MAGICAL COAT
by
Carol Marlene Smith
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PUBLISHED BY:
Carol Marlene Smith at Smashwords
Magical Coat
Copyright 2011 by Carol Marlene Smith
Smashwords Edition License Notes
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MAGICAL COAT
A winter fury pounced upon Jean Bishop when she opened the rooming house door. She pulled her thin jacket around her tense body and trudged forward. With her back against the wind, she bent into the cold and walked downtown.
She was not familiar with New York City, and besides being far from her hometown, she was lonely most of the time and winter had swooped down and consumed her thoughts and state of mind.
The bell tinkled above the door of the second-hand shop. A blast of warm air welcomed her, as she edged toward a rack of shoddy sad coats. It was the first time she had ever even been in a second hand shop, but times were tough and she needed a warmer winter coat. Her long fingers flipped quickly through the crammed rack of winter rejects. Suddenly her saturnine eyes brightened as she lifted a soft rose from amongst the thorns. Her bare arms shivered pleasantly when she slid them into sleeves of heavy satin. With trembling fingers she worked on the round black buttons as she faced herself in the mirror. The buttons were sparkly in the centre and enhanced the coat dramatically.
Turning from side to side she gently brushed the black fur-like material, eyeing herself with a serious, studied expression. The gaze melted into a smile when she discovered it was a perfect fit. A wondrous change swept over her. A touch of classic eloquence had entered her life. The label read Fifth Avenue. In ball-point blue beneath the words someone had penned $10.00.
Boldly she marched to the counter and smoothed out a crumpled ten-dollar bill that had been balled up at the bottom of her handbag. “I’ll take it,” she said, her voice echoing with a clear ring. “No need to wrap it.” She smiled at the cashier who smiled back understandably, and the cash register rang merrily.
With a new zip to her stride she exited the store, remembering but not caring that she’d left her old jacket hanging beside the rack. And when she met a fine looking stranger in a dark, woollen top-coat, whose smile seemed to assess the cut of her coat, she was buoyed by the approving attention. She lifted her chin, straightened her shoulders and forgot the winter storm raging around her.