Peony

3 2 0
                                    

The hasty wind temped the blue peonies to dance their hearts out and the dazzling peonies moved in unison to the silent beats of the blazing sun. Waves after waves flowed through the seemingly neverending ocean of blue. Butterflies floated hither and thither, drunk in the sweet fragrance. And right at the heart of all these grace and glory, sat an elegant, little house. It's inhabitants were in no way less merry and jovial than the house and it's surroundings. Peony often sits in the blue peony field pretending to be a blue peony, though she looks like a pink one. Their boundaries include patches of bright peony fields, a warehouse, a windmill and of course, their home sweet home! She ran around, behind the butterflies, through the aisles. The sun brings out the rosy pink of her cheeks. Still, thanks to her ever blue outfits, from above it occurs to Peter that a blue peony running across the blue sea of peonies. Perfectly camouflaged! 


Peter was never the cheerful type. He is calm and peaceful. Calm and peace. Something that Peony can never conjure in herself for even a second. With Pete she's like a popcorn ready to pop. She has thousands of pre-saved facts and stories to babble about. Pete although annoyed, loved his sister dearly. He sat in lookout all morning and peony played. In the evening, much to the ire of Peony, they had to sit to study. Sometimes theirs parents, even Peter wondered wether she really was 18.


Peony had her own made-up playmates. Birds, butterflies, trees, grass, earth, wind, rain, sun, sunlight, and of course peonies, were all good friends of our little Peony. But, she also had her own made-up playmates. And last but not the least, Feather. He, however was not made up. Feather didn't really like the sun much. He just sat under the shades of the trees. His house was on the farthest East. The sleek top of the cottage could be seen from the fields. Peony had urged Feather to come home with her several times but he has always been highly reluctant.


One fine morning, everyone wes up to their customery jobs. But peony couldn't. She had to do the worst thing there could be, keep patience, as she waited for Feather. This, as soon as she noticed a bring floating slowly from the horizon towards her, she wished to it. 


"At last!" She said, "Where were you!?"


Feather didn't respond. Peony didn't really wait for him to. 


"I've been waiting for you ask morning! Do you realize how difficult it is to not do anything at all and just walk around aimlessly? If you ever-" but her voice trailed off as she caught sight of his yeah eyes. His dark brown face tight from holding them in, his black hair even more clumsy than usual. Peony didn't know his hair could be any more clumsier. But now she didn't have time to think about that. Feather is the strongest and toughest human being she had even seen. To see him cry was like sun shining at night.


"Fee... Are you okay!? What's wrong? Please don't cry! What do I do?" she says breathlessly.


" We're leaving" said feather. And without waiting another second turned around and started running. "Wait! Fee..." Peony stood clueless for a while before deciding upon following Feather. She ran behind him and for the very first time crossed the boundaries on her own. She was scared but couldn't feel it. She couldn't feel anything but a heavy weight on her chest. She couldn't survive without Feather.


Peony ran until she reached a ancient looking dark and gloomy house. She hesitated and was shocked. She wasn't used to seriousness. But the sound of a distant weeping broke her trance. She pushed open the wooden door and ran upstairs. She knew feather lived in the top floor which she now noticed was the attic. The room was pitch dark except for the small area lit by the natural sunlight of the open window. And the open window was the only window. Beside it lay a bed with down by time on which feather sat with his hands wrapped around his face. His face down. Soft weeps broke the fateful silent every now and then. Peony slowly approached him and say in front of him. She surprisingly found herself calm. She probably didn't realize that she was crying too. For when she looked at the dirty glass and at her reflection, she rubbed off the tears disbelievingly.


"Fee-" she didn't know what to say. Feather finally looked up. Saving peony from the extreme mental labour of looking for the right words.


"My parents are moving to the city."


"You don't have to leave. You can stay with us. Please don't leave me." 


"They won't leave Kiara. And I can't leave her. " Once again peony didn't know what to say. She couldn't cry. She forgot how to cry. That was the end of their friendship. Or at least she thought it was. 


Time went by and peony grew up. With her bright and cheerful nature vanished, she didn't run around anymore. She didn't sing or dance. She didn't explore anymore. She went to school and came back home. Then one day she found herself bidding goodbye to her family, the brightly colored fields, the cozy little house, and with all that, the peaceful, beautiful, village life. She got tangled in the busy strings of city life.


Every December, she'd come to the village and before entering the fields, would stand in front of the now torn down cottage deliberately ignored by the passers-by. A tear would till down her eyes. And she'd go to her lovely old cottage, as green and stunning as ever. 


So, as per routine she stod in front of Greder Ville. 4 years have passed. She's was deciding weather she should cry again this year when she noticed a boy. His clumsy curly hair and disordinate way of walking is what got her attention. She started at him vaguely until their eyes met. She looked at the bright blue eyes and the eyes looked back. Both of them stod rooted in the spot. None of them dared to blinked. There seemed to be a chaotic silence around them. The silence broke or maybe was broken forcefully by Peter who had been waiting for her trance to naturally break up. "Alice!" He screamed from behind her. Peony threw a quick look with a smile and looked back at the boy who had started walking again but faster until he blended into the crowd in the flower market. 


"Feather had one blue eye." She thought. "I'm just being dillusional."


Peony walked to get brother who gets her warmly with a hug. His daughter Doris came running to her and babbled along all that has happened since her last visit.


Peter chuckled. "Just like you!" He said. But his bright face deemed down in an instant. "Just like you were." he said, looking back at the friendless solitary cottage.







My love for you is bluer than the bluest peoniesWhere stories live. Discover now