The Lost Smile --- Short Story

 

The Lost Smile👩👩😃

Once upon a time, in a small village nestled between rolling hills, lived a young girl named Lila. She was known for her radiant smile, which seemed to light up even the darkest corners of the village. Every morning, she would greet the villagers with a cheerful "Good morning!" and a smile so warm that it felt like the sun had just risen. Her laughter was contagious, and the whole village felt brighter when Lila was around.

But one chilly autumn morning, something changed. Lila woke up feeling different. Her usual energy was replaced with an unexplainable heaviness, and when she tried to smile, her lips barely curved. She wondered if the day would pass and everything would return to normal, but it didn’t. No matter how hard she tried, her smile refused to return. It was as if it had vanished into thin air.

Days turned into weeks, and Lila's smile remained lost. The villagers noticed the change, and they whispered among themselves, concerned for the cheerful girl who had once been the heart of their community. "Where has Lila's smile gone?" they wondered. "Why doesn't she laugh anymore?"

Lila tried everything to find her lost smile. She visited the old well at the edge of the village, believing that a wish made there would bring back her happiness. She climbed to the highest hill, hoping the wind would blow her troubles away. She even painted pictures, drew flowers, and wrote poems, but nothing seemed to work.

One evening, as she sat by the river, feeling lonely and defeated, a soft voice interrupted her thoughts. "Are you looking for something, child?"

Lila turned and saw an elderly woman sitting beside her, her eyes kind yet wise. The woman had a gentle smile that seemed to hold a thousand stories. Lila, feeling a sense of comfort, spoke softly, "I've lost my smile, and I can't find it anywhere."

The elderly woman nodded. "Ah, the lost smile. It’s not so easy to find, but it is always within you. Sometimes, it hides, not because it is gone, but because you need to rediscover it. Perhaps, you are waiting for the right moment, or for something to help you remember how to smile again."

Lila furrowed her brow. "But I've tried everything! How can I rediscover something that feels so far away?"

The woman smiled gently. "You don’t need to search outwardly. The smile you seek is hidden in the moments you forget to notice—like the way the sun sets every evening, painting the sky with colors of hope, or the laughter of children playing in the streets. Your smile has always been tied to your heart, to the love and kindness you give others."

The woman then handed Lila a small, smooth stone. "Keep this with you. Every time you forget to smile, hold this stone and think of the people you’ve helped, the kindness you've shared, and the beauty around you. Your smile will find its way back when you remember the joy in giving."

Lila clutched the stone in her palm, and for the first time in weeks, she felt a warmth spread through her chest. She stood up, smiled softly at the woman, and said, "Thank you. I think I understand now."

The next day, Lila went into the village, holding the stone close to her heart. She helped an elderly man carry his bags, smiled at the children playing by the market, and stopped to admire the flowers that bloomed in the garden. Slowly, her smile began to return, not as a force, but as a reflection of all the small, beautiful moments she had almost forgotten.

By evening, Lila's radiant smile was back, brighter than ever. The villagers gathered around her, their faces lighting up as they saw the familiar warmth that had been missing for so long.

And so, Lila learned that sometimes, a smile isn't something you search for—it is something you rediscover when you open your heart to the world around you. From that day forward, she wore her smile proudly, knowing it was not just a curve of her lips, but the light within her that she shared with everyone she met.

Her smile was no longer lost, for it had always been there, waiting to be found in the quiet beauty of everyday life.