I walked into a shop some time ago to pick some stuff I booked three days back.
My intention was to dash in and pick the stuff and dash out again with military precision ,since what I had to do for the day was a whole lot to be discharged at record time, so no time to waste time.
Contary to my intention I was held for hours as she told her life stories, narrating them seamlessly in a manner so inticing that one wouldn’t but listen with an undivided attention.
Of all the stories she told me,though powerful and punchy, the one that made great in-road and got me emotional was the “Rose flower in a garden”.
This Rose flower was planted among other flowers in a very expansive and fertile garden.
The Gardener was doing a great job, tending and trimming them. So dedicated and consencious, the owner of the garden developed trust and confidence and had no course to monitor and supervise him often.
Each time the he comes, though rarely, the growth of the flowers expecially the rose flower kept improving in an amazing manner, beaming with beauty, bringing colours that make his heart grow fonder.
The gardener himself of all the flowers around the garden endeared himself to this same Rose flower. Oftentimes he would sit, staring at it for hours ,tenderly touching it , which according to him gives a cool soothing to his troubled soul.
Not only him does that, many who have access to the garden come to either admire the garden or pluck some of the beautiful and rare flowers to beautify their homes etc.
It is always a beehive of activities. The birds are not left out too in all these admiration. They come perching on the flowers, causing cross pollination, chirping and flapping their wings . It was indeed a garden of happiness, relaxation and comfort.
One day the gardener came as usual to his shock, the beautiful rose flower was gone. The rose flower that blossomed yesterday was gone. The rose flower that was the centre of attraction was gone! The rose flower that gave man and birds joy and happiness was gone! Nothing that showed it was fading, full of life and glowing, but it was no more. Who plucked it? The garden was secured under lock and key. The wall so high ,very difficult for anybody to scale it, round about the walls were security devices to ward off intruders. How come, it is gone.
That very morning the atmosphere in the garden was sober and very unwelcoming. Even the birds neither flapped their wings nor chirped as they normally do.
The gardener sat at one corner of the garden sobbing in soliloquy. As all these were happening the owner walked in and held him by the hand, pat him on the back and said, cry no more!
He cried the more, recounting how the rose flower was the best, the source of joy for many and the very reason many come to the garden. “Why would anybody pluck this flower completely leaving not even a single strand ” Tears rolled down his cheek as he lamented.
Don’t worry, cry no more, I plucked the flower the owner of the garden revealed. You may not understand! Beyond what your eyes could see ,are a whole lot you knew not. It is good it was plucked now, its continued stay in the garden wouldn’t do it any good.
Yesterday in the evening when you had closed, I walked in, going round and expecting the flowers, I discovered that the rose flower had been attacked by a terribly terminal disease. The best thing was to remove it from that place and place it in a vessel up my place where its existence will be assured.
Our life and every thing about us is the flowers, we are the gardener while God is the owner of the garden and the garden the world. He does with the flowers and everything in the garden the way he wants.
There are a whole lot about the garden , the flower, the gardener etc the owner of the garden knows that are hiden from the gardener.
The owner of the garden knows it all and whatever he does, he does to the best overall interest of the garden , gardener and the flowers.
Trust the owner , even when it is difficult and inconceivable, their is always a reason for all his actions, which may not make sense but will always be for our good .
Happy weekend and stay safe!
That beautiful flower plucked when you least expected it, is for your own good. Blurred and unreasonable now, but much later, it would be appreciated at the fullness of time.
Jarlath Opara Jarlathuche@gmail.com
