Wednesday, November 24, 2004

A special gift...

It lay sparkling on her cheek, still, and yet so fluid. It wasn't like the other beads that so often rolled off her head, hard with thought and conviction. It was different, seemingly weaker and more powerful all at the same time, filled with emotion that, were it to spill, would flood the entire universe. All this weakness, all this power lay in the tiny sparkling transparent pearl drop resting on her cheek, exposed and vulnerable, clear enough for anyone to see through it... while it's small size hid the true intensity imprisoned within it.

She decided to let it roll down the side of her face and she spread open her palm to capture it's fall, at the end of which her transparent gleaming bead would disappear and a moist glitter on her palm would be all that remained of it, all those emotions dissolving into oblivion. That's what usually happened with these beads anyway, and so she expected nothing different. She closed her eyes and felt it roll down to the edge of her face and as it fell she slowly opened her eyes to follow it's flight, and for a moment, it seemed that there were two such pearls falling into her palm at the same time.....

Then something strange happened that had never happened before... instead of vanishing the pearl seemed to get brighter, it even seemed to grow! A ray of moonlight lit up her gem and in excitement, as well as for some fear, she looked up.... and there he was... the answer to the riddle... his moist eyes staring back at hers as he covered her palm with his. He had finally given her what she had sought for a long time.... he had given her one of his own moist pearls. He had decided to share his own, and now they both shared a single glowing pearl, laying softly between their palms.

The moonlight began a quiet dance with the water lilies, and the pond shimmered to add it's own music. The breeze joined in with a hum, and the leaves twirled and pranced. It woke up the wind chime who giggled a gleeful tinkle when it realized what was going on. Felicity had found the treasure she was searching for. She had found her happiness.

He moved a strand of hair from her face and out fell some of the brightest clearest beads that had ever fallen from her head. Somehow the best came only when he was around, or at least when the thought of him was around. He caught some in his hand while some sprinkled on the ground around their feet.

"Please keep them as my gift to you," she whispered, lost in the euphoria of the moment, forgetting all that had happened before.

No sooner had the words left her mouth that he turned and ran away, the glistening beads dropping through his fingers as he let them go, a few getting crushed under his feet as he rushed off to his hiding place. The trees tried to stop him, the moonlight chased after him and the breeze called out to him, but he out-ran them all. Her gaze followed his trail until it could keep up no more, and he disappeared into the darkness.

She stared into the empty space where she last saw him. Somehow everyone seemed to like her beads except him, even though she saved the best ones for him. Perhaps that was what had kept her from sharing her gems with anyone initially. She looked down at the gleaming beads that lay around her feet and she decided to crush a few herself. It amazed her how her beads could ordinarily survive flying into branches and falling on rocks but around him they became so fragile. She felt another moist bead on her cheek and she let it fall to the ground and vanish. This time it didn't even leave any glitter.

Her sight fell on her open palm, where her glowing pearl... their glowing pearl... lay still. She folded her fingers in to encase it, undecided if she was happy or sad. Perhaps it was enough for him to have given her what he had, she supposed. It was more than what she had ever expected of him. Maybe, in time he would grow to value her gifts to him. It was a dream, surely, but... she thought, as she peaked at the glowing gem through her fingers... if this could happen, couldn't anything?

She closed her eyes and let out a sigh, content that at least now she had a part of him with her. A dandelion flew by and kissed her forehead before floating off again. The moonlight embraced her, while the breeze began to hum a tune to lull her to sleep. Felicity hadn't found what she had been searching for, but for now what lay in her palm was enough to leave a smile on her lips.

9 comments:

knicq said...

Beautifully written, as usual. Reads like a poem, have read it twice, and will probably read it twice more today.

I have been finding these beautiful blogs lately, amazing writers... but in the end, I must admit, this ol' favorite shines the best.

I pray for felicity and her beads... I hope and pray those beads of hers find the importance and value she wishes them to have.

Please tell me you won't keep us waiting a month this time around...

Regards

Felicity said...

You may have to wait... sometimes it's not the thoughts that take too much time, it's the typing, and before I've even begun another thought will have take the place of the first. My mind works too fast for my hands to keep up with. Last two weeks however we were in Calgary. Gave my parents a surprise! They weren't expecting to see us till February! It was soooo much fun. And so, didn't really think of blogging while I was there. And the next few weeks I'd like to do some work on our homepage and get that photos page I have been thinking about for the past one year up and running before the year turns the page. So it's quite possible. but you never know when a bead decides to fall...

knicq said...

My mind works too fast for my hands....

Ah... the predicament of the gifted.

I, on the other hand, often find myself deleting after having typed a few words, because looking back they do not make any sense. A case of hands working too fast for the mind, and this when my typing speed ranks amongst the slowest in the ofice - an office not known for its typing talents.

Glad you had fun in Calgary. A li'l bit of details on the family won't hurt us here...

Duas,

Faramin said...

Just wanted to thank you for your contribution and valuable input on my blog. Please let us enjoy more of your writings.

Anonymous said...

I just dont know how to tell you what an amazing writer you are. Baji, you have this wonderful gift. WOW! yes thats all i can say.

Maybe you ought to start writing books! You'll be great at it! All I can do is think.. and when I start writing stuff.. i go "NAAAAAAAHh.. better scratch that out!"

May I borrow you're talent for a while? ;)

Felicity said...

Sure you can borrow it, sis, but I have to warn you, it's not very dependable. Sometimes when you need it most, it decides to go on vacation without telling you where, doesn't return your calls and completely ignores you if you ever do happen to bump into it.

But if you happen to find it in a friendly mood... take it, it's all yours!

Anonymous said...

good job!
kudos!

Anonymous said...

You know what my inital reaction was when i read your thing? "I love you felicity!".. i wont run away like that ,what so ever that $%@#!@@ was, did! I'd take your precious beads... and cherish them....... till i get to find a jeweler, have him/her analyse it, and sell it for a couple of million dollars to make me RICH RICH RICH! MUUUUHAHAHAHAHAHA!

But then I thoguth i might get something hit on my head so i though ti might compliment on your writing first! lol! You take care hope to talk to you soon.
-Hira

Anonymous said...

Dang it! I know i had to proof read it.. I accidently clicked on the wrong button. EXCUSE MY TYPOS!!!