The Monk and Me!
By: Tiaraa
“What is your name?” I turned around to see a very old man clad in white and orange sheet staring straight at me.
“Month-end is going on, I have no Money sir.” I replied carefully choosing the words, trying my best to not offend him.
“It’s okay child.” He smiled turning his gaze to the other car behind mine. I smirked knowing I spotted a fake monk.
I waited for the signal to turn green and also for this man to disappear out of my car’s window. He looked everywhere for a while before he looked inside my car.
“That’s a beautiful flower.” I almost scoffed at his eyesight. This flower was gifted to me last week by my ex-boyfriend. The mere thought of him brought tears to my eyes and I blinked several times to push it away.
I immediately picked up the flower and gave it to him. It would serve me two things: one, I would finally be able to get rid of it for good, and two, this man would hopefully leave me alone.
“You shouldn’t give away your gifts to others.”
“It’s okay. This flower is dead anyway.”
The old man looked at me for a brief second before admiring the almost black turned petals.
“What are you planning to do with it?”
“I will cherish it, as long as it has life left.” He caressed the mess with the tip of his finger. Suddenly my judgment changed from him being a fake monk to him being a mad man. Now, I desperately wanted to run away from this spot.
“You don’t like flowers?”
“Nope, they die easily.” I replied as matter of fact.
“So do humans, but we don’t stop loving each other. Why be biased with this poor creature?”
I glanced at him once and then at the signal. Thanks to the traffic ahead, I had a long way to go before the signal turned green for me.
“I can't believe you just compared us with the life of a flower.” I scoffed. “So tell me, once it dies what you are planning to do with it? Hpld a funeral and bury it?” I asked amused.
“Of course, I would do the same. I will bring all its friends and bury it in their presence. What we cherish, we need to respect it even after it becomes lifeless. Am I right?”
This man was very smooth with words, I thought.
“So you will bury it in a Christian graveyard or a Muslim graveyard?”
“Death doesn’t have a religion. It is people who are alive who see dead people as a part of their religion.”
His single statement piqued my interest and I leaned his way, “Why?”
“Out of all creatures God made, humans have always stood out for their greed. They value things as long as it is alive and interests them. Once they cannot do anything that they want, they become useless and the process continues for the next one.”
“Interesting.” I smiled, knowing what he said was a fact.
“Where are you going to bury it?”
“In my house.” He replied
“Why?”
“Why?” He laughed. “Dead things don't complain. That’s the beauty of it. They are ready to leave behind everything they ever had. Their essence, their memories, their names and their ashes.”
His words were spreading warmth in my cold heart. I suddenly felt like talking to him more.
“So what will happen to it after being buried? It will disappear forever.” I replied sadly, thinking about all the dearest people in my life whom I lost to death.
“They will be reborn. Universe is merciful no matter how much you axe it. It will find a way to create a new soul each time.”
“What happens to the people left behind?”
“They go in search of life and soon attain the character of a sunflower.”
The loud honks behind me informed me of the signal turning green. I quickly looked around for my purse and took some money out to give to him but he refused to take any. Upon asking why, he said something which would always stay in my memory.
“Be like a flower. Spread happiness, fragrance, love, emotions and solace around to those who come in contact with you. So when you die, you could become a star for them and they become a sunflower for others.”
With that, I drove off, shedding the old me behind, and celebrating the beautiful blessing called life.
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