During the summer when I was four, I spent several weeks at my maternal grandmother’s house while my baby brother went through a major heart operation and required the full attention of my parents.
At my grandmother’s house, every day, I had the entire day to myself. During the day, my grandmother was usually busy working in her vegetable farm, and my uncle and his wife left home early since they were both school teachers. Unlike at home, there was nobody to force me to sit and do some “study” activities, so I spent every day playing from the morning until the evening. The only thing that was missing was playmates of my own age, but even that didn’t bother me much since there were so many interesting things to do and discover inside and outside of my grandmother’s spacious house.
Every now and then, I would pop into my grandmother’s vegetable farm to see what she was doing. Whenever there was some easy task available, my grandmother would give me the opportunity to participate in the farming activity next to her.
One day, my grandmother told me that she was going out to purchase a new one-wheel garden cart and asked me if I wanted to come with her. I had no idea what a one-wheel garden cart was, but knowing how exciting it always was to accompany my grandmother to a new place, I immediately agreed to join.
We walked to the nearby DIY store across the river together. That day, one-wheel cart was the only item on my grandmother’s list and we finished our shopping in no time. While waiting in the line to pay for the cart, I found a heart-shaped toy of Sailor Moon on the shelf in front of me. Being an enthusiastic fan of Sailor Moon, I was naturally drawn to the toy. My grandmother was quick to notice my interest, and knowing how much I loved Sailor Moon, she picked the toy from the shelf and handed it to the cashier along with her cart.
Once we finished paying, we started walking back home pushing the brand new cart in front of us. When we reached the bridge, however, my grandmother suggested something most amazing. She said that I could hop onto the cart if I wanted. This was something my parents would never invite me to do. I jumped with excitement and eagerly climbed into the cart.
So we went back home like that. Me sitting inside the cart while my grandmother pushed it. The scenery from the moving cart was fantastic. It felt like such a privilege to be moving without walking. As I was carried in the cart, I opened the toy my grandmother had just bought me. It was a heart-shaped compact which played a music whenever it was opened. I explained every detail of this toy to my grandmother as we travelled.
This whole experience was so luxurious that as I watched the passing scenery around me, I wondered to myself this was what it would feel like to be a princess.