Skip to main content

The Daffodil Dilemma

The Daffodil Dilemma




Author’s Note  Just a brief explanation on a minor detail that may confuse some readers - in the UK, Mother’s Day is a movable feast, celebrated on the 4th Sunday in Lent.

“Let’s do what I saw on telly, Auntie Marie!” That’s the kind of statement that can be decidedly disconcerting coming from the mouth of a seven year old, especially one like my niece Chloe, who is a sweetheart, of course (though she wouldn’t be a normal seven year old if occasionally other nouns didn’t spring to mind) but has that mixture of a vivid imagination and an urge to imitate that can, on occasion, lead to consequences. Or, which can sometimes be harder, be impossible to fulfil. There are any number of things she can have seen on TV, even given that her parents are reasonably careful about her viewing. And with the best will in the world, I can’t help her transform into a car or a bird, let her run away to the circus, or buy her a unicorn. Or even a pony.

     “What’s that, love?” I ask, looking into her eager, demanding little face, and surreptitiously crossing my fingers.

     “A time caspule!” 

     “Capsule, I think you mean.” There’s a school of thought that you should never correct children if they mispronounce a word, but I know Chloe well enough to know that she likes to get things right, and though she bears it with reasonably good grace, doesn’t take kindly to being the subject of “cute” anecdotes concerning her mistakes.

     “That’s it! Both of us, please!”

     Well, that’s something of a relief. It could be far worse. Though I’m not sure quite how her parents might react to her burying some of her toys in the garden, especially as (and Chloe doesn’t know this yet) they may be moving soon. 

     “Can we start now, please?” She is well-brought up and generally remembers please and thank you, but has a belief that (giving her the benefit of the doubt) is more naïve than spoilt that if you say please then it automatically means you get what you want.

     We’re at my house. Where I definitely do intend staying though of course you never know what life throws at you. I am about to hedge my bets and say that we’ll have to find something to put things in, but Chloe is one step ahead. “There’s that tin you got the biscuits in at Christmas, Auntie Marie! The one where you say that Santa looks as if he has piles!”

     I can’t deny it. I said it, and it’s true. But though I hope I don’t have hoarding tendencies, biscuit tins are one of those things I tend to keep because sometimes they might come in handy. Has that time come now?

     I get it out of the cupboard. It has already started to go a bit rusty, and Santa looks as if he has a rash as well as piles. Despite myself I am quite taken with the idea. Well, at least in theory I’m quite taken with the idea. But no matter what Chloe wants I’m certainly not going to put anything of any especial value in the biscuit tin in its shallow grave in my back garden. Much as I dote on her, if she thinks my amber necklace or any of my collection of little china cottages (okay, they’re kitsch, but they’re my kitsch!) are going into it, she’s got another think coming. Anyway, they’re not exactly typical of the time, are they?

     Still, what is? 

     “A magazine or a newspaper!” Chloe proposes. Well, that’s a very sensible idea and will serve as a lining, too. Credit where it’s due, she’s taking this seriously and giving it some thought. That’s soon done, and the biscuit tin is lined with a recent copy of the East Counties Argos. Perhaps I should have chosen something national, but then again, maybe archaeologists of the future will wonder just what car boot sales were and why a row over a conifer hedge nearly brought neighbours to blows. There may not even be either cars or hedges then. But that’s a fanciful thought and I don’t know why I’m so keen to push it to one side. We decide on a few coins, not high value ones, of course, and a bus ticket. Mind you, in some areas, they’re already redundant! “What about flowers?” Chloe asks.

     “No, that’s not a good idea,” I say, gently, “They’d die within a few days and in the future there’d be nothing at all for anyone to see.”

     “Not that sort of flowers,” Chloe says, with the wearied patience of someone who has already decided that she wants to be a teacher and is perfecting the art of humouring the more obtuse of her pupils. “That sort of flowers.”   She points to the little bunch of artificial daffodils I have in a glass vase on my desk. Chloe has always been very nice about my artificial flowers and hasn’t made tactfully worded but pretty obvious remarks about daffodils in October being a bit silly and trumpeting their fakery. “We could just cut a couple off and put them in.”

     Now there is no real reason why I should object to this, is there? A couple would probably barely be missed, and anyway, I could replace the whole lot easily enough for less than £5. Whether she is wholly aware of it or not I don’t know, but there is something oddly fitting about artificial flowers going into the time capsule.

     Andrew was with me when I bought those artificial daffodils, and he didn’t mock them, either. We had met up again entirely by chance after not seeing each other for nearly ten years. He had been married, but was now separated, though amicably, and I had decided that though I believed in the old adage about never say never  I was quite happy to be a singleton (the other day I saw a quiz show where there was an answer saying that expression was invented for Bridget Jones’ Diary but the competitor was sure it had been used before, and I agreed with her!) and thought the advantages outweighed the disadvantages. Yes, Martin at work is lovely, and has made it plain that he wants us to be more than friends, though he’s never pushy and at pains not to make it awkward for me, but the time just isn’t right.

