What the Orchids Remember
Did you hear the neighbors, cousin? Those across the void?
Yes, how couldn’t I, they are really chatty and loud.
They were talking about us, weren’t they?
I think so. I believe they were referring to your own arrival. When she brought you from the huge place with thousands of your brothers, sisters, cousins and even unrelated family.
Yes, yes. We were in bloom then. That one, over there, whom she recently identified as White Knight. Why that name, he has nothing of white or of knight.
Sometimes the people that give birth to us use really weird names. They called me Lady of the Night, and you are Yellow Bird.
Well, but my flowers are yellow, at least.
Yes, and apparently when I finally decide to bloom my flowers will perfume the night. Oh, how I wish that time to come.
How did you come here? Did she get you from the great growing house?
No. I came through the Darkness.
What? The Darkness? What is that? Sounds scary.
It was scary, suddenly I was enveloped by stuff, I though I would asphyxiate. And then it became so dark, not a glimpse of the sun, not a sliver of light. I thought, this is it. I am dying.
How horrible!
It was horrible, I hope you never experience anything like it. I knew I wasn’t dead yet, because I could fill movement. Lots of movement, like nothing I had experienced before. And then…
Yes, yes? And then.
Then I saw light, and I saw her. It was difficult, after having been in that horrible darkness. But I saw her, and light.
You mean, like God?!
No, silly, no! She’s no God, she was just opening the place where they had put me. She looked at me, inspected me, watered me, and placed me on the counter. Yes, the same counter those other ones were talking about. It was a relief.
Ah, said Yellow Bird, looking at the other with admiration. What an adventure.
Adventure? I want no adventures again, thank you. I am quite content here.
Yes, yes, so am I, but… Wow, you went through all that and survived! Good for you.
Hmph
And later?
Well, I met you two guys, big blooms you had. She seemed very proud of you, and kept looking at me as if thinking, and what about you? But she never asked.
There were already many of the other ones, weren’t there? Those across the void?
Yes, by the time she got interested in me and you two, there were already lots of the other family, they are called something like Phals, but I am not sure.
There are three humongous ones, they arrived with flowers that were larger than myself.
Yes, those are the ones, their flowers are huge, and the leaves….
The Loud One was saying she doesn’t like them.
No, I do not think Loud one is right. She loves all of us, a lot in fact. She even performed surgery on one, who someone brought to her to see if she could save her.
Surgery? What is that?
This Phal was getting sick, you know, sometimes people do not know how to care for us, and then…she hesitated… then we can die.
Oh! Muttered Yellow bird, How horrible, don’t say those awful things!
It is the truth. So caretaker took the little Phal out of her growing place, and had to cut her roots, and change her, and … Oh! I cannot remember. It was horrible. But see. Lady of the Night pointed. That’s her back there, see her? She has been doing well after her surgery.
That is a relief. Whew! You did scare me!
Lady looked at Yellow Bird with amusement.
You need to grow up.