Snow Blooms The Perfect Rose

Golden rays.........

I couldn't see where I was standing. The wind was stronger. It was hitting me hard. There was nothing in the surroundings that I could hold on to. The wind was throwing me away. I screamed but nobody heard. My legs were slipping, the wind silenced me. I was about to fall towards the valley. Suddenly I felt it. Someone was holding me, the arms were really strong. I felt safe. I tried to look at his face. The music made the snow melt. There I saw Abram. I opened my eyes, Sandra was sitting in the chair, with her violin.

For days, she took the pills and was sleeping till I called her. She stopped the pills the day before. I never dreamed those days, her music made my dreams.

Sandra stopped her violin. "Get ready. Let's go to church".

"It's only 6, Sandra". I was still in my dream and so lazy to get up.

"Just drop me there and come back". She urged.

Sandra never went alone anywhere after her divorce. After breakfast, we went to the church. The church was after the fourth bend, there is a short lane besides the estate. The church is at the end of the lane. It was almost 4500 years old and like most of the beautiful buildings in our city, it was built by the French. It was built with stones and asbestos sheets were placed in the roof. The altar had a wooden desk with attached microphone. In the roof there were beautiful golden lights. The benches remained cool and comfortable. There were carvings on the roof and the chairs. On the side of the altar a single golden cross was hanged. Singers occupied the left side of the church. Sandra was among the choir. Behind the church, there was a large graveyard.

Sandra asked me to leave. She used to come early to church on Sundays, and she prayed alone. I left and was walking through the lane when Lucy called me. "Anna, wait, I am coming with you". Their colony is near the church.

"Where is Sara? I asked.

"She will be late. Studying for our exams". Lucy replied.

"You didn't talk with Rina yet. How many times Sara told you". Sara has been always ready to help Lucy, who was not so good at studies.

"Rina won't permit me to go there, the church is the only place I could come alone".

Lucy's mother died when she was 3. Her dad married again. Rina is her step mom. She did everything possible to make her life hell. It reflected in Lucy's appearance. She is very thin and weak, pale, her hair often fluttering, clothes faded and dirty. She had unsatisfactory reports in every exam, in spite of all these she enjoyed school, and we were like family to her. We went to the nearby bridge and sat on its arms.

"How's Sandra?" She asked.

"Well, she stopped taking pills".

"Good, but still you look worried".

"Nothing". I smiled.

"Don't lie, we all know, you're hiding something from us".

"What?" I tried to look normal.

A police van passed us. It was leaving the valley.

"It will be him". Lucy told after the van passed.

"Who?" I asked.

"You didn't know"?

"No, what happened?"

"A criminal was hiding in the forest for days, he was a prisoner escaped from Everland". I was silent, a fear was growing inside me.

"But his fate was worse. Yesterday there were elephants, and".

"And, what happened?" My voice was trembling.

"They got his corpse from Larmede".

I went silent. "What happened? Anna, this is not the first time people get killed in Larmede." Lucy said casually.

Later Sara and Lisa joined us. They noticed my silence, but they thought it was due to Sandra. Then we went to church. Mom came with Maria. Dad was late. I prayed for only one that day, Abram. I know God will never send back our prayers made for others.

After prayer, we started to leave. Mom was praying near her grandparents' tomb. Maria and Lisa on Gerald's and Dad was near John's.

Lucy and Sara left. Sandra and I walked towards home.

Sandra went to Lisa's home to see grandpa, she visited him when everyone left the house. I was alone at home. My mind was heavy. I cried hard. I couldn't sit like that. I left the house, weeping all the way towards Larmede.

I went to the forest. Went deeper and deeper calling his name. There was no response. I stood under a pine tree and cried out loud. I saw Abram walking towards me.

First I thought it was his ghost. It was not, real Abram was standing in front of me. "I am sorry". I said. "I must not have said that, you saved my life and".

He interrupted. "Why are you crying? You changed your place? You will tell me to leave here too, I suppose."

"No". I raised my voice. "I thought you were dead. Elephants killed someone yesterday".

"So he is dead. I heard him screaming, last night, but couldn't save him".

"Leave this forest, this place is dangerous, so many people got killed here". I warned him.

"It takes something larger than an elephant to kill me girl." Abram clearly not concerned about his life, I thought.

"Call me Anna".

He smiled. "Okay Anna, don't worry about me, worry about yourself. If you want to cry, cry inside the bathroom, not in a dangerous mountain or a dark forest". Abram started to walk.

"Then, what are you doing here?"

"I know how to save myself from danger"

"How?" I asked.

He walked faster, deeper into the forest. I went after him. He stopped at a clearing.

I was really surprised this time. There was a big oak tree and Abram constructed a wooden house in one of its branches. Some flat wooden pieces are tied on both sides with a thick rope, and they made the stairs of the house. I couldn't take my eyes off.

Abram climbed the stairs "Come inside girl, no Anna. I'll make tea".

"No". I said immediately

"Why?"

I smiled at him, and he smiled back, and we both parted, smiling till we diminished from each other's vision.