     He genuinely hadn’t changed much, and he was gallant enough to say that I hadn’t, either. It wasn’t the first time we had met after a parting. We’d been at the same junior school for three years, when I’d spent a great deal of time saying he was an irritating little boy, and he’d spent a great deal of time saying I was an annoying little girl, but somehow we fell into the habit of defending each other if anyone else said such a thing. Neither of us was keen on games, and both of us were good at English, though he was one of the devotees of what we nicknamed Frogspawn Corner – the nature table – and I could take it or leave it, and I loved by ballet class (though I was never much good at it) and he didn’t get it at all.

     We went to different secondary schools, though I don’t think we ever entirely got out of touch, it was a pretty small town and there wasn’t exactly a profusion of things for young people to do.

     But we certainly didn’t know that we were going to the same university until we met up in Freshers’ Week. Both of us insisted it was just the right one for our courses – English Literature and Drama in my case, Marine Biology in his – and it certainly offered entirely acceptable courses in those, but it also, and we knew it even if we didn’t admit it, offered the sweet spot of being far enough away from home for us to feel as if we were striking out, and near enough for it to be a safety net if needs must! 

     We became close almost without realising it, but then it dawned on us that people were automatically looking on us as an item. If there was some party or whatever, then instead of inviting Marie or inviting Andy, they invited MarieandAndy. We were at ease in each others’ company, had a similar sense of humour, and tended, though not without exception, to enjoy the same music and the same books and the same TV shows. In our final year we went on holiday together over the Easter break, and stayed in a ramshackle cottage in Cornwall alternating between revising and doing very little apart from walking along the beach and spending more than we should at the local seafood restaurant – that was another thing we had in common, though unlike Andy, for me whelks remained a bridge too far. 

     Quite a few people, including the parents on both sides, were half-expecting us to return officially engaged, but – and I know this sounds like a strange way of putting it – we never got around to it. We even did the things you’re “supposed” to do when you make a decision like that, with the appropriate backdrops, like the beach at sunset and by a field full of bright daffodils. We agreed that there was an odd paradox about daffodils, people tended to associate them with Mother’s Day or Easter, but they often bloomed too late for the former and too early for the latter. But that year there was an early Easter, and there was a profusion of gold in Cornwall that would have rivalled Wordsworth’s famous golden host in the Lake District.

     We knew in advance, and didn’t change our minds, that we were doing postgraduate work at different universities, and though it was a painful thought in some ways, I also decided that when it came to the famous world of contradictory proverbs, I favoured Absence makes the Heart Grow Fonder over Out of Sight, out of Mind

     Yet in the end, the latter happened. Never completely, and very gradually, but after two or three years we were leading more or less separate lives, though we still met up for family occasions sometimes, and both of us were fairly early email adopters, though we also liked good old fashioned letters. But both the emails and the letters dwindled, and when I learnt that he was engaged to Cathy, I felt a passing pang, but no lurch of jealousy or heartache. I had no wild urge to meet her, but would have had no problem being perfectly civil and friendly if I had. 

     And then we met by chance, at that time of year when you’re quite glad that autumn had finally segued into winter. We didn’t experience a second’s awkwardness, and even ended up reminiscing about frog spawn corner.

     We also got round to the daffodils, and I said that it was a shame it would be many months before they bloomed again, but I wasn’t one of those people with hang-ups about artificial flowers. It truly wasn’t meant as a hint, and I hadn’t realised that our local Craft Et Cetera shop, as it called itself, had started a new line in artificial flowers, but he presented me with the daffodils, with the air of a conjurer. Oh, not embarrassingly so, but it turned them into something more than a bunch of artificial daffodils, and we’d always liked our simple pleasures.

     Now Chloe wants me to snip off some of these daffodils and put them into the biscuit tin. To bury them in the earth in a makeshift time capsule. Everything in me rebelled against it, and I wondered how I should explain. She’d probably, at least, be quite cross with me for not introducing her to Andy! 

     It did rebel against it. At least, I had managed to convince myself it had. 

     Because here’s the thing. And I don’t know why I’ve been acting as if it isn’t. Andy and I got on incredibly well when we met up by chance. We had a good laugh and we put the words to right. If we were work colleagues, we’d get on famously, but the spark wasn’t there. And perhaps it had started to smoulder out even when we were still on that holiday in Cornwall eating shrimps and watching sunsets and waxing lyrical over daffodils. I hope we’ll stay in touch this time, but I think at heart we both know that it would be a delusion to think we were anything more than good mates. For a second that is sobering, and then it is liberating.

     “Auntie Marie!” Chloe prompts. “What about the daffodils – er, please?”

