Thank You For The Flowers

I always wanted to receive flowers. I'd do anything to get one. I would be jealous of my sisters whenever they'd get flowers, and since they love me, they'd give me some of theirs.

"Ito oh, ilagay mo sa isang vase na may tubig, ha?" Sabi ni Ate.

Tumango ako at hinalikan sya sa pisngi. "Thank you, Ate!"

But then a day came when no one would give me flowers anymore. The flowers my sisters received were only for them. Not for me.

I tried growing flowers of my own, and they woild bloom beautifully. Ngunit iba pa rin talaga pag natanggap ko ito galing sa iba.

Ilang birthday at Valentines Day ang lumipas, ilang manliligaw man ang dumating, ni isang bulaklak ay 'di ko natanggap. "Sapat na 'yong bulaklak. 'Di mo naman ako kailangan bigyan ng tsokolate."

Bakit? Bakit ganun? Hindi ko maintindihan. Ayaw ko ng tsokolate. Bulaklak ang gusto ko. Ngunit bakit tsokolate ang binibigay mo?

Sabi nila, mamamatay rin naman ang bulaklak, at alam ko 'yon. That's why i'm so fascinated with it.

It lives, and dies eventually, just like every other human. I love how it blooms, then slowly wilts, and soon its petals are blown away with the wind, and they are forgotten.

Isang araw, nagising nalang ako at nakasuot ng puting dress. Ang ganda ng ayos ko.

"Alam nyo, buong buhay nya, gusto nya lang makatanggap ng bulaklak," rinig kong sabi ni Mama.

I heard someone sob. "Sana nabigyan ko sya ng bulaklak noon pa."

"I can't believe that i'll only be able to give her flowers now... now that she's gone," sabi ng isa pa.

Saka ko lang naintindihan ang lahat.

Kaya pala hindi ako mabigyan ng bulaklak noon.

Dahil ang tanging araw na mabigyan ako ng bulaklak, ay sa araw ng libing ko.

"Thank you for the flowers," bulong ko, habang pinagmamasdan silang nilalagyan ng bulaklak ang kabaong ko.