August 18, 2021
The weather was bright and clear, a perfect day for gardening. The sun had bathed the garden in its warm, golden light and a temperature that was just right to keep the heat at bay. The flowers were all in full bloom, their vibrant colors creating such a stunning scenery that filled the air with a sweet and delicate fragrance. Hanaria loved mornings like these where she could hear the sound of nature and immerse herself in its beauty whilst having a peaceful routine of tending her garden. With her garden tools and packs of seeds in hand, she hurried outside, eager to start her day.
Her grandfather was already outside, gently watering the plants with his hand that had spent a lifetime nurturing life from the soil. The garden was his pride, but it was Hanaria who was his pride and joy, the one who truly brought the garden to life with her love for flowers that was evident in every blossom.
A black and white cat then walked up to her as she took it in her arms, "Hello Perry, how was your sleep?" She asked, trying to kiss the cat as it placed its paw on her cheek stopping her from kissing him.
"Yang, can you fill this up with water again dear?" her grandfather asked, his voice carrying the affectionate nickname that he'd been calling her since she was a little girl.
"Of course lolo (grandfather)," she smiled, as she placed the cat on the grass, taking the watering can from his hands and hurried off to fill it with water.
As she returned, she found her grandfather gazing at the garden with a proud smile plastered on his face, "The flowers in the garden turned out wonderful! You have very talented hands for gardening, Yang." He said, his eyes sparkling with pride. "The spider lilies are blooming beautifully,"
Hanaria beamed at the compliment as she followed her grandfather's gaze, "Thanks Lolo, it's too bad it only blooms for a short time... but when it does, you can really appreciate its beauty,"
Her grandfather nodded as he continued to admire the vibrant red blossoms that adorned the garden like fiery stars. The spider lilies had always been special to him as it reminded him of his late childhood friend that sparked his love for gardening.
"Well, I gotta go to work now!" Hanaria said as she grabbed her hand trowel, kneeling by a patch of soil and started to dig, planning to plant a new batch of seeds.
As she worked, her trowel had suddenly hit something hard, "Huh? What is this?" she muttered, as her brows furrowed in confusion. She brushed away the soil revealing a small silver metal chest with a lock. It was tarnished over time, but it was still intact. With her curiosity piqued, she set her tools aside and started fiddling the lock with her hair pin, in hopes to see what was inside.
After a few moments of determined twisting, she heard a soft click as the lock popped off. She lifted the lid in excitement and saw an old sepia-toned photograph of two kids with big carefree smiles, standing in front of a field of red spider lilies, along with a red spider lily embroidery that seemed to still be in perfect condition.
On the back of the photograph, there was a smudged writing that read, "Emilie and Antonio." Followed with a quote that said, "just like the red spider lily that blooms with vibrant beauty after a season of dormance, every ending carries within it the seeds of renewal and the promise of new beginnings."
"This was.. Lolo Antonio and Miss Emilie when they were kids." she muttered, staring back at the picture. She looks down on the bottom corner where she sees the date it was photographed. "August 18,1964." she muttered as she looked at the date on her watch. "That's .. just like today."
Her grandfather who had noticed her sudden silence, walked over and looked at the photograph on her hands. A soft chuckle escaped his lips as he recognized the picture. "I see you've found my little treasured piece." He said, his voice tinged with nostalgia.
