The Streets of Maple Town are busy in a daily basis.Crowd of different nationalities enters and exits fast-food chains scattered around the town.Places where beggars often open their hands and wait for the cold coins to touched their dusty palms.But none of this people dropped even a single dime.
Ice Areniego passed one of these restaurants where he saw an old beggar being slapped by a Foreigner's handbag.The foreigner is accusing the old lady of stealing something from her which seems untrue.
Ice hasten and shielded the beggar from the tourist's abusive slaps.The foreigner, exasperated,shifted her anger to him causing red marks where the handbag landed.
Ice twitched his lips.Anger causing heat to him but being hidden by the natural coldness of his voice.
"Would you check your bag first before accusing this poor lady?" Ice suggested to the foreigner.Cold as the thing where his name is derived to hide his madness.
"And why should I do that?!"
Again,he twitched his lips before answering "To simply stop this nuisance"
The foreigner did as what he suggested and said something in different language that sounded like a curse.
"Anything missing?" He asked coldly but in a teasing tone.
The female tourist,crimson with anger and embarrassment,cursed him in Mandarin and bolted out of the crowd who witnessed the scene.
Ice turned to the beggar whose bare arms are red with bruises.He too,have bruises that hurts as hell but he doesn't care.
"Are you alright?" He asked not in a cold tone but not also in a way you'll recognize emotions.The beggar nodded in response.
He was about to turn his back when the beggar spoke.Asking him his heart's desire.
"I beg you pardon?" He asked though he clearly heard what she said.
"I can give your heart's desire,son" the beggar repeated that made Ice laughed sarcastically.He know that no one in the world can give him his heart's desire.He need magic to have it.
The old lady ignored Ice's laugh and placed tiny objects at his white palm "Plant this and you'll have your heart's wish" the beggar commanded and left without his opinion.Confused by the lady's words,Ice slowly opened his pale palms to see what she placed there.
Black seeds
***
Ice wet his face with cold tap water and grabbed the face towel that hangs freely at it's holder.He first dried his face and eventually his ebony hair.Drying it with towel and hair blower,He took the comb and brushed gently his hair.After drying his face and hair,He took his eyeglasses from its case and placed it at the bridge of his nose.Ice glanced at the mirror and stared at his reflection for a while.
What a total nerd he really look like.
He's the famous campus weirdo nerd at their campus.With his thick eyeglasses and books embraced,not girlfriend.He's the bullies favorite drawing canvas and punching bag.He is also a complete loser at P.E,the one who is always hit at dodge ball.He only excels in two things.
Studies and being alone.
Ice tossed the towel he used at the floor.He crossed his bedroom to the walk-in closet and noticed that snow fall has started.He returned to his room,now wearing jacket,and glanced at the vase that he placed near the window.The seeds that the beggar gave him are now sprouting.Its green stalks are slowly moving like a kid extending his arm during morning.
Ice simply picked his bag and waited for the school bus outside his house.
Ice went home early.No one's waiting for his arrival from school of course.No parents or siblings.No family that will ask him how's school.
Ice dropped his bag right after he closed the door behind him.His gaze wandered around the Areniego's fancy house.It used to be a lovely home.Little children chasing each other at the sala.His father setting the fireplace.And his mom baking Choco chip cookies.
Memories
They'll never be back again.
Ice went upstairs to check the sprouting seeds.But what he found in his room is a white plant whose standing by it's green legs.Its petals seems to be made of ivory and it's stalk made of the best emeralds.This flower is far much lovelier than Hyacinth and Narcissus.He doesn't even know that such splendid flower exists.
A flower that bloomed during winter.
A Winter Flower.
Ice attention diverted when he heard the kitchen utensils downstairs made a metallic sound.There's no cat in the house or any pet that can produce the clattering,which confused Ice.
A stray cat perhaps?Or is it a bandit?
Breathlessly,he rushed to the kitchen where the noise came from.
No signs of cats.No signs of bandits either.
But he found someone.
"Who are you?" He asked.Alarmed by the stranger's presence at his kitchen.
She who caused the clattering of pans smiled at him revealing her porcelain-like teeth "Hi Ice" she greeted "I'm your heart's desire"
YOU ARE READING
Winter Flower
Fantasy"Who loves winter? Ice Blankly stared at his gray haired teacher whose eyes bulge as if it is not the proper match for its sockets.His Oasis eyes shifted to those who responded the old lady's question.There are only three or four who didn't raised t...
