The Flowers
Friday mid-mornings were usually slow at the downtown café.
Everyone was at work and the staff took the time to wash the glass windows and
doors, sweep the front walkway, and tidy things on the inside. The plants in
the café were well looked after. Kate, took the time to regularly water and
prune so that they happily thrived amongst the coffee lovers who regularly
visited.
The theme was homey. The furniture didn’t match, but it was
comfortable. There were padded sitting chairs, and a cushioned bench that ran
along the wall with tables accompanying them. The orange begonias sat on a
mid-height shelf and overlooked the room, right next to the geraniums. A young
couple walked in and sat on the purple sitting chairs with their coffee. “What
a sweet couple,” said Begonias, “They must be here on holiday for I don’t
believe I’ve seen them before.” “Wow, you remember everyone that comes here,
Begonias!” said Geraniums. He was easily impressed.
With a proud chuff, Begonias replied, “Well, I have been
told I’ve got a good memory and can tell many things about folks that come
through.” A friendly, gruff chuckle came from the ceiling where a fluffy old
Boston Fern hung in a basket. “Now, Begonias, whether what you say is true or
not is another story,” he said playfully. Begonias huffed her petals a bit and
said, “I will have you know, Mr. Fern, that everything I say is absolutely
true! My opinions are based on my pure, unfiltered thoughts without any
influence or outside alteration!” Hibiscus in the corner said in a calming
voice, “Oh Mr. Fern, must you tease her so? She really is one of the most
honest blooms to ever grace us with her company.” She was always conscious of
everyone else’s emotional status; a sort of mothering peacemaker.
“Heh heh. Now, you know, Miss Hibiscus, I was just ruffling
her leaves a bit, no harm intended, of course,” said Mr. Fern in a slightly
more apologetic tone, but still with a hint of jest. Begonias was indeed
ruffled and let out a little quiver of annoyance. The white Calla Lilly sat
quietly in the corner. She rarely spoke much anymore. Geraniums, being the
curious young fellow that he was, noticed it. “Mrs. Calla Lilly, ma’am. Why
haven’t you been speaking much these days?” he asked her. Calla Lilly drooped a
little in response, but she didn’t have the energy to respond. Begonias,
Hibiscus, and Fern seemed to droop at her lack of response. Geraniums, not
understanding why the mood turned somber, asked, “What’s wrong with her? Why is
everyone sad?”
The plants quietly drooped even more at the question. After
a few moments, the Boston Fern broke the silence and said, “You see, young
sprout, there comes a time in a plant’s life when-“ “She’s withering!” broke
out Begonias in sobs, “She’s going to leave us, our dear Calla Lilly!” Geraniums
was horrified. He had only just sprouted himself, and he had never experienced
withering. How could the Calla Lilly leave them? She was part of their family!
The Boston Fern shook his fluffy leaves and groaned at Begonias saying, “Begonias!
You don’t have speak so to the little fella!” Begonias, huffy again, retorted, “Hmpf,
I see no reason to coddle him. This will happen to all of us at some point!” The
Fern quipped back, “But you didn’t have to be so dramatic, woman!”
Hibiscus, being the natural peacemaker of the group, tried
to placate the two plants when Geraniums exclaimed, “Her petals, they’re on the
ground! She’s… she’s…” At this point everyone fell silent. Geraniums, shaken in
surprise, said quietly, “We never got to say goodbye.” Hibiscus and Begonias did
not respond but looked towards the Boston Fern.
The plants remained quiet that day. They did not talk
throughout the afternoon as the café goers came in and out, drinking their
coffees and teas, admiring the plants on the shelves but looking forlornly at
the old pot in the corner with the withered Calla Lilly. As she was closing up
the shop, Kate found the pot it its state and said, “Oh dear. She’s gone again.
Ah well, we’ll have her back in no time.” Geraniums, who always listened but never
always understood, couldn’t help but wonder at her words. Kate carried the pot
out with her as she locked up the café.
That night in the dark room, when the moon was high in the
sky, Geraniums was wide awake. He whispered, “Mr. Fern… Mr. Fern, are you awake?”
There was no response. Again, Geraniums tried to ask, “Mr. Fern, can I please
talk to you?” The Fern sighed with a limp swing of his stems. “What is it, boy?”
he asked lifelessly. “What did Kate mean today when she said that Misses Calla
Lilly would be back?” Geraniums queried. “Ah, she probably meant that Calla
Lilly would be replaced with another flower,” said the Fern tiredly. “Really?”
asked Geraniums, “It sounded like Misses Calla Lily would be coming back to us!”
“That, m’boy, would be really something, wouldn’t it?” said the Fern with a
small halfhearted chuckle.
The next morning, Kate came in with the same pot, but it was
empty, or so they thought. Hibiscus figured, “Surely Kate wouldn’t just put an
empty pot of soil here. There must be a bulb or seed planted. We’ll have a new
young sprout soon!” Everyone, even the Fern, cheered up at the news and everyone
felt enlivened. The days passed, and a small green shoot began inching out of
the soil. As the time went by, a small white bloom appeared and one day, when Begonias
and Hibiscus were commenting on a café customer’s hat’s floral arrangement and
the Fern and Geraniums were deep in discussion of soil moisture levels, a small
voice spoke out, “Hello all! Great to be back, isn’t it?” Everyone turned
towards the little open bloomed Calla Lily in shock.
Geraniums was the first to ask, “You came back? What do you
mean?” The little Calla Lily giggled and said, “Oh you all, it’s what Calla
Lilies do! We come back! As long as we’ve got good gardeners, we never really
go away, we bloom anew!” Everyone looked at the old Fern. He laughed and said
loudly, “Well, Calla Lily, you could have told us! Instead you just let us moan
and groan over you somethin’ awful!” The Calla Lily laughed as well and said, “Oh,
Fern, you know I wouldn’t leave you without saying goodbye. I knew I was coming
back. We’ve been the longest of friends ever since Kate started bringing plants
in to the café.” “Indeed, young lady, as I can now call you,” said the old
Fern, “But next time you feel yourself about to be absent for a bit, could you
please give us a warning?”
“Oh, you old green basked of fluff, can’t you just be happy
that she’s back?” asked the huffy Begonias. The Hibiscus chimed in, “Yes, Mr. Fern!
Let’s just be happy our dear Calla Lilly is back!” Contentedly, Geraniums
looked around at his fellow plants and said, “I’m glad everyone is back.” As
the plants continued their conversations, and the café people continued to come
and go. Kate wiped the tables as the left and took the orders of the new
comers. They admired the fresh orange Geraniums, the stately Boston Fern, the
vibrant Hibiscus, the luscious Begonias, and the renewed Calla Lily slowly
growing tall and strong yet again.
By: Naomi Lea
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