The Blind and The Mute

Silent Love

Silent Love

I fell in love with someone.
That person has the smell of sunshine coming from him.

He is the owner of a flower shop.
I bought a stalk of rose from him, and then I gifted it to him.
He didn’t say anything and just gently gave it back.

My fingertips touched his fingertips.
The bell rang. It signalled that it is ten o’clock.

I could only take the flower home and put it in the vase in the living room.

Mum saw the flower and was very happy.
But I know she cried.

Every morning at ten I would go to his flower shop, buy a stalk of rose and gift it to him.
Every time he would give it back without saying anything.

I was crazy about the smell coming from him.
Although we have never talked.
The best time of my day was when I went to buy flowers.
Though it was just a few short minutes.

One day, I told him. I said that I would be going to the hospital to be checked so I would not be able to come tomorrow.
He didn’t say anything.
What was I expecting?
He didn’t like to speak.

The doctor said that there were blood clots in my brain and that with surgery, I have a chance of seeing again.
The price was the possibility of losing my life.

I sat in the study for a whole night.

As usual, at ten o’clock the next morning, I went to his flower shop to buy a rose.
As usual, he gently gave it back to me and didn’t say a word.

My brother is managing the company well.
I am very at ease.

I stored the flower inside my medical files.
Then I boarded the ten o’clock flight to America.

*******

Three years later, I once again set foot onto this land.

The city had developed very rapidly.
High-rise buildings rose from the grounds.

At ten o’clock in the morning, I came to both a familiar yet unfamiliar place.

The flower shop had long closed down.
The people were gone.

Both the shop and that person was gone.

*******

Ten years later, my wife was cleaning out my medical files.
From inside, a sunflower fell out.

“Didn’t I buy roses?” I was surprised.
“No,” Mum replied, “It was always sunflowers.”

Sunflowers ————— Silent love.