The Flower That Always Wept
In a peaceful park, full of greenery and an abundance of colors ranging from red to orange to yellow. The parents are sitting on the picnic blankets near the blue lake. The children run around playing soccer, frisbee, or creating flower crowns. The children always love to go for the geraniums to compliment the cosmos. Then there is me, the lonely blue flower that grows near the lake. No children wish to come admire me and choose me for their pretty crowns. As I look from afar I grow jealous and yet again I close up to weep.
The next day I open up to bask in the gleaming sun. “Ah, it’s another cool day at the park”, I think to myself. I then turn around to see the children playing and the adults laughing, but it is weird. I do not see any reason to be happy today. Yes the sun is warm, but all I see is dullness. It is weird how everything is so colorful, but all I see is dullness in the air. As I am about to close up again, I notice a shadow come over me and hear, “David come look at this blue flower! Isn’t it so pretty?”. I look up and see a little brunette girl, and then let the words sink into me. All of a sudden I started to notice that the sun would never be as bright as this little girl’s smile.
I have come to learn that the little brunette girl’s name is “Lucy”. She would come and visit me often and play around me. I felt odd knowing I was getting such attention, but at the same time I was happy to finally get noticed. Lucy would often talk to me about how pretty I was and how I should shine my bright blue colors out to the world, but every time I looked in the reflection of the lake I would only see black and white. As time went on Lucy would bring me pretty rocks and small twigs to complement my shade. I started to have some confidence in myself and slowly started to feel myself grow stronger. I was so unaware of what was going on around me that I didn’t even notice how weak little Lucy’s demeanor got.
It has now been a week since little Lucy visited me. I was starting to get worried that she got sick and tired of me and decided to turn her back towards me. It is another hot summer day here at the park. The children are running around doing the same thing like it is their routine that they must do. I am slowly starting to find it enjoyable to look at my surroundings. I can finally see colors because of Lucy showing me more to life. I turn to look at my reflection and notice how blue the water is and how my wilted self became fuller with color. Then I noticed a shadow behind me, but it wasn’t Lucy, instead it was David. I knew something bad happened because Lucy was no longer with him. I received the unfortunate news of Lucy losing the battle to her illness. After receiving such news I close up and weep again.
My world has yet again lost its colors. Who will love me now that Lucy is not here with me. I needed her to be here to know I exist, to spend time with me, to tell me I am important. What is the point of being here now that she isn’t in this world breathing and running with the other children. I turn to look at the children playing and realize that the world has lost its color. It is futile to escape the situation I am in. I cannot escape this pain and loneliness I feel. Night has fallen, and I yet again close up and weep until I fall asleep.
I had a dream about Lucy last night. I was in a meadow. It was me and the green grass surrounding me. The area was so pretty and the sun was so bright. For once I felt the nice warm feeling again. I turn to see a little girl in front of me. I could not see her face due to how bright it was, but her voice sounded just like Lucy’s. I felt tears well up in my non-existent eyes, but before I could say anything to her she interrupted. “Why are you losing your beautiful color, my cute little flower? You were so full of life when I was around, and now you look weak just like how I was. You have such a long life to live. I do not wish for you to live it mourning me and thinking negative thoughts about yourself and others.” As she was speaking to me I did not notice the tears that were falling. Then I feel her hands touch my petals and wipe the tears with her thumbs. She lifted my head and I was finally able to see her bright smile one last time. Before I woke she spoke one last sentence to me, “Please witness the world I was not able to
explore fully!”
I burst awake like my soul left my body, but then got dragged back in. I looked around and it was the normal park with children, but something was different. Everything looked so colorful…so vibrant. For once I didn’t feel like I was envious of others. I felt at peace with myself. I looked to see the children playing and I felt joy just by watching them. I didn’t care if they came to visit me or not, I was just enjoying life at the moment. I turned around to look into the bright blue lake and saw myself. I looked beautiful and full of color. I was no longer wilting, but thriving. I admired the scenery that was at hand until nightfall and decided to close up to the night, finally feeling comfortable with myself.
Author Bio
Mae Salah is a Literature and writing major along with an education minor at California State University San Marcos. She enjoys reading, walking, and writing in her free time. She enjoys cold days where she can snuggle up in blankets and have a good read or watch T.V. She also loves to try new things and food whenever she gets the chance.