Poppy and Lotus [COMPLETE]

•❀Five❀•

"Settle down, class. Today I have reserved some time for miss Ayame Hinageshi and her Flower Appreciation Club Presentation. Hinageshi-San, if you will..."

I grinned broadly and took a deep breath as all eyes turned to me at the center of the room. I picked my hand made flower crown up from my desk and settled it onto my head, standing up as tall as I could and taking my beautiful poster and paper with a few points on it to the front of the classroom.

Smiling as wide as I could, I turned the poster so that it was facing everyone and began my presentation the same way I always did -- with a friendly and bright introduction.

"Good morning, everyone! I'm the beautiful Ayame Hinageshi you all know and love!"

There is a collective giggle that rings out among the class, uplifting the atmosphere and providing me with more comfort to ease into the presentation.

Good job, Ayame! Successful launching..now let's get down to business.

"As you all know, my last name is Hinageshi (Poppy). Are any of you aware what the poppy means in the language of flowers?" I step away from my poster very briefly and lift my notes at a comfortable distance -- one where I could read comfortably and confidently without looking like I was nervous and had no idea what I was doing. The silence that follows after my question was enough to prove that none of my classmates had a clue as to what poppy meant.

A wide grin spreads across my face as I take another breath to proudly inform my peers.

"Ayame...do you know what the poppy flower means in the language of flowers?"

I remembered it like it was yesterday. I shake my head of then short hair, my pigtails flying about in the hilarious way that always made my grandmother laugh. She reached up and slid a small daisy into one of the bands holding my hair to my head. I grinned up at her as I did, squinting to examine her wrinkled, yet gentle expression in the sunlight. My hand slid down into the grass to pick up another daisy, lifting it to place it carefully in her short gray hair.

"It's the name of our family. Hinageshi. The poppy means 'fun loving.'"

I let out a gasp, "We like to have fun! Our family likes to have fun!" At the time I was so fascinated by how well the name suited us after hearing the meaning. I felt like I had grown some new, incredible attachment to a part of me that had been there for ages.

"Of course we do. That's who we are. We love to be around each other, with friends -- not just family. And we love to spend time with one another and enjoy our life with company. To us, that is the very definition of fun."

"That's right, Grandma! When I get lonely, I feel very sad. So I like to be with my friends and mommy and daddy and you too! I hope I can be with everyone always."

The memory, although years in the past of my childhood was still so fresh I still had to force the tears back. I especially had to do that now, with so many people watching...

I clear my throat and start again, never missing a beat from then on.

"The poppy means 'fun loving' in the language of flowers," I said eloquently, briefly glancing over my notes, "Having fun is what makes life worth living. Enjoying your existence with friends and family is incredibly important to me and it has become a strong part of who I am. The flower appreciation club is a hope and dream I hold very dear and I want more than anything to see it blossom. I would be more than happy for all of you to take just a little of your time to consider joining so that the club with launch successfully. As apart of my presentation, I've listed the names of every person in this class named after a flower of some sort...."