Flower Cascade

[pieface101 285]

Flower Cascade

 

So... I guess I owe you guys an apology since I was gone for almost a year. I had problems irl that I decided to straighten out and I took a break from Tanki for a bit; which had become a bit of a commitment. And then a month or two went by and I sort of left Tanki tucked away in a corner somewhere :(

 
Then one day I checked back in and realized that "Oh shoot, a lot of time's gone by!"
Then I sort of felt nervous about returning and started putting it off. I'm in 8th Grade now and a lot has happened and if you're reading this and you understand who this weird "Pie" person is then all I can say is that you've been here and stuck with the Amateur Writing for far longer than I have and for that I applaud you.
 
So anyways, I'm here again and let this story be my gift to you.
 
 
When I was little, Summer was my favorite season. Summer was the time when the Fair would come to Woodshire and there would be ice cream and carnival rides and my mother would take me and my brother to the movies. I can still remember my first time.
 
It was a warm day in July, and the car broke down. While we waited for it to be fixed, my mom bought me and Harry a piece of chocolate. Harry took his half and wolfed it down. I was about to eat my share when a magician walked up to us. He wore bright red and blue trousers and had a top hat and an immaculate mustache.
 
"Young man, would you like to see a trick?"
 
I nodded. The magician put his hands up. "See? I have nothing in my hands." He rolled up his sleeves. "Nothing up my sleeve."
 
The magician held his hand out. "Now hold your hand out like this."
 
I copied him, and held my hand out. "Alright."
 
The magician put his other hand over mine. "I want you to close your hand like this," he said, motioning with his free hand. As soon as I curled my fingers in, I felt something fall into the palm of my hand.
 
"There's now something in your hand. On the count of three, you're going to show us what it is. Ready? One... two... three!"
 
I opened my hand. Inside was a small origami swan.
 
"You can keep it," the magician said, smiling. He turned to my Mother. "There's a Fair that way if you want something for your kid to do."
 
And so we began spending summer days at the Fair. Eventually, like all my childhood activities, I grew out of it. My favorite season was no longer Summer. Summer was too hot, and there were too many mosquitoes, and I was responsible for babysitting Harry even if friends came over.
 
That was years ago.
 
I sit on a bench. It's early Spring, and the trees in the park are blossoming pink and orange and yellow and flower petals are everywhere. I run my fingers over the petals of a particularly pretty flower, lost in thought. In a few months, I'm going to be leaving Woodshire. I've never really thought of what I wanted to be, but in a few months, I'm going to be going to a college.
 
It's scary. No, it's terrifying. Over the past year, I've been overcome with an increasing sense of what am I doing with my life​. Everywhere I look, kids are getting scholarships for the likes of being top ten in the nation for basketball, or being incredible at science and STEM, or composing entire scores of music. Now, I'm not terrible. I can certainly dribble and shoot, and I can do chemistry, and I used to play piano, but I'm not particularly excellent or anything.
 
I guess you could say I'm not very good. I am top of my class in chemistry and biology, but it's not really my calling to sit in a lab all day analyzing samples or whatever scientists do. I wanted to be a cartoonist, but whenever I draw I get the proportions and facial expressions wrong. And I can't draw basic items I see everyday without a reference image.
 
A voice jolts me out of my thoughts. "No, Sakura. It's rude to ask strangers to move over. We'll find another bench for you to rest at, okay?"
 
"How much further do we have to go? I'm tired..."
 
I look up. A young girl is tugging at her mother's hand. It looks like she wants my seat. The mother doesn't seem too keen on letting her daughter have it, but I don't mind, so I say, "You can have it if you want."
 
The girl looks at me. She's really small compared to me. It's scary to imagine how much I've grown, but I could see myself once being her height. "Thank you sir." she says timidly.
 
"No problem."
 
I get up. The mother runs over and apologizes on behalf of her daughter for inconveniencing me, but I wave it off and say it's fine. I'm about to leave, but I feel a nagging feeling that I've left a bad impression. I sometimes feel that I'm just not a very memorable person. Sure, I'm polite and all, but no one really notices me. I could drop dead and the world would go on much the same, more or less.
 
