Bleeding Hearts
She had started a garden two years ago; the day after he had left her for something he had always dreamed of. Unknowingly, had had crushed her dreams. After he left, she had moved into the hermitage, renovatedthe formalyrundown homewith the low salary she made as a waitress. The flowerbeds outside of the diner she worked at had inspired her. She found the flowers fascinating, fallen in love with the colors and shapes, unique to the species. The pure beauty of the Dahlias, and the simplicity of the trilliums.
Asking around, she gathered tips from the woman at the floral shops in town, read every magazine article on gardening she could find. She saved her money, putting aside5 dollars from her monthly pay check to a bank account in her name. One year later, she bought her first bulb. 53 of them, to be exact, 6 snowdrop, narcissi, hyacinths, amaryllis, and tulip bulbs. Being particularly fond of the grade hyacinth, she ordered 11.
While she was strolling in the florists, she noticed one flower that caught her eye. She had motioned for the woman at the desk to come over, and continued to gaze at the blooming plant. As the woman approached, she smiled, and pointed to the perennial.
"Miss, I don't suppose you know the name of this flower, do you?" Her voice was sweet and cheery, curiosity lit up her eyes.
The young woman smiled, and tucked a strand of brown and red hair behind her ear, "Bleeding hearts, beautiful piece of nature, isn't it?" she looked up from the pink and white flower and into her clients eyes.
"Why yes, yes it is." Quickly, she asked for 12 bulbs, and exited the store. Her red and white sundress moved slightly with the warm breeze, while her floral printed shoes clicked on the hard cement. Holding three bags, she paced herself on the ten minute walk home. She spent the time daydreaming, remembering the first time they had discovered the hermitage. It had been a race to save two lives, locked into the sauna in the basement. It had been the beginning of a journey to a beautiful relationship, one that only Odd had expected.
She also hadn't expected to run into her front door, but she did. Snapping out of the trance, she turned the doorknob and stepped inside. Breathing in the scent of cookies, she placed the bags down and caved in to her cravings. Collapsing in her arm chair, she relaxed. Tomorrow, she'd begin her garden.
Up with the sun, she stretched her petite body. Blinking her eyes a few times to adjust to the sunlight radiating in through the blinds, she swung her feet over the side of her bed. Brushing her hair, she threw on a pair of old jeans, and an oversized shirt. Taking the tags off her newly bought gardening gloves, she slipped them on her delicate hands. As she made her way out the front door, she grabbed the three bags of bulbs, and a small trowel left by the previous owners.
Stepping outside, she took a deep breath of the spring air. She bent down to the dew covered soil, and dug a small hole. Placing the first bulb inside, she gently covered it with earth around it. A smile spread across her face, as she delicately gripped the next flower to be, humming a pleasant tune as she went along.
By the end of the day, a yard full of bulbs had been planted. A stone pathway served as the inside borders to the two small gardens, and lead to the front door of the blue house. Yet in her hand, rested one last bulb. Staring at it, unsure of what to do, a single clay flower pot lay unused on her windowsill. Carefully, she planted the solitary flower, watering it before the rest.
A week and two days later, buds were seen on the tops of the plants, and in three more days, beautiful purple, white, pink, and red flowers embellished her yard. In the solitary planter, a vine of bleeding hearts had bloomed.
Teenage couples who had wandered into the woods were often caught staring at the flowerbed, but were punished with only a cheerful smile from florist, and a silent wave. Students studying art could be found painting the beautiful landscape from a bench placed six feet from the closed gates. Occasionally, a lonely fellow could be seen gazing at the gardens, before slowly passing by.
As the seasons changed, the flowers began to wilt, their colors fading to brown. Eventually, the first frost would come, and each delicate pedal would fall. A blanket of snow would soon to follow, and her beautiful garden was hidden beneath the snow banks.
Come spring, and the melting of snow, green could be seen again in her lush gardens. With the sun, she would rise and water each plant, one by one. One day in mid spring, someone knocked gently on the brass gate.
"Why, hello there," Her glowing grin had yet to change since her days at Kadic, "Would you like to come in?"
The man nodded, "That would be nice." She approached him quickly, opening the gate and bowing slightly at the waste.
"Welcome home." She hugged him tightly, letting go to look into his eyes. "I've missed you, Jerimie."
He smiled, adjusting his glasses, "I've missed you too, Aelita." He paused to give her a peck on the cheek. "Here, this is for you," handing her a single bulb, he gently closed her hand around it.
A look of confusion crossed her face, "Jerimie, what is this?" Light green eyes studied the small bulb, before looking back to his face.
"It's a bulb, Princess, bleeding hearts." Her smile spread from ear to ear, "Sam told me you liked them, I couldn't resist." Aelita walked over to her window, moving the soil in her planter to create a small hole.
"And I know just where to put them," she planted the bulb without hesitation.
"Now my bleeding heart isn't alone."
AN:
: I like this story, I was inspired by a survey I took, asking me what my favorite flower was. My Aunt used to plant them in her garden, and I remember asking her what they were called.
Read and review please:P.
PS, I'm still at my moms. Will be here for the week.
-Aimee.