One’s childhood greatly shapes their adult life. It is also the best time of an individual’s life. I am lucky; I was able to have a great childhood. One of the happiest memories of my childhood was the time when my parents bought me a Barbie doll. I had always wanted this doll ever since I saw it at the store. My parents had no choice but to buy the toy since I would tell them about it every single day.
Given that I was an only child, my parents always looked for ways to make me happy. Nowaday we went to the store and asked my mother if I could get a Barbie doll. She didn’t say yes, but she didn’t say no either. So I was still hopeful. In my childhood mind, I did not know that parents could lack money. All I wanted was the Barbie doll. I can vividly remember the day I got my Barbie doll. It was on Saturday morning, the day of my birthday. My Barbie doll had a short pink dress, blonde hair and a pink handbag.
My parents wanted to surprise me on that day. When I woke up, I got the gift by my bedside. It was the best birthday present ever. My mother had prepared all the delicious meals and my favourite ones too, but I could not even think about the food. Everything else came to a standstill. I could not get my eyes off my Barbie doll. Of all my birthdays, my fifth birthday is the one that I could never forget.
All I wanted to do was to play with my Barbie doll. I remember that night, I could not sleep; I kept waking up just confirming if the Barbie doll was still by my bedside. It was not a dream; I had the Barbie doll. I named her Carol. I would even sneak carol in my bag when going to school. It seemed like everything revolved around Carol, my newfound doll. If the other toys could speak, I know they could complain just because of the time I spent with my Barbie doll.
One could see the expression of happiness on my face every time I was holding my doll. I did not want to put my Barbie doll down even when taking a bath. It was like the doll was my best friend. I was an only child, so I got companionship. I could not wait for the morning to go and play with my Barbie doll. My neighbours also wanted to play with my Barbie doll. Our street was quiet, and there were only a few kids. One of my neighbourhood friends had a dollhouse where we would play together. I just could not get enough of playing with my doll.
One Saturday morning, when we were playing, I had left my Barbie doll outside with my friends while I went inside the house to pick something. It was the worst mistake that I made. I didn’t know that that would be the end I would see Carol. I came back and looked all over the dollhouse but could not find my Barbie doll. It had gone, and I would never see it again. It was something that I regretted, and no amount of comfort could calm me down. I cried the whole night. My mother even tried cooking my favourite food, Spaghetti. The smell could make anyone salivate, but not even that could calm me down. All I wanted was to have my Barbie doll again.
One of the kids we were playing with had stolen my Barbie doll, but no one could own up to being the culprit. I asked all the kids we were playing with, and no one was telling me where my doll was. It could not have disappeared. It was just right there how it could disappear. Someone must have taken it. I threw tantrums, and my mother rushed outside to find out what was happening. She found me lying on the floor, crying. Her attempts to calm me down did not bear any fruits. My lost Barbie doll made me become selfish with my dolls. It was also the last day I played with neighbours.
The memories I shared with my Barbie doll were one of a kind. It is one of the childhood memories that I would never let go of even as an adult, I still think about my favourite toy. I cherished every moment that I spent with my Barbie doll. I knew that I could not get another one since my mother had sacrificed a lot just to see me happy. I knew I would never have a connection with any other doll like I did with my Barbie carol. I guess it was because I could relate to the doll. I had envisioned myself to be like my Barbie doll when I grew up.