Pick Me

I was a lone little marigold wilting in my pot. “Please, please someone take me home” I thought as person after person walked by me. Then it happened. The bluest little eyes looking at me. “Mom, this one looks sad. Can I take it home?” The little girl with her crooked pigtails and mismatched flip flops said.

Just like that, I was headed to, well, I didn’t know where. I landed myself in an amazing garden smack between two monster tomato plants.

I got water. I stretched. I grew. I grew some more. I flowered. I had magnificent yellowish orange flowers.

My personal fragrance protected those around me. My tomato plants grew free of those nasty little bugs. Mom called them aphids. They would fly over and try to lay their eggs or to eat a snack. One sniff of me, and they would bee-line it over to the neighboring roses. I would stand taller and stronger. I was a warrior.

I watched my little blue eyes girl play in the sprinkler. She would try and help her mom in the garden. She blew bubbles. She played with her little dog. She had picnics with her teddy bears and dolls. She would smell me. I heard her tell her mom that I did not smell very good. I still protected my garden well.

Oh, how I wished I could play with her. I learned to be happy just watching. After a few moons, she did not seem to remember me. Did she forge that day? That pivotal moment that she brought me home. Her exuberant smile when she gently planted me into the soil. I will never forget.

The warm days are fewer now. I feel my energy draining. My petals are not as vibrant. My monster tomato friends have produced so many wonderful fruits. They are now drooping and looking worn.

I see this in my little girl’s mom. She was so beautiful at the beginning of the season. She smiled. She ran with little blue eyes. She had such energy and joy.

She still smiles as she watches little blue eyes play. Her smiles are not as big. She mostly just sits now. Even though it is warm, she sits wrapped up in a blanket or two. She always wears a scarf or hat on her head. She gives delicate hugs to blue eyes. Mom does not look so good. Maybe if she came closer, I could make the bugs go away.

Mom is coming. She picks one of the last tomatoes of the season. She gently reaches down and touches my head. She gives a little smile. She is beautiful. She slowly walks back to her chair. She calls blue eyes over and hands her the tomato. Blue eyes eats it. Tomato juice drips down her chin onto her sundress. She wipes her hands. First, she tries to wipe them on the grass, then she results to her dress. She runs around the yard, skipping and jumping. She goes back to mom and gives her a big hug. Mom smiles. I see a tear form in the corner of her eye. They hug.

Mom goes inside. I don’t see mom come out the door again.

Blue eyes comes outside. She is coming to the garden. I hope she is coming to see me. I am not so pretty now. Most of my flowers are gone. In fact, most of the garden is done. We had a great harvest. We did a great job providing.

She is wearing a simple black dress. She grabs her bubbles and blows a few. She is sad. I wish I could play with her. She does a slow twirl and watches her dress flare out. She is so beautiful.

I am feeling tired. I need to take a nap. I hope I see her when I wake up.

For now, sweet dreams. I cross my leaves that when I wake, I will see my smiling blue eyes.