The Eternal Search for the Perfect Purse
Griselda thought herself a princess who deserved the most and the best. Especially when it came to purses.
"This purse doesn't work anymore!" she complained to her friend and advisor, Brunhilda, over lunch at the finest hamburger restaurant in town.
Brunhilda almost sighed. Griselda frowned at her, so Brunhilda's sigh turned into a hiccup.
"My dear friend, what is wrong with your beautiful new purse?" Brunhilda asked. "Does the color not perfectly match your divine outfit?"
Griselda snorted. "It's not the color, you twit! It hurts my shoulder."
"Perhaps if you didn't stuff your bowling ball in your purse . . ."
Griselda waved the thought away. "This is not the perfect purse after all. We'll go shopping after lunch."
Brunhilda heard her feet scream in dismay. "Perhaps tomorrow?"
Griselda shook her head.
"Perhaps an extra slice of cherry pie instead?"
"No, I want another purse. Now!" Griselda stood up and brushed the crumbs from her clothes. "Let's go." She pulled Brunhilda out of the booth and marched her to the nearest mall.
"What about this purse?" Brunhilda dangled a bag in front of Griselda's eyes. "It has padded shoulder straps, and it's expandable. Plus, it has wheels so that you don't strain your royal self."
"No, that won't work. It's too awkward to throw into my carriage. Let's keep looking."
"My dear princess," Brunhilda said. "Let me take a quick beauty break while you find the perfect purse."
Griselda nodded, barely listening. She might have spied The One.
Brunhilda walked quickly out of the store. She stopped at a travel kiosk and booked a one-way ticket to Jamaica. She was done with Griselda. And her purses.
Meanwhile, Griselda asked the sales clerk to bring her an odd bag on a hook near the ceiling.
"An old magician left the bag in the store and never returned," the sales clerk said.
"Is it used?" Griselda asked.
"We don't know. We've never been able to open it."
Griselda gave the sales clerk twenty dollars for the purse. Brunhilda could open the purse for her. After all, Brunhilda did everything else for her.
But Griselda didn't see Brunhilda anywhere. Griselda shrugged her shoulders. "Brunhilda has gotten worn around the edges. I can replace her."
When Griselda returned to her palace, she used every tool in the King's workroom to pry open the clasp. She tried a screwdriver, a hammer, a saw, a drill, and even a rake. Nothing worked.
Finally, she tried to force the latch open with her fingers, but she only broke a fingernail. She sobbed in frustration. "I give up!"
Those were the magic words. With a soft click, the clasp released and the purse opened.
Griselda gasped. Finally! She stuck her head in the bag. And fell in.
"Ouch! That hurts!" She rubbed her head and sat up. And sneezed. The purse was full of drifting, glowing dust.
She looked around. She saw no corners, no sides. As far as she could tell, the purse expanded into infinity. "Oh goodness, think of all the things I could fill this with!"
She looked up. More stars than she had ever seen twinkled above her head. "Oh, no! The clasp is closed again! How will I get out to collect everything this bag could hold?"
A realization melted into her brain. This bag was her empty soul. Stuffing the bag would never fill what was missing inside her. She had no idea how to find it.
But Griselda was a stubborn princess. "I get everything I want. I'll figure this out. Someday."
~
Nolcha Fox's poems have been curated in print and online journals. A best-selling author, her poetry books are available on Amazon and Dancing Girl Press. Nominated for Best of the Net and Pushcart Prize multiple times. Editor of Chewers by Masticadores and LatinosUSA.
Website: https://writingaddiction2.wordpress.com/ and https://nolchafox2.wixsite.com/nolcha-s-written-wor/blog
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nolcha.fox/
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