What the Orchids Remember
You know nothing about the Darkness. Said a voice across the Void. I have experience the Great Darkness, and it almost killed me.
Lady and Yellow Bird looked at each other, and then all around. They couldn’t identify where that moaning, sad voice was coming.
I’m over here, just behind you across the Void. The voice said. I am Twinkle Pink, and my companion here, Sharry Baby knows what I am talking about.
Lady gathered herself and addressed the new neighbor who had spoken
What do you mean about The Great Darkness. There is only one Darkness.
No, when the Darkness extends, and extends, and you start feeling your limbs are drying up, and your spike blooms are drying, and all your body is being deprived of air to breathe, and light to grow, forever…That is the Great Darkness. I merely survived. I am not sure I will make it, yet.
And Twinkle gave a sniff that could have been mistaken for a sob.
What happened? Whispered Yellow Bird, loud enough to be carried across the Void, but still softly.
It all went as you described, Miss Lady, we were emwrapped in some stuff, and all light went off, then something else covered us. No light, no air, nothing. We, my neighbor here, Sharry Baby and I, couldn’t even talk, we were so scared. Then the movement started, just as you said.
Yes, said Lady. That is the way I think it always happens.
To you, perhaps. After a long time in that darkness and movement, somehow we came to a resting place. All was silent then. We were not moving, but nobody opened anything for us, as you say it happened to you.
Yes, yes…Continue.
For a very long time we waited there, each passing moment we had less air to breath, we were drying up and without sun, it seemed that was now Death.
Yellow Bird shuddered.
How perfectly horrible.
Yes, horrible. Said a new voice. You will never know about it, unless you experience it, and I hope you won’t.
Across the void, Lady and Yellow could see the other one, whom Twinke had called Sharry Baby.
I don’t know how I was able to survive better than her. Maybe because I was not blooming, while she had to care for her babies, apart from herself. The Great Darkness, yes, it extended and extended. We thought: that was it, no more light, no more sun, no more nothing.
Why? What was happening? Do you know?
Suddenly there was movement. Continued Twinkle, a different kind of movement.
Yes, added Sharry, and for a moment we heard a voice, a voice saying. “I got them, I rescued them.”
Wow! Who was that? Asked Yellow.
By what I know now, explained Twinkle, it was our caretaker. She was talking to someone, and added, “I rescued them from the kidnappers!”
Kidnappers? Asked Lady. What is that?
From what we learned later, those on the thing that had been moving us around since we left our family, had not taken us to her, and had left us standing somewhere for days. That was what had been happening. She was very upset, almost crying. Explained Sharry Baby.
Oh!...Poor thing. Whispered Yellow Bird.
Poor thing? Poor us! Cried Twinkle, my leaves were dying, my bloom spikes were shrivelled, my poor babies, whom I had taken so long to grow, lost!
Sorry, sorry. You are right. Please continue.
So at last all movement stopped and we felt air, and then light coming through the stuff they had wrapped around us. And then, yes, then we saw her.
Was she happy?
No, no she wasn’t. If we rememnber correctly… Sharry hesitated, and when Twinkle nodded, continued. If we remember correctly she was very angry.
Why? You were already with her.
Because we had been damaged, silly. She had been suffering for us for several sunrises.
Ah, yes, I understand now.
But now you are here, with all of us. Commented Lady. Everything will be alright now. And maybe some of your children will survive, Twinkle. Don’t lose hope.