Snow Flower and the Secret Fan

Submitted into Contest #86 in response to: Write a story where flowers play a central role.... view prompt

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Asian American Creative Nonfiction Romance

Love is one of many themes in Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. ... Lily and Snow Flower became friends very quickly. ... She could not up straight or function properly knowing Snow Flower may no longer lover her. ... Also, when Snow Flower was dying, the sworn sisters told Lily that Snow Flower had never loved them, ... And once again, Lily was there for Snow Flower.A tale partly about life, partly about revolution and about hope is something kind a general and shallowly standard story to think of it in first. But as the story figuratively moves and builds up, the idea gradually wipe outs. The story that is lovable to children actually grants the older ones the concern to think of the story’s objectives, as well as the perception how well the story can be continued.

As the story fills up more in a caterpillar state, I can say that the cycle purports to be in a cycle of a caterpillar not as usual the cycle of a butterfly.

Because as Stripe was born, his aim was only to grow bigger, but as soon as he wonders that there must be more to life, then he seeks for more satisfactions and purpose in life, being in a caterpillar form where he had really no idea of becoming a beautiful butterfly someday. Just like in our childhood, we are very innocent what can life offer to us.

What the world had already showered upon us, thinking only about happiness and all the good forms in life we can do.

Days go by and by and time passes, we grow older and older and we have a particular goal in life: to gain success, to reach the top. We dream to be someone someday. Just like Stripe, looking around, getting his curiosity work, he found the pile of caterpillars. Even though nobody knows what exactly is up there, it must be faith that made him join to that challenging and unsure undertaking.

Learning to compete with others as Stripe climbs up the top is also truly the nature of humans to satisfy ourselves. We ought to do it and sometimes in bad ways. But consequences are there, we learn from it. And eventually, we could not notice but there was always something on us that has changed.

Along the way up the pile, Stripe meets a caterpillar that has the big doubt of what could possibly be out there. He felt awful to her not knowingly why. And it was possibly love, love that is unexplainable even in the story. The same in the real world they say. That love will find its way to you, in the most unexpected time and place, where everything seems to be a destiny.

Another story:

  Once, in the early spring, two seeds were dropped not far from a river. One grew into a daisy, with soft white petals and a sunny yellow middle. The other grew into a rose, sweet and graceful, with petals the color of a summer sunset. They grew together, and were the best of friends.

  One summer day, the rose said to the daisy, "I would like to see the world. I want to travel to faraway places, and see what it's like where other flowers grow."

  "Why would you want to do that?" the Daisy asked. "I like it right here by our river. It's beautiful and peaceful, just the right place for two flowers."  "I suppose you're right", the rose sighed. "Besides, I couldn't leave you." And the two friends promised that they would never leave their place on the river bank.

  But the very next day, a child was walking down to the river, and spied the rose's pink petals. "Oh, what a lovely flower", she said. "I'll take it home and give it to mother." And she walked over and plucked the rose right out of the ground.

  The daisy watched as her friend was taken away, unable to do anything to help. And she wept. Very few have ever heard a flower cry, and those who have say that there is no sound in the world more sad.

  The child brought the flower home, where it was loud and busy and not at all fit for a little rose. The mother put the rose in a vase, and after a few days, that pretty little rose wilted, as flowers who have been taken from the ground do.

  The daisy knew it was impossible that her friend would ever come back, but that didn't stop her from hoping. And there she sat, waiting and weeping all through summer, and right on into the fall. And that little flower waited right up until winter, when, exausted and cold, she curled up and wilted. The daisy and the rose were reunited at last.

  And so, I beg you, if you see two flowers growing sweetly together, do not pick one and put it in a vase on your table, but leave it there. Because, even for flowers, life is better when you have someone by your side.  

Rose ::

I was a bud yesterday. Today the bright sunshine helped me blossom into a flower. Finally blooming into a Rose, I looked at my surroundings. It’s full of beautiful flowers, who just became my friends instantly.

