Four days later, that kid came into my shop. He looked so anxious. When the bell over the door rang as he pushed it open, he went pale. He looked so frightened by the noise that I expected him to turn around and start running back down the street. I think he might have, if I hadn't already started greeting him.
"Hi there, glad to see you're doing well!"
"Hello, thank you. I'm umm….I'm going to see my mother again. At the umm…"
He turned and looked towards the graveyard.
"And as promised, pick any flower you'd like, free of charge."
"Thank you."
He walked towards the south wall, where the bulk of my flower stock is displayed. I decided to give him his space. In the meantime I busied myself with plucking a few of the less than perfect leaves out of the bouquets I had already prepared. A customer came in to pick up her order. Her friend recently gave birth and she needed extra geraniums to celebrate.
Ren pushed the door open with his nose and plodded over to his spot behind my counter, pausing to let me pat his old head. Twenty minutes later, the kid was still standing indecisively in front of the flowers.
That kid hasn't made a choice yet? Something must be bothering him. How can I help?
"I realized I forgot to introduce myself yesterday. My name is Haru."
He startled again when I spoke.
"I'm Senjuro. Senjuro Rengoku. Sorry I'm taking so much time, it's just. I've never picked something like this before. I don't know what she'd like."
"No, no, take as much time as you need. I could help, if you'd like? I do have a bit of practice picking out flowers."
I gestured broadly to the wall of prepared bouquets behind me. He put on a small smile, the kind that didn't quite reach the whole face.
Poor thing. You're not old enough yet to have to know how to fake a smile.
"I don't know what she'd like. She died when I was a baby. And I haven't been visiting like I should have. I wanted to…"
He trailed off, looking lost.
"Well you're in luck! If she has no preferences, then there are no wrong choices. None of my flowers are ugly, so I'm sure she'd love any of them. Now, let's take a look."
I walked over and knelt next to the flowers.
"How about…some gladioli? It speaks highly of her character and her moral integrity. Or some chrysanthemums, to show her that you've been grieving for her. Or a daffodil, for new hope and renewal, since you've started visiting recently?"
"There are so many choices. I didn't know they all had meanings."
"They do! Though to be honest, the most important thing is that you like the flower. The meaning is an extra little bit of joy. Flowers are a way to send a message to someone that they can look back on for as long as they have them. The meaning of a bouquet can be as nuanced and intricate as any other kind of message. That said, sometimes the message a flower needs to send is just 'I wanted to get you this flower', and that's okay too."
"Yeah, that makes sense. Thanks."
He still seemed overwhelmed, and he still wasn't picking anything.
"I think a very good choice would be these pink carnations. They symbolize gratitude, and the idea that you'll never forget someone. Plus they're very cute. They always cheer me up."
"That's a good idea. I'll pick that one, thank you. I am sorry for the inconvenience that helping me may have caused."
"No inconvenience at all, I promise."
I handed the flower off to him, and heard Ren's nails clicking across the floor towards us. The dog looked at us, then leaned against Senjuro.
"He likes you. He does that when he wants attention."
Senjuro lit up, smiling and scratching the dog behind his ears.
"I love dogs. I wanted to get one, but Father said they're too much work. He's so cute! What's his name?"
"Ren. He belongs to someone in the village, he visits when he feels like it."
"That's so cool."
"You feel free to visit whenever you'd like, too. I promise to always let you pick a free flower up for your momma any time you do. I worry about the people here when they go too long without checking in."
"Really? Are you sure that would be okay?"
"Of course! Any day that the shop's open. By the way," I paused dramatically and grinned, "We're open every day."
He laughed.
"I'll do that. I should get going now, but I will come visit soon."
He turned his full attention to the dog.
"I hope you'll be here when I do, mister pup."
Ren yawned. When Senjuro left with the flower, he was smiling.
Good. I don't want to pry, but no child should look that sad and that unsure. I know where his mother is now, but where is his father? Hopefully he isn't anything like mine…someone should look out for this little boy. I'm going to make it my job to make sure he's alright.
