REDEMPTION

 I bent down, awe-struck by the beauty of it. It was a small, delicate thing, which had petals softer than silk and brighter than the sun. The petals curled around towards the center, like an infant that curls its hands around its belly when it’s full- the very picture of satisfaction and contentment. Its leaves were vast and of a gorgeous green, and oh the scent! An odor of pure ecstasy was thrown of it copiously. It was as if you could see it wafting around the garden, encouraging the plantation to grow evermore. The rose smiled, sending wave after wave of euphoria among the ranks of beauty, among the ranks of the ones that make this world worth it. I still stared, amazed, at this miracle of God. Then, the devil took hold of me. A sinister thought crossed my mind. Would this flower not look better in a vase, inside the house, on the dinner table? My malicious eyes at once flashed, and my cursed hands curled around the bottom of its stem. My fingers, having taken hold of it, pulled. The rose let out a scream, and tears of nectar dripped from its beautiful face. I pulled and pulled again, twisting the stem around, torturing the pure soul. It begged me to stop, but I continued to pull. The stem was now breaking away, slowly, tearing like rope, one fiber at a time. As a last resort, the tortured rose sent up a thorn. It pierced my thumb, and blood gushed out. Now the entire garden was silent, and I was the one hissing in pain. It was the last straw. The last fiber. I held it with all my strength, and pulled... yet suddenly, I realized with horror what I had done, and as I looked at my hands, I saw that it was too late. The last bit had been severed, and the rose was gone- forever. I spared it the pain of shame of trying to save it with a crude water bowl, and let it die in peace. The rose gave me a final glance of sorrow, and moved on. I looked at my hands, and saw the bloody mess. Queasy, I looked around and found the entire garden, hushed, looking at me in shame. I hung my head and wished that the very earth would swallow me up. For the days afterwards I was in a haze—the guilt was like an iron weight, crushing my soul. How could I have ripped out the poor thing? Was I worse than the devil? And how was I going to amend my terrible deed? I thought and thought and thought—thought till I could think no more. I had nearly given up hope. I rested my head in the crook of my elbow, tears running out in tiny streams all over my lap. Suddenly—a revelation. I felt faint, and could see nothing except a bee—a singularly busy bee, rushing in between the daisies and the violets, to and fro, transferring pollen throughout. A single pollen – an especially bright one—drifted to the ground. It fell among a bunch of damp, healthy soil. Then, before my very eyes, I saw tendrils of earth snake around it, pulling it in. It subtly submerged. A moment later, a small shoot broke out of the ground. It was bright green, the color of an emerald. Two leaves sprang out of it. It grew and grew, faster than was possible. Then came the best part— the flower. It rose, a small bud, and then blossomed into existence. The serene violet smiled at me, winked, and then—I woke up. I knew what I had to do. My nerves were tingling, but God had given me insight, guidance, and I saw what my goal was. I worked in haste, for time was short, or so it seemed. The sun raced against me, swimming against the sky, determined to vanish below the horizon before I was able to finish my endeavor. I hurried to the market. I went to the nearest garden store, and bought the thing I coveted. I held it in my hands, and a wave of euphoria swept over me. To think all I needed was this to fix my terrible deed! Now the fit was off me. I realized that I had no need for speed, and it had been a futile act to run; I was drenched in sweat. With my mind in peace, I strolled slowly towards the garden, enjoying the warmth of the day instead of lamenting about the perils of heat. And it did wonders. The sun was aggravated at my happiness, but then, realizing its wrongful hatred, and seeing the path I had taken, it smiled. The very clouds rolled over the sky, providing serenity to the world. I entered the gates, and walked cautiously up to the spot where I had murdered the poor soul. The others noticed my coming, and their eyes widened in hateful apprehension. All the plants’ stares beat down at me. I hung my head in a false show of shame, hiding a smile beneath. Leaning down carefully, with my treasure carefully concealed, I hid the small patch of soil from the others, and got to work. I picked up the nearest spade, and dug a small hole in the center of it, and several smaller ones on the sides. I then took out the seed packet from my pocket, and, very gently, placed them, one by one, into the holes. Lastly, I covered it all up, and drizzled some water over it. As I stepped aside, the entire garden realized what I had done, and the frowns of anger, concern and disappointment subsided, giving way to smiles of hope. Perhaps I was not so terrible after all… Abdullah Shafiq Malik X O B