For my muse

By Rita H. Chen

“What’s this?” she asked, staring at the little round kernel he had placed in the palm of her hand.

“Take it.  It’s for you.”

“But what is it?”

“It’s called a seed.  You’re supposed to bury it in the ground.  As time passes, it should grow into a beautiful plant.”

“Should?”

“Yes, should.  But,” and here he shrugged, “sometimes it doesn’t come to pass.”

“What do you mean?” Her eyes were trained intently on him, as she tucked the small item into the pocket of her jeans.

“Well, some people never take the time to nurture their seed so it never gets the chance to sprout.  It lies forever in the ground, dormant.  Whereas, some people’s plants never fully mature, whether it’s due to outside conditions, forgetfulness, or inability to continue persevering in its care and development.”

“That’s…terrible.”

“Yes, though I caution you not to jump to conclusions.  It doesn’t make these people terrible.  It’s only terrible in the sense that it’s a pity.  The flowers could have been so lovely.”

“…”

He smiled gently and held out his arm.  “Shall we walk for a bit?”

She looped her arm through his, and he drew her to his side as they strolled down the cobblestoned path in amiable silence.  As her eyes drank in the beauty of the flowers decorating both sides of the path, she said,

“They are absolutely gorgeous.”

“What are?”

“The flowers.  They’re breathtaking.”

His smile widened a bit.  “Yours could be just as beautiful, if not more.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

She reached into her pocket and pulled out the little, beige seed again.  As she watched the way it bounced gently in her palm in time with her steps, she opened her mouth to say something.  Then she closed it almost immediately.  A few seconds passed, and she opened her mouth again.

He smiled indulgently at her.  “Yes?”

With a slight hint of bashfulness, she asked, “If I take good care of this one, will you consider giving me another one?”

He laughed.  “Perhaps. Let’s see, shall we?”

He led them to a stop in front of an empty patch of land, where the soil was rich, moist, and freshly turned. “What do you think then?  Shall we plant yours and see what comes out?”

“Yes.”

Another smile and he disengaged himself from her to kneel on the ground. After he had finished digging a small, but deep, indentation into the dark earth, he beckoned her over.

She dropped to her knees next to him.  Just as she was about to place the little seed in the hole, however, she suddenly stopped.  Then she closed her fingers around the kernel, drawing it back into the palm of her hand and clutching it tightly.

“What’s wrong?”

“I don’t know why…but I’m suddenly scared.  I’m just – I’m not confident that I have the ability to care for this properly.  I get so easily distracted…”

“Yes, I know that.  I know you.  But don’t worry.  I’ll put people in your life who will help you, support you, remind you at the times when you need to hear it most.”

“You promise?”  Her eyes darted across his face as she tried to gauge his sincerity.

He met her gaze squarely.  “I promise.”

“…Okay then.”

Unfurling her fingers, she dropped the seed in.

– This is an ongoing story with no end – 

Rita’s Musings: Thank you for everything.  I have appreciated your encouragement and support.