Life’s most valuable gifts.
“Grandmother! Grandmother!” Rose yelled as she rushed back into the house. She had travelled effortlessly between the two worlds, just wishing herself back with her family. “Boil these Ginko leaves for Father. It will help him,” she said, running to her father’s bedroom.
Grandmother Flora stared at the Ginko leaves and smiled to herself. “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree,” she whispered.
Rose carefully placed the encased Moonflower on her father’s bedside table. Grandmother Flora came in with a cup of the brewed Ginko leaves and held her father’s head up. He wasn’t conscious but somehow he must have sensed the cure, and his lips parted. Flora slowly poured the liquid into his mouth.
Rose waited for her father to regain consciousness; he didn’t.
Many days passed and Rose spent all her time tending to Nature to keep the Night Eden alive. She planted seeds and took great care of the new Tree of Life. Perhaps it was this symbol of hope that kept the hope for her father’s recovery alive. A new leaf turned over, not only for her, but for the Night Eden.
She kept a diary of her time in the Night Eden; the magical adventure would make a great story for future generations. All of the magical creatures were noted by name, their spirits etched into memory by the stroke of a pen.
Nature’s Reprimanding Roots
We have forgotten our roots, our beginning and our end. Only until we become the seeds of the Earth shall we remember nature’s importance. The existence of nature ultimately depends on our rememberance of it. Nature doesn’t belong to us, it’s a gift bestowed upon us. Our only duty is to remember it like we remember the deceased and to nurture it. Nature is life,” wrote Rose. “Nature – a gift far more valuable than money. Enormous importance is placed on one little seedling.”
As Rose wrote her father appeared from behind the bushes with the encased Moonflower in hand. He looked as fresh as a daisy.
“I’ve been looking for you!” A huge grin adorned his youthful face.
“Father!” screamed Rose, as she raced towards him. They slid into each other’s arms perfectly, like a puzzle. The warmth of their compressed hug was long overdue. Out of nowhere, a flight of butterflies gracefully fluttered and surrounded their reunion. In their embrace they knew that this is what mattered – to appreciate each other as they should appreciate nature.
“Thanks to you, I’m all better now, dear,” said Mr Green as he held onto his brave daughter tightly. “When I saw the Moonflower, I knew you’d be here and that I could get back here.” He let out a huge sigh of relief. “I met your Mother here, you know – in the Night Eden. The Moonflower was her favourite. I called her my Fairy Queen. But as years passed I forgot about nature, as I forgot about her.” He tried to hide his shame, as he broke eye contact and stared up at the sky.
“If my memory serves me correctly, when you were a little girl we planted this Moonflower in this magical Night Eden for your Mother,” he laughed. The vivid memory of his younger self planting the Moonflower seed had been restored.
Mr Green knelt down and gently stroked his daughter’s face. “It seems I’ve forgotten life’s most valuable gifts,” he gazed at Rose and then at the Moonflower. “Would you like to help me replant this Moonflower in honour of your Mother, to keep the Night Eden of her youth alive?” he asked.
Rose nodded in agreement.
They took a leaf out of Hada’s book and vowed to restore nature. Under the bright sun they re-read Hada’s diary, recalled memories of her and kept what had been the Night Eden alive. Plenty of little sprouts erupted from the soil after the Moonflower was replanted and hope was restored.
As night fell, an army of fireflies surrounded the Moonflower. Rose and Mr Green watched her bloom under the moonlight’s glimmer. In the distance, hooting was heard overhead and the memory of Hada and nature was re-potted.
***
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The End