I do not know how I look because my possession doesn’t consist of a mirror. My friends quote ‘You are the most beautiful here’.

Some friends said that they were jealous of me because the humans love me more for my beauty and fragrance. They love me even if they have to fight with a few thorns. They love me even after my death. My mother was taken care preciously because they anticipated my birth.

A sunflower said to me, “I always turn towards the Sun, but people always turn towards you”. I smiled. I am happy and now I wanted to feel the love of a person.

My mother fed me some water through the stem and said, “Even the people passing by always took a glance at you and said you are very beautiful. I felt so proud to give birth to you that I am always happy”.

I smiled at her, “Mother, I want to meet humans faster now. I want to see how they love me. When will I go to them?”

She smiled weakly and replied, “Soon honey, soon. When you go to them, you will be separated from me. Are you ready to leave me already?” she asked.

“I don’t know mother. I just wanted to meet humans. I am sorry,” I pleaded so she would understand my dream and not to be upset because of that. We noticed a man coming towards the garden with a scissor in his hand and mom looked at me as if she was about to cry.

“Honey, hurry up and take some starch as much as you can so that you can feed on it and stay alive longer,” she said forcing the starch towards me through the stem, “if they place you in water, remember to drink sufficient water. If you stop drinking water, it will be your last breath. Promise me to live as long as you can, okay?”

“I promise mother.”

She smiled sadly and said, “This is the fate of plants and trees. We always see the death of our children in front of our eyes. This is a curse bestowed upon us for an unknown reason.”

I was caressed by the man who came here with the scissors. Within few seconds, I was cut from my mother. As I was moving farther from my mother, I know I should cry but I was happy to meet people who will love me. I was placed among few other roses who were beautiful.

After a while, I am separated from the roses and a person started arranging me between few different types of green leaves and tiny flowers. He made me look even more beautiful by tying a ribbon around me which tickled me since the grass touched my sensitive spots.

I am handed to a man who smelled me nervously and then smiled satisfactorily. That single smile made me think ‘I am happy to be born into this world’ because I just made someone happy. The feeling in heart is indescribable but I am too happy to want to think about the words to describe my feelings.

He brought me to a place which is decorated too beautiful to imagine. There are lights all over the place giving a different kind of shine to the area which could never be given by the great Sun.

He looked at me and said, “I am counting on you to pass my feelings to her. Please make her fall in love with me.”

I don’t know what he meant but I want to try my best if it was something I could help him with. Though I want to give him a reply, I know that he cannot understand my language, so I let it go.

After a while a girl came here with a smile which widened at the sight of the decorations the man did for her. He was too nervous yet brought himself to smile for her.

I did not understand most of their conversation because he held me behind him, so she could not see me. Finally, he took me out and handed me to her, so she could hold on to me and said, “I love you”.

Her smile disappeared as it was replaced by a hint of disappointment. She shook her head too slowly as if she was trying to move a wooden head which has no life in it. She slowly brought herself to speak, “I am sorry. Please don’t spoil our friendship with this. I am really sorry.”

Looks like she was confused to express her rejection with words since it was a shock for her. So, she left without any further words. I felt sorry for her. But I felt sorry for him too. I saw how nervous he was from the time he brought me.

He even asked me to help but I don’t know what to do. If I know, I would have helped him for sure. After all, he was the man for whose love I was born into this world. I want to make him happy. I want to make him smile. I want to make him feel content. But how?

Suddenly I couldn’t see anything as everything started to be blurry in front of me. I am being crumpled with his hand as the grass surrounding me started to cover my eyes.

I was thrown by him to the ground as all my petals started separating from me. He stomped on me with so much force as I felt my last breath leaving from my body and my soul leaving from the world.

Looks like I am dead, but all I want to know is the reason why he hated me while all I did was love him unconditionally.

I am not dead when I am cut from my mother. I am dead when a human rejected and threw me.

March 20, 2021 08:17

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