Lyra the Princess II
That evening, like every day, Lyra stood behind the old banyan tree, smiling as she watched the birds finish the food in her lunchbox. Suddenly, she noticed a rabbit lying motionless on the ground. As she approached it, the rabbit twitched slightly out of fear and tried to run, but it was seriously injured. Its body was soaked in blood, and its wounds revealed its bones. The rabbit’s white fur was stained red.
As soon as Lyra saw the rabbit, she froze. Without wasting a moment, she picked it up in her arms and ran home as fast as she could. Her school bag and lunchbox hung forgotten on the tree. At that moment, she didn’t care about anything else.
When her father saw her running home, he was surprised. Lyra’s dress was soaked in blood, and her eyes were filled with fear. Panting heavily, she said, “The rabbit is badly injured. We have to save it, Dad! We must save it!” Her entire being seemed devoted to saving that small rabbit.
Her father quickly cleaned the rabbit’s wounds, applied medicine, and bandaged them. Its condition was critical, and survival seemed unlikely. He laid the rabbit on a warm bed, but it remained unconscious.
Lyra stayed by its side, hoping it would open its eyes. She prayed fervently for the rabbit’s recovery. After hours of waiting, the rabbit stirred slightly in pain and opened its eyes. Overjoyed, Lyra ran to her father and exclaimed, “We saved it, Dad! It’s awake!” Seeing her so happy, her father smiled and said, “You did a wonderful thing, my princess.” Lyra smiled faintly and left to finish her homework, leaving some fresh leaves and fruit for the rabbit.
Time passed, and the rabbit fully recovered. Lyra named it “Snowy.” It became a part of her daily routine, providing her with company and joy. At school, Miss Rose’s arrival brought new excitement to Lyra’s life. She started enjoying her days and became one of Miss Rose’s favorite students.
One day, during lunch, Miss Rose entered the classroom and said, “I forgot to bring my lunch today. Would anyone like to share their lunchbox with me?”
The other students, engrossed in their conversations, didn’t pay attention. Lyra hesitated for a moment, thinking about her untouched lunchbox. Gathering her courage, she said, “Miss, we can share my lunchbox if you’d like…”
Miss Rose smiled warmly and said, “Thank you so much, dear. Shall we eat in the park? I love doing that.”
Lyra agreed, and they sat in the park, sharing her lunch. As they ate, Miss Rose commented, “Your mother is a wonderful cook. This tastes amazing! I’d love to meet her someday.”
Lyra remained quiet for a moment, looking up at the sky. Then, softly, she said, “I don’t have a mother. She passed away two years ago due to cancer.” Tears welled up in her eyes and began to fall silently.
Miss Rose looked at her with a pained smile. “Oh, dear, I’m so sorry to hear about your loss.” Her eyes filled with tears, and her smile faded. “I also had a daughter, just like you,” she said. “But she passed away last month on her birthday. Whenever I see you, I’m reminded of her.”
She handed Lyra a photo and said, “This is the last picture I have of her.”
Lyra looked at the photo for a long time. “Your daughter was beautiful, Miss. I’m sorry you lost her so soon,” she said. As she handed the photo back, Miss Rose said, “You can keep it if you’d like.”
Lyra put the photo in her coat pocket and returned to her seat. Looking out the window, she saw Miss Rose still sitting there, lost in thought.
Today she was going home thinking about the things Miss Rose had said. Probably, her and Miss Rose's sorrows were the same. Hidden in the depths of the past. But whenever they came out, they brought a flood of tears with them. Even today she was looking at that picture, sitting on a branch of the same banyan tree in the forest on the way. If this girl was alive, then perhaps we both would have been friends. She thought. One by one, the parrots came and sat on her shoulder, then another, another, and in this way, a lot of birds gathered around her. Seeing this scene, Lyra started laughing, and the echo of her laughter started floating in the sky. Probably, all the birds were in search of food today as usual. "I'm sorry friends, I have nothing for you today." She said smiling.
Just then she saw Snowy running towards her. Snowy "as she had named that rabbit." Every day when she is returning home from school, it comes running in front of her. Then she picks it up in her arms and carries it home. These are some of the relaxing moments of her day.
She took Snowy in her arms and smilingly walked towards her home. Lyra had developed a very deep emotional bond with that rabbit. It had become a part of her daily routine, whenever she ate, she would make the rabbit sit near her and feed it. She would play with it and have fun, “which did not let it feel lonely even a little bit.
Time passed like this, Lyra was going through the biggest changes of her life. Which were probably positive changes, “ slowly all the burden was being lifted from her heart. Every day brought a new story, new hope, and energy for her.
