FLORIOGRAPHY- THE LANGUAGE OF FLOWERS

Roses are red, violets are blue, but roses can be red and lavender too. An ordinary flower just like violets and daffodils, magnolias and marigolds but what they represent is more than beautiful. Sure you already know this but, there are many shades of roses like there are many shades of black, each representing a different emotion. It is said that the yellow rose is given to one you consider a friend, lavender for one you find enchanting, most probably a sign of love at first sight. Yeah, you got me; I love flowers, roses in particular. Sometimes I do imagine myself wearing a ballroom gown standing in the centre of the room and my lover comes in dazzling, his scent enchanting a combination of Sauvage and aftershave. He goes down on one knee, reveals a bouquet he's hidden behind him having different colours of rose stalks. Lavender to tell about his love for me from first sight, pink to tell me how much he admires me, Yellow to represent a never-ending friendship, and red, red to tell me how much he loves me. Don't get this twisted, I'm not much of a romantic but you know it's not a bad thing to fantasize once in a while is it?.

Mike and I have been friends for about two years now, we met at a friend's party and... we've been friends since then. My housemate Gabby keeps going on and on about the thousand and one reasons why she believes Mike has feelings for me. Her name's Chantelle though but we call her Gabby cause according to Mike and Jason she's got the gift of Gab and here's what I'm talking about. "Oh my God! It's here it's finally here. It's from Mike, isn't it? Don't you think it's odd that he didn't deliver it himself as he usually does? Hmmm. You know Mike really likes you right, she said through a mouthful of muffin( I wonder how she always makes the statement sound new after saying it a thousand times already), stop rolling your eyes babe, you can keep playing blind for as long as you want but I've promised myself that I'll be your eyes and as your eyes, I'm telling you this guy loves you. Are you gonna tell me you've never noticed the way his countenance comes alight when you walk into the room or the way he holds you protectively like a child does his stick sweets? Tell me you've at least noticed how he tends to make sure he's your only male company whenever we're at a party or perhaps the fact that he wants you to share in all of his life's events, how he wants you around for every match, how he craves your attention, come on babe. See I went through this video on YouTube about how a guy acts when he likes a girl and believe me when I say he's done every damn thing on the book. And babe you can't tell me you don't think anything about the roses I know he's not just trying to play a rainbow game he's passing a message. He first gave you a lavender rose for your birthday last year and then pink and the one he gave you on new years day, the yellow rose with red tips. Babe, this guy is really into you...blah blah blah.... Mike has been gifting me flowers, roses to be particular for every celebration since he learnt of my love for roses. I got a bouquet for my birthday last year, one for Christmas, one on new years day; lavender, pink and yellow respectively. She believed they all meant something; the lavender to tell me he's loved me from first sight, pink to show how much he admires me, the yellow flowers had red tips and she believed that he was trying to tell me he considered me as more than a friend. She was ready to bet her life savings that he'll present me a red rose today to tell me he loved me. Floriography she'd called it, 'the language of flowers. You could imagine the look on her face when she went through the package only to find a pretty red ballroom dress with yellow flower patches and a birthday card and not a rose from a ready to propose Mike. Gabby had tonnes of scripts on what should be Michael's and my blossoming romance along with dozens of reasons why she believes he's head over heels in love with me and I'll bet that if she puts all of it into writing, she'll make a fine soap opera. Her mood lit up though when I finally opened the birthday card and inscribed on it in red letters was the phrase "I still owe you a rose". She was beside herself with joy as her imaginations seemed to be taking the route to reality and she couldn't help but share with me her unrealistic thoughts on how the scene of the presentation will play. Me in a beautiful ballroom dress standing at the centre of the room and my lover comes in dazzling, his scent enchanting a combination of Sauvage and aftershave. He goes down on one knee, reveals a bouquet he's hidden behind him having different colours of rose stalks. Lavender to tell about his love for me from first sight, pink to show that he admires me, Yellow representing a never-ending friendship, and red, red to tell me how much he loved me and then presenting it to me he asks me to be his girlfriend.

I've never really had much thought about love and romantic relationships because it seemed to me to be as ephemeral as life itself. It is for this reason that at age 21 I've never dated anyone to Gabby's dismay. I also don't have a crush because I believed it was stupid to constantly think of someone who might never look your way and also, the flames in relationships tend to die too quickly. Today they can't keep their hands off each other and in a few weeks, the sparks go off. For Micheal though it seems a little different. No matter how I try to deny it or run away from it I know I do like him and for my sake, I hope Gabby's right about him having feelings for me. I guess I'd better get ready for my party tonight if I was going to get my prince charming.

The party started as early as 8 pm and it was everything Gabby had said it would be and by everything I mean everything. I stood in the middle of the room in my red ballroom gown with yellow flower patches and Michael came in dazzling, his scent enchanting a combination of jasmine and aftershave. He went down on his knees, reveals a bouquet which he'd hidden behind him having different colours of rose stalks. Lavender he says speaks about his love for me from first sight, pink to show how much he admires me, Yellow flowers tipped with red representing our friendship in transition and red, red to tell me how much he loved me and then presenting it to me he asks, "will you be my girlfriend".