     “Let’s snip a couple off and put them in the capsule, then,” I said, and do so without any pain and without any regret.

     The next time Martin asks me out for a drink – and I very much hope there is a next time! – I will say yes.


By Omnipoten
Selesai
  • Renungan Masalah : Proses Menuju Penggenapan Janji Tuhan (2)

    Baca: Kejadian 41:37-45 "Lalu Firaun menyuruh menaikkan Yusuf dalam keretanya yang kedua, dan berserulah orang di hadapan Yusuf: 'Hormat!' Demikianlah Yusuf dilantik oleh Firaun menjadi kuasa atas seluruh tanah Mesir." (Kejadian 41:43) Ketika mendapatkan mimpi-mimpi dari Tuhan, Yusuf belum memi... Readmore

  • Cerpen Ririn, Taka dan Demensia

    Ririn tampak gelisah melirik jam di tangannya, sudah dua puluh menit berlalu sejak Taka pamit ke toilet, diraihnya telpon genggam dari dalam tas tangannya tampak wajah Taka memenuhi layarnya, wajah yang selalu bisa membuatnya tersenyum. “Apa? Kamu serius Rin?,” Ana tampak terkejut saa... Readmore

  • Cerpen Memeluk Duka Dua Wanita

    Aku masih ingat saat keluargaku pindah ke kampung tanah tosora pada tahun 1985. Saat itu, aku berumur 9 bulan. Sebelumnya, keluargaku hidup dalam gubuk di kampung bersebelahan yang tak jauh dengan kampung tanah tosora yang sebelumnya pernah menjadi ibu kota kabupaten wajo pada abad ke 15. Keluarg... Readmore

  • Cerpen Pelarian Gunung Pelarian

    Tanpa pedulikan kondisi pintu yang sudah rusak dan masih dalam kondisi terkunci, kudobrak sekuat tenaga dengan bantuan amarah yang tak terbendung menenggelaman diri dalam nafsu yang hampir tak terkendali, pintu terbuka dengan terpaksa hingga kunci gembok pun rampung dibuatku, kubantingkan kembaIi... Readmore

  • Humor Termometer

    Seorang ibu muda yang bahenol, sudah 3 hari menderita demam dan karena sudah tidak tahan akhirnya datanglah dia ke seorang dokter internis muda. Ibu : "Dok, saya sudah 3 hari demam tanpa sebab yang jelas, apakah saya terkena demam berdarah?" Dokter : "wah, saya belum dapat memastikan, coba ibu ber... Readmore

  • Humor Kabar Buruk Dan Kabar Baik

    Seorang pemuda pergi ke dokter untuk menjalani check up rutin. Ketika beberapa hari kemudian dia kembali untuk mengambil hasil pemeriksaan dengan wajah murung dokter berkata kepadanya. "Jerry, silakan duduk. Ada kabar baik dan kabar buruk yang hendak kuceritakan kepadamu." Jerry mengambil kursiny... Readmore

  • Cerpen Begitulah Rindu

    Cinta sejak awal memberi tanda dan —sama-sama sadar. Sama-sama sadar ketika sejak awal cinta timbul dan kobarannya makin besar. Besarnya kobaran itu mulai membakar ketakutan—sama-sama sadar. Sama-sama sadar dan akhirnya merenggut kebersamaan. Suatu ketika di sebuah ruang tunggu untuk ... Readmore

  • Cerpen Cinta Sepotong Donat

    “Selamat sore, selamat datang di Dunkin Donuts. Silahkan mas, mau pesan apa?” sapa seorang perempuan muda pelayan toko donat yang sore itu sedang bertugas. Pelanggan yang disapanya adalah seorang lelaki yang masih lengkap dengan seragam kantornya yang berwarna abu-abu muda dan celana ... Readmore

  • Renungan Masalah : Proses Menuju Penggenapan Janji Tuhan

    Baca: Kejadian 37:1-11 "Maka iri hatilah saudara-saudaranya kepadanya (Yusuf - red.), tetapi ayahnya menyimpan hal itu dalam hatinya." (Kejadian 37:11) Yusuf mendapatkan mimpi dari Tuhan dan melalui mimpi itu Tuhan hendak menyatakan rencana dan janjiNya kepada Yusuf. Pertama, Yusuf bermimpi sed... Readmore

  • Renungan Alat Uji Iman : Kesesakan

    Baca: Ayub 23:1-17 "Karena Ia tahu jalan hidupku; seandainya Ia menguji aku, aku akan timbul seperti emas." (Ayub 23:10) Alat uji iman lain, yang terkadang harus dialami anak-anak Tuhan adalah penderitaan. Penderitaan yang dimaksud dapat berupa krisis keuangan, sakit-penyakit atau tragedi. Ada ... Readmore


