Malee placed the card into her wallet and walked around as Michael went into a gardening store at the other side of the mall. Malee stared at the various dresses on the display and remembered the time she went for shopping with Georgia. She wondered if the card that Michael had given her ability to take whichever she wanted from the store, but she laughed after telling herself that she wasn’t a princess like Georgia. Then her eyes met a dress at a store and went into the store without thinking.

It was a large store with more staff than customers, but after glancing at Malee’s dress, none came forward to ask. It didn’t surprise Malee, and she was glad that it was so since after looking at the price tag on the dress, her jaws dropped on the floor. She wasn’t sure how many zeros on the piece of paper, but she knew it was more than a month’s salary of her friends. She herself wasn’t paid, but she knew well how much were her friends from their jobs after finishing the exams.

She closed her mouth immediately and looked around as if in shame but there wasn’t anyone around. She sighed in relief and smiled. The dress was beautiful but not for her. She touched at the smooth silky arms of the dress as a hand placed on her shoulder. She nearly jumped at the touch and turned around to see Michael with several bags.

“Are you still looking? If you like it, buy it.” said Michael.

“But the price.” said Malee.

“Never mind the price. Where is the card?” asked Michael. Malee took out the card from the bag and handed over to Michael. He took the card and the dress and walked over to the counter.

“We will take it.”