The Day I Swapped my Friends for Sweets

It was a hot Tuesday noon when a woman came and sold a pack of sweets to me.
" How much is that?"
" 3 golds my dear."
" Oh? I don't have that kind of money. Sorry."
" Is that so? Okay. I'll go"

But I really liked sweets so much. When I saw it's colors, my eyes are so delighted to see it. It makes my stomach craves for it. Then suddenly, I remember. I'm having a conflict between my friends. So a very ridiculous idea came into my mind.

" What if I swap my friends to sweets? If that so, the seller would be pleased! There's a pack of men who will help her to sell those bags of delights!"

I ran hastily to catch the woman. But she's nowhere to be seen. " But well, she' come back tomorrow I bet."

Then she was. She talked to me and said what she has said yesterday and I said yes. I told her my plan and she agreed. Then I got confused and I asked myself, " How is that possible?. I never knew she can read minds and told me not to worry. She raised her hands and just an snap of her fingers, my friends are there, in a large bottle. " Its wicked!" I said to her. She hand to me the bag of sweets and I went away.

All day, I ate all that colorful delights that I've received from trading my friends. I was so happy till the last piece enters my mouth. I swallowed it carefully and I feel it's moving through my stomach. And yet, I'm not satisfied. But the woman never came back for the following day. . . and the day after it. I was bored and I've missed my friends. I've realized that I was so lost without them. . . that I'll never be happy forever. It's my fault. I swapped my friends to sweets that was so easy to be gone. Now that I am alone, I want to win them back.

I asked my mom to buy me a bag of sweets. At first, she refused. But when I told her the story, she agreed. The following day, she came with it. I've waited for the lady to come into my house. . . to sell me her goods. Then she appeared from a midst and come near me. She said:

" What do you have there silly girl? Your mother and your father to be swapped by sweets?"
"No. Actually, I'm returning this one. Bring my friends back."
"Oh! I've swapped it with this candies I've been selling lately."
"What?! To whom?"
"There, to that old man who lives in that creepy place. I heard he eats kids."

Then she laughs devilishly. I was shocked. I don't know what to do. Yes it's true. Everyone was scared with that house. I heard the old man eats children alive. "OH NO!" I screamed.

I don't have a choice. I must do something before the old man eat my friends alive. So I come in front of the creepy gate and pushed the bell. A loud bang hit my ears and the door squeaked. A voice from the house spoke " Come in." And so I did. My knees are trembling and I was about to ran back to m house. But I must do whatever it takes for my friends. It's all my fault after all. As I entered the house, I saw a big scary house. There are skulls and webs everywhere. " So it's true!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. "You've eaten them?" A man appears from a silhouette and said, " Of course no my dear, they are in there. At the dining room."

"No! You are trying to trick me! You've killed them! Eat them alive!"
"Calm down my child. Why don't you check it out?"

So I do. I checked the Dining Room. A beam of bright light struck my eyes and there saw my friends sitting beside a dinner table eating sweets. " Oh! Ann. There you are! Want some?"

My eyes are now with tears. I ran and embraced them one by one. I apologized to what I've done and it seems that they didn't know a thing. So I got confused. Then the old man held my back and uttered, " Can you have a minute? Want to tell you something".

I nodded. We walked through the hallway and everything we passed by turned to be a delights. My eyes are pleased to see them all and I even forgot what I have done. Then the old man snapped his fingers and he transformed to an woman. The woman who sold me the Jellyace. I was shocked and felt ashamed of myself. Then she spoke, " You have proven to me that you are a good friend. However, exchanging them to a bag of sweets was a foolish idea. Remember, that sweets are just for a while, they'll be gone in just a snap of fingers. You must understand that your friends are always right there for you, even you're having a crack in your relationship. That friends are dazzling treasures that must considered irreplaceable. More valuable than candies, more valuable than toys and most importantly worth the same as you should value life. Remember that, Ann. Always."

The woman's words truck my heart. I was having a remorse. I was ashamed of myself. . . on what I've done. Now that I've realized my mistake. I'll never swap my friends to sweets again.


Note:
Influenced by Neil Gaiman's " The Day I Swapped my Father to a Goldfish."