I wish I could speak

I wish I could speak

(Story submitted to seismo)

In her pink skirt, frivolously blushing cheeks, her brown curls pinned up not to scare the blue eyed innocence Neethu looked as if she was just dropped from the beaming paradise. Her graceful frame, virile beauty, the purity of her heart, her perfect life, her compassion, sweetness in her speech, her serenity and unblemished smile would often get her hear “Some fella s gonna be lucky in few years”.

Neethu was one of the best green fingered members of her age anybody could think of. She could get anything to grow with gentle wheedling and lot of love.
“For my daughter's 18th birthday, I got her a diamond necklace” - exclaimed Renuka, the irksome neighbor of Neethu. Unlike most of us, the little darling did not expect an extravagant gift; for her, a Birthday gift was to be a source of joy and not a pain in the pocket. To her pleasant astonishment, she received a packet of Hibiscus seeds from her mother as a Birthday gift. Neethu jumped in delight. She ran towards the garden in the backyard which was her first home and planted the seeds with an immaculate smile . Neethu had always treated foliage her good friends, now her ardor demanded to see her best friend, the new Hibiscus, grow up soon and gorgeous to make her finest match.

Neethu got habitual to walking down to the garden everyday to see if the hibiscus sapling showed up her face.

 
Day five, nearing her favorite spot in the garden, a friend of her stops by and thanks Neethu for her timely help for the examination without which she would have failed miserably. After a relaxed chat with the friend, Neethu heads to the place where she planted the seeds; She gets a bolt from the blue as she sees a little green seedling screening her face bleakly. Neethu dances in pleasure, hugs her mother and thankfully cries for giving her her-best-friend (hereafter called Hibhy). While Neethu forgets herself in glee, the little hibiscus which would have over-heard Neethu’s conversation with her friend by the garden-side overwhelms in joy on its first exposure to speech; Hibhy remarks at this beautiful communiqué; “I wish I could tell Neethu a million thanks for giving me this life; I wish I could speak”!(~Hibby)

One night following the roar of thunder and lightning cutting through the sky, full of concern, Neethu runs to the garden to shade her little friend. With each flash of lightning, she would get closer to the plantlet covering it with all her might. Moved by her generosity and selflessness, Hibhy craves to tell her friend how much she means to her. She wishes she could hug Neethu and tell her what she is to her life? Hibhy murmurs (to herself) I wish I could speak!

Hibhy becomes Neethu’s best friend. Neethu would talk to her every day on her friends, family and interests and spare a greater share of her time with Hibhy.

She looks like a full moon on earth-whispers (to herself) Hibhy on getting a glimpse of Neethu the next morning. Neethu gets her the manure, gives her hope to grow, a lot of love and all that is required for Hibhy to sprout profusely and stand firm. Neethu smells of a caring mother more than a friend now; as she turns and heads back home from the garden Hibhy notices a thorn on her path. She wishes she could shout her throat out and stop Neethu from hurting her foot. Sad but Neethu runs over the thorn and bloods her soft foot. Hibhy cries in pain~I wish I could speak!

Days pass by, years fly; much to everybody’s wishes, the little princess gets her dream guy; leaves her home and the friend-of-life Hibhy carrying with her memories treasured over years. With Neethu waving at her, Hibhy whispers (to herself) –
I wish I could speak; I wish I could tell my friend that she is the most beautiful woman on earth - a sun among stars; I wish I could embrace her firmly and reflect the warmth she has given me; I wish I could send her million thanks for all that she has done to me; I wish I could speak!

It was about a week after Neethu’s departure from her mother’s house, Hibhy was seen less perky than ever. How little did anybody in the house know that no sooner would they have to accept a strange phenomenon causing them to wither out? Hibhy shriveled out. And when the news reached Neethu, she rushes to the garden and cries aloud “Hibhy, why did you have to speak so tough”

 
Hibhy finally spoke – but it was too late. She had to take all pains to get her words across to her best friend.

Dear friends, do not let life hold you back from speaking about something or clearing the air if need be. Speak to people who matter to you and to whom you matter. When we are gifted with a wonderful tool “speech” unlike Hibhy why shy away and not use it to its worth? Speak before it gets too late for taking life granted costs yet another life.

~Revathi