Forget-Me-Not

  Forget-Me-Not

Maria sprinted to the beach.  The diamonds she owned sparkled on her ears as her rare, honey blonde hair flew like wings in the wind.  Emerald eyes she could not see focused ahead on the ocean where her favorite assistant sat, watching the waves of time roll in and out.

“Emily! Guess what?”

Emily turned around.  Maria loved her small nose and red hair and how she treated Maria, how she read Maria’s poetry and responded with a smile, not like the bland look of disinterest found in her sterile mother.  Emily could not draw or paint but seemed to find art anyway.  

“What?” Emily said, putting her voice a note higher.

“He said he wanted to marry me.”

“Kevin? That’s great.”  Inside, Emily wondered what would happen to the happy, adult child she spent time with.  She didn’t hate or look down on Maria, found her a fun flavor, but she knew tides turn quickly.  The dark skies of depression rarely gave way to the sun in a frozen world lacking insight.

“He gave me this ring.  It’s a diamond.  I love diamonds. It sparkles with love!”  Emily preferred the glass rings, as they sparkled more.  She decided to try to give Maria a few words, hoping the woman would have some peace, at least. She was also sad she’d lose the friend she had valued for so many years. She supposed herself childish in this way as well.

“Love is a thing?” Emily asked.  Maria seemed confused at first, but she trusted Emily more than her icy mother.  

“Love is great.  It’s in everything.”

“Love is in hatred, too.  You won’t lose love easily,” Emily said.

“No, I won’t.  I will live in a big house and have beautiful children and parties.”

“Yes, I agree.  Love is in women, children, and sparkling icicles.  It keeps us hanging on.”

“I’m so glad I have you, Emily.  You understand me so well.  I’m sorry I’m moving away,” Maria said.  

“Me too.”

The two embraced, and Maria ran up the hill, skipping a bit.

Emily turned her back on the ocean and walked up to the small koi pond.  She liked to feed part of her lunch to the hungry fish.  She liked to see them greedily fight each other like sex.  Nature enjoyed the act in such “civilized” humans as well.  A penis and vagina are the ugliest creations in the world, not evolved to be beautiful, not like a sunny day or glimmering star.  The soulless organs hide most of the time except when nature makes humans the highest.

Emily had loved a man, four years ago he faded away on a ship and left her no children to justify the time he stole or the vows he broke so easily.  He came into money and sunk into the warm waters of exotic fish and drunken wine.  

A wind picked up, lifting her curly hair.

Emily grabbed the dried out forget-me-not flower she had kept in her pocket, the one from the wedding placed in starched paper.  She stared at the dead thing, shriveled now, lifeless. She threw it to the splashing koi fish who consumed it without regard.  

Then she left.