Snow Blooms The Perfect Rose

Cloudy days

"Anna, slowly. It will shake, but you won't fall". I was climbing the hanging stairs of Abram's tree house. It was shaking and I was losing balance.

"Shut up, Abram, I know". Slowly I climbed the stairs. I caught Abram's strong hands, and he dragged me to the vestibule. I looked down, the distance I climbed. I couldn't believe myself.

He opened the door, it was a single large hall. Cooking or fire was not done here, as the wood may catch fire. Abram made a small hearth below the tree for the purpose. An electric stove was used for emergency. Other than that there was a light arm chair, a bed made of woven plastic cords, a quilt, some books and a box with his dress, were there.

It was very cool inside. Abram poured me tea from his flask. "How's my home?"

"Nice, it is freezing here". I was shivering.

"I like cold". Abram sat on the arm chair.

"Me too, but you may catch a fever as winter gets stronger".

"I have a tent, if it is cold, then I will put a fire out and stay inside".

"What about the elephants?"

"I can hear them from a distance and can climb faster than you".

"It seems dangerous to me".

"Me too". He smiled.

"What you were doing before this?"

"What?"

"I mean, you have a job?"

"I was studying. I stopped it".

"Why?"

"I have to do something for someone".

I stared at him suspiciously. He continued. "Due to my fault a person lost everything in life. I have to correct my mistake. At least I must try to give some happiness to that person".

"And who is that?"

"Don't ask me any more, I won't say". I was silent then.

"What are you doing here in the forest for him?"

"I will tell you everything, once it is over".

"Then, will you leave?"

"I can't stay here forever".

"When will you go back?"

"I can't tell".

We remained silent for some time.

"How is your fever?" He asked

"I had tablets, I am always sick. In winter it is more common". I continued. "Forget it, say something about you".

"What? You know everything about me now'.

"No, you are like a mystery to me. Nobody except me saw you. I sometimes feel that you exist only in my imagination. Who are you?"

Abram laughed aloud. But didn't reply to my question. "Anna, you seem more mysterious to me. You sit and cries alone in dangerous places, you take hazardous routes when you get late for school, you play with water and walks in cold when you have a high degree fever, you make friends with strangers and goes weird places with them. Tell me Anna, who are you?"

"I don't know. Sometimes I get confused. Why I trusted a stranger like you. Why I keep you as a secret from everyone I love. Even I don't know how I climbed those stairs. That's why I think you are a mystery. What if all these are my imagination. To escape from my real life".

"You are just a normal girl. But you are special to me. I don't know why. I never opened up this much to a girl"

I felt myself flying above the clouds, I controlled myself and made a tiny smile hiding the immense happiness in my mind.

"So from what makes you weep so in this young age".

"You don't understand".

"Why? I am older than you, and had more sorrows, believe me, your's will be a lot lesser than mine".

"Tell me yours".

"No, I asked first".

I was silent for some time, then replied. "It is my sister".

"She fights with you?" Abram asked.

"Then it would have been better. She was my best friend, still she is. Very pretty, intelligent, smart, very much caring. Everyone envied us".

"So, what happened then?"

"Sandra loved someone, more than her life, and he left her forever".

"So what? Life never ends after a break up".

"No, indeed she had a life, a very long life, and you know what happened to her, she was married at the age of eighteen".

"Nobody in their right mind would marry at that age".

"No, she was mad then, she had to leave everything behind, she had to prove herself that she moved on, and she got married a year after he left her".

"She should not have done that".

"Yes, she did. And our parents who rejected her lover, because he doesn't have a proper family, married her off to a drug addict, a lunatic. You know what he did to her, she was beaten, raped, burnt and did every cruelty that can be done to a girl.

Sandra faced him alone in that house, in some distant country, for two years. She never called for help. He threatened her. My parents believed his mom, and never went to see her.

Finally, he came back to this town with her, and somebody saw him putting fire in his house. At last, she was rescued from the house. From the fire, and from him.

Sandra is a shadow now, a ghost of the old Sandra. She was underfed, her hair was cut short, every inch of her body had wounds, scratches, burns. Sandra would have died if she stayed there for one more week.

She screamed when anybody went near her, even she screamed at me. Sandra couldn't sleep for days. She underwent treatment for depression for years. After a lot of counselling, care, so many prayers she came back to life. Not as Sandra, but a girl who seldom smiled and talked. Our family has not yet recovered from the shock".

"What happened to her husband?"

"Divorced, it has been five years since. Fred was sent to the asylum immediately. He was mad for Sandra. He still screams and call her name. Fred has tried to take his life once but failed. Even his name frightens Sandra now".

"Where is her lover now?"

"Sam, I told you he left her forever, dad had inquired about him. Everyone in town loved him, but nobody knows his address. He was an artist, he closed his studio forever and never returned".

"If your sister is divorced, now he may have a chance. Right?"

"No, I don't think Sandra would ever marry again".

"Her love will return, I am sure".

"I had the same thought, but dad says different. Maybe he left here and went to some other town. He would live in Sandra's memories for a few days, then he will find someone, and they live their life. Sandra would just become a memory for him. A sweet memory of his youth."

"I don't want to think like that, for me everything should have a good ending, he will come back and your sister will take his hand, and they will live a beautiful life compensating every sadness she suffered".

"Even I hope so". I went silent. Abram noticed me getting uncomfortable. "Time for me to leave. Goodbye, Abram".

It was not time, but I have to cry alone at somewhere quiet and lonely. I climbed down the stairs which was easier than going up. Abram watched me going down, he also seemed upset. I felt guilty to spoil his evening with my miseries. I went to Larmede and cried a lot.

"Anna, come home". Lisa called me. She returned from school. "I knew you would be here. Steve came home. He asked me to call you"

"What, he said he won't be coming this week".

"Yes, maybe it is a surprise for all of us".

It was months since I met Steve, I can't wait to see him. Finally, something good is happening, at least in some of our lives.