Little Golden Shell

I hear the golden wind chimes sway in the breeze as I open the back door. I unzip my periwinkle jacket and lay it over the white loveseat I have outside. I happily walk to the hose, fill up the glass pitcher I keep outside and look around in amazement. Flowers are blooming with vibrant colors. The fruits are ready to be made into different types of lemonades and the vegetables are ready to be tossed in olive oil, salt, and pepper. I hum a song I can’t remember the lyrics to while watering every plant, flower, fruit, and vegetable I see in sight. As I walk to turn off the red hose I notice my tennis shoes are also the same color red. A golden red with a dash of orange glitters and shines without help from the sun. As I quickly turn the hose’s knob to the right it does not lock into place shutting off the water. Instead, the knob falls off and pieces of paper that look like legal documents fall out. I think to myself how long has this been here, did my family know about this? I decided to go inside to look more closely at the documents but before I did that I saw something I never have before. Is that a tortoise and is it outside of its shell? If you have never witnessed this before allow me to explain. It looks like a baby without his or her bottle, a flower without its petals, or the sun when it does not shine. And yet there it was in the middle of my yard lying right next to its home. First I pick up the sleeping tortoise and lightly wrap it in my shirt. Then I pick up its shell and what a coincidence it has the letter A painted on it with the same hue of red as the hose and my shoes. I walk inside searching for a box to put my garden friend in when it leaps on top of my head pulling my hair to the left and right like Ratatouille. It laughed as it pushed me into my pantry while every single can good went tumbling to the floor, it looked I was a surfer who missed the wave. It screamed please don’t put me back in there! With my shell, I feel like a genie, trapped! Without my shell, I'm quicker than a hare! I calmly took it off my head into my hands and said "please tell me your name" and he said "Enzo, my name is Enzo." I said "Enzo it’s nice to meet you. My name is Aster." We went into the hallway, I turned on the light switch, chose the softest blanket I saw and took it for Enzo. I sat on a chair while he lay on the kitchen table munching on lettuce explaining between bites how he landed in my backyard. Enzo ate half a bag of lettuce. He said he hasn’t been able to eat in weeks. I asked him if this had anything to do with his shell falling off. Enzo nervously laughed as he eyed the legal documents I found in the backyard earlier. He switched the subject and asked where I found them. I explain to him that I found them today, coincidentally, and have yet to further explore the details. We looked at the documents then at each other and shared a confused look. It seems that the documents were not left for me or my family. The Barelos do not speak Poli then Enzo energetically said “map”! "This is a map!" He started talking so fast I thought he was speaking Tortoise. He was just so excited he couldn't believe it and he started to cry. Enzo took a deep breath and then explained the reasoning behind his being in my backyard. He began with at every point in a Tortoise's life they need to part ways with their family and experience life without them. I chimed in and asked for how long? Enzo continued as if I hadn’t asked my question. I thought it was a myth you know, I mean I believed it as a young tortoise but now I'm supposed to be able to differentiate a myth between reality. I interrupted again, saying “Enzo I'm lost please fill in the blank spaces for me.” “Right,” he said I’m leaving out the most important part. Apparently when the “chosen” tortoise parts from his or her family one is magically deported to an unknown area where the most sacred piece of tortoise history lies. Enzo don’t leave me in suspense what is the most sacred piece of tortoise history? He scoffed and said don’t pretend you don’t know. We laughed because we both knew he was being absurd. He went on “the most sacred, important, and beloved piece in tortoise history is the Golden Shell. It is given to the wisest tortoise of the time. What exactly does the wisest tortoise do? I asked. Enzo pulled out his glasses and the tiniest textbook ever created from his pocket. He looked up the word wisest and before he began I interrupted No Enzo. I don’t want a textbook answer. I want a real answer, an answer from Enzo the tortoise, not his required academic readings. He looked at me with tears welling up in his eyes and said I don’t know the answer to your question. I never remember learning what the wisest tortoise does that is so special. Great, he said the tortoises are going to have not only a young wise tortoise but one that doesn’t even know his purpose. I budded in hey, at least you’ll have a new, shiny, ancient home! We both laughed and I pet his head to comfort him. Enzo just because you were the chosen tortoise does not mean you’re supposed to have every single answer, at least not yet. Yes, your job is only offered to one tortoise in the entire universe. In the beginning, you are bound to struggle with offering advice, staying humble, and doing your job with a good heart. You have to believe in yourself and then you’ll be the tortoise they can not shy away from. Enzo jumped on my shoulder and gave me a hug. Then I said so what does this have to do with the map? First, he circled Marigold with an orange pen and titled it home. Then he circled the only star on the map and titled Asters house. I gasped and looked up surprised. He smiled, laughed, and nodded his head up and down indicating that we have figured it out. Enzo why would the tortoiseshell be here? Do you know how high the temperature is during the summers in New Orleans, Louisiana? He said I do actually, I learned about it at school. He said Aster have you taken a moment to look in your backyard lately? I said yes Enzo that is where I found you earlier today. What did you think of your backyard? Well, just your typical backyard with grass and flowers I said. Yes, Aster but those are not the most important aspects to a garden. Enzo asked what is a garden if it does not have life? I eagerly shouted deathbed! Very funny but I really want you to focus. Your backyard is magical, beautiful, peaceful, and many qualities that most backyards lack. You have hummingbirds and butterflies soaring through the light breeze. Ladybugs dancing on rocks and lizards sunbathing in the middle of the yard. Your garden feeds off of the energy of every single breathing, living person or thing that enters your garden. The energy you put into your garden reciprocates back into your life. “Aster”, Enzo said today I am here to tell you you’re not who you think you are. I woke up to the sunshine seeping through my white curtains and pulled my silky golden comforter off my body. This is the seventh night in a row I've had this dream. I decided to go to my backyard and meditate. I hear the golden wind chimes sway in the breeze as I open the back door. Before I unzip my periwinkle jacket I look down at my golden carpet. Right outside my door, where I am now standing is a white envelope with golden bordering and red lettering that says “To: Aster. From: Enzo.” I walk over to the white loveseat and start reading everything I've dreamed of with an unexpected ending. I know what the rest of my life will be like. I know who I'll marry, how many children I'll have, and when I'll die. Now I'll have to find ways to make every day a mystery, maybe Enzo can help with that.