"Which colour do you want?" The boy with the Gems packet asked me.

"Does it matter? It is the same colour inside." I replied. I was waiting for my mother in the school playground.

"Yes. Okay, what's your favourite colour?" He asked glancing at her and then the Gems.

"Black. Have that?" I said, irritated. I wanted my mother, to pick me up on time for once. I hated waiting after all my friends left.

"Yes." The boy's answer surprised me. He took a pink coloured one and broke the shell. He then passed the chocolate to me. "It's not black, but that's the closest I have. Want one more?"

I shook my head, popping the chocolate in my mouth. He then asked, "Yummy, right? You know, if you mix all these colours, you will get black only." A car approached and horned. He kept the Gems packet in my hand and ran to the car.

That was my 6-year old self - the immature, ignorant, impatient self. Thirty years later, here I sit in a silver-coloured car, wearing a navy blue suit, with an ochre handbag by my side, dabbing orange lip gloss, waiting for the school bell.

That was a distant but distinct memory which turned a life lesson. You need all colours to have black. You need all emotions to live life. I have an unrequited love and a broken family, but I also have a successful career and a loving daughter. The measure of regret is miniature to my happiness. Black is still my favourite colour, for it taught me to live my life on my terms.

The school bell rang, and my daughter ran out of the class, into my arms. The world of colours collected in my embrace.

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'Gems' are small milk chocolate pieces covered in coloured candy shell. The name used by various companies are M&M, Smarties, Skittles, etc. Gems is a product of Cadbury.

Photo Credit:
Background https://pixabay.com/photo-69470/
Corner Smarties https://pixabay.com/photo-2050530/