Blooming Flowers

Blooming flowers

It's been forever since I was here last. My dark skin shone in the sun from my sweat. However, my hair didn’t stick to my skin like how it normally does when I sweat like this. That day, I haven’t been able to forget. My garden reminds me of it all the time but it isn’t in a bad way. To be honest, it’s the reason I am back here. Just like how I remember, the feet ran around while dust blew behind them. My legs carried me to the front door and my hand gently rose into the air. Once I hesitated I regretted coming back here. John Burke looked like he always did; focused, tired, and like he was sucked into his own little world. My knuckle pounded against the rickety old door while I waited for a response. The back of my mind brought me to thinking that she might be around. I knocked again. Please, Miss Lottie. . .

“Wait, a damn minute! “ She yelled with a creak following behind her. After the door opened, she looked like the same stubborn, stoic, scary woman she was back then. Her broken body looked even more broken with her skin shiny like mine. For her age, however, it was a beautiful brown with only small wrinkles. She was bent more than before and her hair looked like a storm fighting with dirt. The curls danced as the wind blew and her nose crinkled as she tried to figure out who I was.

“Well? I’m a very busy woman, unlike people like you who-’ She paused. Her eyes went wide, and she tried to straighten herself. ’Is that you Lizabeth?”

“Yes, Miss Lottie.”

“Lizabeth. You sure look older. Have you learned not to stomp and ruin flowers?” Her wrinkled eyebrow raised. My hands gripped tighter onto each other and I finally smiled while my head dropped.

“Yes ma’am.”

“Good.” Miss Lottie turned around but my hand shot over to her shoulder.

“Wait, Miss Lottie! I came here for a reason.” She smacked my painted hand off of her plump shoulder then she spun around.

“Go on.”

“Miss Lottie. . .," I began, "I wanted to say that I’m sorry for all of those years ago when I ruined your flowers. At that moment I wasn’t thinking, none of us kids were. After that day, and every day since, I have been thinking about my terrible actions and I have thought about it whenever I have something very important that I need to get through in my life because it has taught me to think and have sympathy for not only myself but for others. Miss Lottie, I wanted to thank you for showing me the beauty in the world even though there is darkness in this world as well. I’m sorry.” I bowed my head as children ran down the dirt street while their dark feet kicked up behind them.

At first, she just stood there and watched me. After 2 minutes of silence, I rose and walked away. Maybe this wasn’t such a great idea.

“Lizabeth!” Miss Lottie called out to me holding onto the doorway for support.

“Yes?” My body whipped around as I waited for her. She showed for me to follow her into the back, so I did. Once we got to the barren backyard, a smile spread across my face. She grabbed a watering can and shook while she struggled to water all the marigolds she had planted. Instead of the small garden she used to have, all across the green bushes that her modern neighbors had put in, there was an orange forest.

“M-miss Lottie. . .They’re beautiful.” She smiled, and I took the watering can from her and watered them for her as she settled her round body in a lawn chair. Miss Lottie then pointed to another one that was purple and next to the bushes. I nodded and unfolded it next to her and sat.

“When you are young, you don’t think, my child. Now that you are thinking and you are older, with even more experience you can be exactly who you want to be. When I was younger, I thought nothing of what my actions would do to other people. This was because I thought that maybe since I was just a child they would treat me like I was a baby and wouldn’t hurt me or give me any consequences. However, we know that this wasn’t true at all. Us black folks have to think. Mainly because the white men and women think they own us. We are our own people, just like them. Now, my child, when they say this it’s okay but when we say it they think it means the complete opposite and we aren’t good enough to make our own rules for ourselves. That is why we have people that will protect us. Do you know who that is?”

“Who?”

“Each other.”

My head lay on my pillow as tears drench my pillow. I laughed through my tears and Jaydin rolled over to rub my stomach. My hand landed onto his to tell him I was okay. He whispered the same thing that he always did when I thought about Miss Lottie and those damn flowers. I messed with the diamond ring as he kissed my tears away. His lips brushed against mine as he stood to get ready for work. Once he exited the room, I sat up and my eyes went straight to the picture of Miss Lottie with a marigold in a pot next to it. I smiled and mumbled thank you.