So I turn around and face the little girl. "Was your name Sakura?"
 
She nods.
 
I smile. "Sakura, would you like to see a trick?" I also look questioningly at her mother, and she motions for me to continue.
 
"A trick, sir?"
 
"Yeah, a trick," I say, pocketing the flower. "Here, hold out your hand."
 
She holds out her hand.
 
I show that I have nothing in one hand, but then I put it into my pocket and palm the flower while revealing that I have nothing in my second hand.
 
"Okay, I'm going to put my hand over yours." I say, doing so. "Now, curl your fingers up and you should feel something appear in your hand."
 
"I do feel it."
 
I nod. "Good. On the count of three, I want you to reveal what has appeared in your hand. One... two... three!"
 
She opens her hand and observes the flower resting there. "It's very pretty."
 
"You think?"
 
"Yeah. You could be like a famous person."
 
"I wish. This is the only trick I know."
 
She raises an eyebrow. "But this is so cool! You can summon unlimited flowers. Who wouldn't want that?"
 
I sigh. "Unfortunately, if only I could create a cascade of flowers, I could solve all my problems. But I can't."
 
"Why not?"
 
"Because... well it's because I can only do the trick in Spring. I can't make flowers grow any other season."
 
"That's too bad."
 
"Well, no," I say. "I'm going to practice really hard from now on, and when I see you again, I'll be able to create flowers even in the middle of Winter. Have a nice day, Sakura."
 
I smile and walk away, feeling a little better. I mean, I could go around making other people's days. What more could I want? But solving other people's problems won't solve my own. I'm not a magician. I can't magic away my problems and live happily ever after. I realize that now, when I'm about to leave home. I've come to rely on others so much for support that I can't imagine what I'm going to do with myself.
 
It's just like the trees in the park​. Trees don't have legs because they don't need to walk. They get everything they need from their surroundings. But because of this, trees aren't able to do much. They just sit around all day soaking everything in and providing shade and beauty to everyone. If a tree wanted to become a sprinter or a scientist, it couldn't.
 
My phone rings. It's my mother.
 
"Hello?"
 
"Hey Sammy. Listen, your brother's soccer practice is almost over, so can you go pick him up?"
 
"Sure thing," I say.
 
"Oh, and how's the whole college thing? I know it's tough, but you'll get used to it. You always have."
 
I sigh. "I don't think I'll know what to do with myself once I get there."
 
"Just find something to do. What do you want to do?"
 
"That's the thing! I don't know. Everyone else has something they're focusing on but I've just been doing a whole lot of nothing for the past twelve years. I need a miracle or an epiphany or something to find my calling. I've being throwing a whole lot of stuff at the wall but nothing's sticking."
 
"Sammy-"
 
"Listen. I just wish things could be simpler. I know I'm getting too old for this, but I didn't appreciate how much you did for me until it was too late. Mom... could you please pretend like I'm little again and you're tucking me into bed, and tell me that you love me. One last time?"
 
There's a pause. "Sammy..."
 
"What's wrong?"
 
"Sammy, I'm only going to say this once, so listen because it's very important. You're too old for me to always be there for you and-"
 
"I knew it."
 
"No, listen! You've always been a nice kid, Sammy, and your teachers keep telling me that you're always very nice and considerate of others..."
 
She trails off. "What I'm trying to get at, is that you need to stop worrying about all that and learn to love yourself."

Edited March 9, 2018 by Blackdrakon30

[Blackdrakon30 2,943]

- Changed font size and type just for sake of style

- Added title for sake of style

- Everything else (Grammar/spelling) looks good

 

Approved

 

Welcome back Pie!

[pieface101 285]

- Changed font size and type just for sake of style

- Added title for sake of style

- Everything else (Grammar/spelling) looks good

 

Approved

 

Welcome back Pie!

I'm glad to be back again! :D

[r_Kirby4 358]

10/10, appreciate it.

[Merovingian 656]

Nice story - It's sad that the boy do not express any feelings - it feels mechanical - we are emotionless observant of the story.

Souvenirs should be filled with feelings.