never received such love from anyone. This was beyond magnificence.

She grew specially close with Splendor and mama. Splendor was her everything and always would be. Their relationship moulded so well and they grew more and more in each other's arms. It was different for them.

Mama was always the best for her! Mama knew how to love the right way. Mother didn't. Or as the way Splendor always put it Mother expressed it in a different way. But somehow she preferred Mama. She hated to admit it. But she did.

She was no longer alone anymore. Her drawing of the perfect family has finally became a reality. But somehow she created a distance within herself from the family. After all, she was adopted. Not theirs naturally. So, she was placed a little away from the family in her drawing.

They named her their Precious once upon a time.


Now the story finally begins...


Precious sat by the window as she waved goodbye to her parents who were leaving for church. She grabbed the window grilles and waited till the sound of their footsteps trailed off. A thought suddenly bolted into her mind.

"Am I deceiving them? The only people who took me off from the streets to give me life and teach me Love. Am I using this exact source of Love to break their trust they have on me? And each time I address them mama and papa... am I slowly piercing into their hearts with my actions? What do I do? And to God...am I deceiving Him through my selfish ways?"

A warm touch around her waist snapped her back from her thoughts.

"I love you," Splendor whispered.