Reminiscence

one: prickly thorns

I.

Flowers were always one of Jane's most favorite things made by nature. Although it sounds cliché and overrated for a girl to love blooming tulips and daisies, Jane can't help but marvel at how wonderfully crafted these plants were and how lovely they smelled. It always reminds her that there is still a little piece of good in the world and things aren't as bad as they seem to be.

"They're all so beautiful." Jane can't help but stare at the inflorescence surrounding her. She's currently at the flower shop just near her home, about to pick up her favorite type of bloomer. Being the host of a rare occasion, she needed something to decorate the place where the event was being held. And of course, what else would make a place more elegant and classy than nature's creation?

Jane scans the array of flowers, and soon enough a slight frown graces her soft features. Something wasn't right. She smiles a little at the florist standing in the corner and calls her out. "Excuse me miss, do you have any roses?"

The elderly woman, dressed in floral print and a straw hat, walks a little close to Jane and gives an apologetic look. "Sorry dear, all out. The last batch had been bought just a few hours ago. Took enough to give a whole neighborhood."

"That many?" Jane's smile falls, disappointed with the fact that she wasn't early enough to grab her favorite. Who in their right mind would buy more than a dozen roses? It didn't seem like a special day. February is more than five months away.

The florist adjusts her hat and nods. "Unfortunately, yes. I have no idea why that man always buys that much roses everyday. Whenever I ask him, he just tells me that the person receiving them hasn't arrived yet. Makes me wonder why he wastes them all for someone who doesn't seem to care."

Jane's ears perk up at the short tale. That's utterly sweet yet heartbreaking. She feels her disappointment dissipate with the sad story. "How long has he been doing that?"

"I'm not even counting anymore. It's been more than two years." The woman shakes her head to herself and shrugs. "The crazy things people do for love. I love being a florist, but sometimes it's quite sad whenever I hear about the reasons behind buying my flowers."

The florist's words speak the harsh reality behind beautiful bouquets. When people give flowers, it mustn't be ignored. Jane knows that. The common reason for giving flowers are to show affection for someone you love, dead or alive. You're lucky if you're given one, because the process of buying flowers isn't always easy. Unless you picked it from a garden. Or you just randomly took one without knowing it's meaning. Then that makes things less special.

After a few minutes of contemplating, Jane finally settles on another type of flower, buying at least a dozen of them. She bids goodbye to the kind florist, giving her extra change for the short conversation and her politeness. Somehow, she doesn't feel that sad that she didn't get to buy roses. After all, she could buy some next time. She thought that maybe, the man who came before her needed the roses more than she did.

When Jane gets home, she is overwhelmed by the many maids running around and cleaning from top to bottom. They barely notice her arrive, but Jane doesn't mind. It's a busy day for all of them.

"Miss Venus! You've finally arrived!" Jane's head servant, Dainty, walks towards her in an affable manner and takes the flowers from Jane's hands. She takes a look at the sunflowers and smiles. "Shall I put this in display?"