Chapter 21. Roses

21

“You see bella, God is just. He had created this universe in balance.” David said as he plucked a small daisy flower from near his feet. “God had created bees as such that they could suck honey from this tiny flower and in the process help these flowers to reproduce. Tit for tat…” David handed me the daisy.

The yogurt-flavored candy was still melting in my mouth and I was still appreciating its taste. I took a look at the tiny flower and it made me think for the first time, how did bees suck honey from it? It is so tiny; does it even have honey?

“If God notices the simplest and smallest things in this wide universe, wouldn’t you think He, or She, who knows” David shrugged then continued, “notices you too?”

“For every small bit of you, for every small thing, every small simple incidences, God has prepared something bigger. For every sorrow you endure, joy is lurking around. For every hardship you face, success is not far away.

“Just like after the sharp taste of mint, you co-incidentally picked up the yogurt-flavored candy to wash off the sting, life is filled with ups and downs following each other.” David said.

“The Universe was created in a balance and that balance will always be maintained and so will the balance in us. So when you are faced with sadness and troubles know that not far from it is joy and cheers as the balance are always restored.” He concluded.

“And if the balance is disturbed?” I asked.

“Well, for every action there is a reaction and that reaction leads to another action and so it continues. When the balance is disturbed the universe will find a way to restore it. Whether it’s the flood that destroys the housing that was once a forest, or the new diseases that was never seen before after human discover clones, it always finds a way, bella.” He said.

“But why do sorrow exists? Why can’t the universe be in balance in happiness?” I asked stubbornly.

“Will you know what light is or how it looks like if you were blind?” He asked. I ponder about it.

“If all you knew your entire life is darkness, then you will never recognize light, let alone appreciate it.” He said. “And vice versa, if you never knew darkness and all you knew was light, you will soon be annoyed by it and wished for darkness. You will forget to appreciate the light or how important it is.”

“So, you are saying if all we knew is happiness, we wouldn’t appreciate it?” I tried to conclude what he pointed out.

“Would you appreciate it?” He challenged me. “Think about it, would you even know it is happiness that you are experiencing when you don’t have sorrows to compare it with?”

“That makes sense…” I said nodding.

“And bella, what made roses so special even when there are other more beautiful flowers is the fact that to grow them is hard. You need all the right things, the right temperature, the right environment, the right fertilizers and all the dedication and care.

“And even then, when they blossom, they have thorns that protect them and make them harder to pluck. And that itself, having thorns, makes their beauty more appreciated than those of other flowers.

“Just like you bella...” he smiled at me.

I pointed my right hand to my chest and asked “Me?”

“Yes, you! You are a rose, bella. The hardship you went through is part of growing that rose, and it gives you thorns to protect yourself and makes your beauty more appreciated, even when you don’t realize it.” David placed his hand on my head and ran through my hair like a father would to a daughter.

That night I dreamt of dad, how he would be, how he would treat me if he were still alive. I didn’t remember the dream clearly, but I remembered a warm hug and the feeling lasted even when I woke up.

I had never missed having a dad or even wondered how it would be until that day. I wished I had known my father; I wished I could meet him and talk to him. I was sure that even after all I did he would have still loved me unconditionally. And although I denied it, I felt he would have been proud if he were to see me.

David sure knew how to bring nostalgic feelings, he had his ways to make me think and ponder. I had never missed my family or thought of having a father before I started talking to him. I was almost certain that he was either a spiritual being or the very least a psychic.

I laughed at my thoughts, it would be stupid to believe that.