The Boy Who Made Flowers Sing

15 | Rebirth

"I have something for you," An approaching voice said from behind her the next morning.

Elena turned around to find Andreas behind her. He grinned at her and pulled out a rock from the pocket of his sweatpants. He reached for her hand and dropped the rock into her palm.

"A rock?" Elena asked, confused.

"No," Andreas said, beaming from ear to ear. "It's a geode."

He turned the rock over in her hand which revealed lavender crystals on the other side. Elena gasped at the shining beauty. The crystals sparkled in the sun's light.

"The crystals inside geodes are formed from extreme heat and chemical processes," Andreas said as Elena turned the geode over in her hand. "They're usually found in volcanoes. Even though the geode goes through a lot of pressure, it comes out as a beautiful and valuable crystal."

"Thank you," Elena said, surprised at his kind gesture. "It's stunning."

Andreas was glad she liked it.

"But, why are you giving me this?" Elena asked.

Andreas warmly smiled at her. "Diego and I like to give out gifts found on the island. After all, we are near a volcano so there are lots of unique rocks that can be found."

"Thanks," Elena smiled, mesmerized by its beauty.

"You know what I think geodes represent?"

She shook her head. 

"They remind us of life, I think. Sometimes, we're upset about some things, but we have to remember the hurt only molds us into something more beautiful, just like this geode," Andreas explained. "Sometimes, we have to go under some pressure so our crystals can shine through."

They smiled at each other. This was the nicest thing someone had done for Elena in a while.

"Thank you, Andreas, " Elena said again. "This means a lot to me."

She looked back at the geode and watched its amethyst crystals twinkle in the sunlight.

Elena looked at Andreas's genuine smile and thoughtful expression. "Andreas, can I ask you something?"

"Of course," He squinted in the sunlight and stuck his hands in his pockets.

"You always seem so...Happy. How do you do it?"

He chuckled. "It's my job, Elena, as a tour guide to make people happy. So, I've gotta put a smile on."

"Isn't that hard to do all the time though?"

"It is. But I've realized that people match your energy," He said and looked past her towards the rest of the hikers gathering their things. "Everyone has a certain energy to them and if you have a positive energy, it makes others feel positive and happy too. Of course, it works the other way around as well."

"But, what if you don't feel positive?"

"It's difficult. But, I'm passionate about what I do. And sometimes, passion can override your emotions. It can make your negative feelings turn positive."

"You have real purpose," Elena smiled up at him. "And you're very wise."

Andreas modestly looked down in appreciation.

"That's very kind," He smiled at her. "My grandparents have taught me everything I know. Especially my abuela."

Elena wished she had a purpose like he did. "You have no idea how impactful your job is, Andreas. You take people on incredible journeys and relieve their stresses. You make them forget their worries for a couple of days."