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

The Painting of Destiny

"Are you sure of this, Navan?" The old pirate stared at King Mannas' chief merchant. However, his bright emerald green eyes sparkled with laughter. "The information came from Daoud, one of my former crew members, when I was ravaging the coastal villages of Vyrone." Navan smiled at the expression crossing Gerrod's face, whose family had fled from one of these villages. The Iron Falcon was a legend and parents had always used the threat of its crew and its flaming-haired captain to scare naughty children into sleeping and behaving differently. Gerrod quickly recovered and smiled. "Then he must be a man to be trusted, indeed." "Ah!" cried Navan. "Daoud will take the coin from the mouth of a dead man while it is still warm. I trust him only because he knows the fate of him who lies to me." I may have made him captain when I decided to infiltrate King Mannas' court, but he still knows who is in charge. "We must tell ...

Good Morning America is a popular

Good Morning America is a popular morning news show that airs on ABC. It has been a staple in American households since its debut in 1975. The show covers a wide range of topics including news, entertainment, lifestyle, and pop culture. With its team of talented hosts and reporters, Good Morning America provides its viewers with the latest updates on current events and trending stories. One of the things that sets Good Morning America apart from other morning shows is its lively and energetic atmosphere. The hosts, including Robin Roberts, George Stephanopoulos, Michael Strahan, and Lara Spencer, bring a sense of fun and camaraderie to the show. They engage with their audience and each other in a way that feels genuine and relatable. In addition to its engaging hosts, Good Morning America also features a variety of segments that cater to a diverse audience. From cooking demos and fashion tips to celebrity interviews and human interest stories, the show offers something for everyone. Wh...

The liz hatton

The liz hatton is a unique piece of headwear that has been gaining popularity in recent years. This hat is characterized by its wide brim and low crown, which gives it a distinctive and fashionable look. The liz hatton is often made of materials such as wool, felt, or straw, making it a versatile accessory that can be worn in various seasons. One of the key features of the liz hatton is its versatility. This hat can be dressed up or down, making it suitable for a range of occasions. Whether you're going for a casual look or a more formal outfit, the liz hatton can easily complement your ensemble. Additionally, the wide brim of the hat provides excellent sun protection, making it ideal for outdoor activities such as picnics or garden parties. In terms of style, the liz hatton can be compared to other types of hats such as the fedora or the boater. While these hats may have similar silhouettes, the liz hatton stands out for its unique shape and design. The low crown and wide brim of ...
  • Cerpen Akibat Bercanda Di Jalan

    Siang ini matahari begitu terik membuat anak anak SD yang baru pulang sekolah serasa ingin cepat sampai rumah. Dengan bercengkrama bersama teman teman mereka sambil mempercepat langkah kaki menyusuri jalan kampung batu gandeng. Ada juga yang mengendari sepeda. Beberapa anak lelaki bercanda, merek... Readmore

  • Cerpen Aki No Yuu Hi Ni (matahari Terbenam di Musim Gugur)

    Ryu masih diam di tempatnya. Tidak bergerak, tidak juga berkata bahkan bergumam. Bukannya ia bisu ataupun apa, tapi memang nyatanya ia tengah berpura-pura menjadi patung sekarang. Bibirnya mengerucut kesal, dan matanya tak melirik kemana pun selain ke lengannya. Ada warna merah keunguan disana, l... Readmore

  • Humor Gombal Indomie

    Sekilas Info #Sekilas info Info terbaru rencana pemerintah tahun 2012 ini akan memberikan gaji bagi para pengangguran di Indonesia, besarnya disesuaikan berdasarkan lulusan sekolahnya, yaitu: 1. SD = RP 1.350.000 2. SMP = RP 2.650.000 3. SMA = RP 3.550.000 4. S1 = RP 5.570.000 Tetapi gaji tersebut ... Readmore

  • Humor 6 Larangan Ketika Tidur

    Malaikat VS Iblis Melaikat dan Iblis saling berdebat mengenai komputer. Perdebatan mereka berdua terus berlangsung sampai akhirnya Sang Malaikat merasa bosan. Sang malaikat berterus terang bahwa Dia sangat bosan dan malas untuk bertengkar. Akhirnya Tuhan pun turun, dan Tuhan berkata " hentikan pert... Readmore

  • Kunci Hidup Yang Di Berkati

    Baca: 1 Tawarikh 26:4-8 "Mereka sekalian adalah dari keturunan Obed-Edom, yakni mereka sendiri, anak-anak mereka dan saudara-saudara mereka, masing-masing orang yang gagah perkasa, cakap untuk pekerjaan itu, enam puluh dua orang jumlahnya dari Obed-Edom." (1 Tawarikh 26:8) Di zaman sekarang ini... Readmore

  • Tuhan Memperhatikan Orang Benar

    Baca: Maleakhi 3:13-18 "Kamu berkata: 'Adalah sia-sia beribadah kepada Allah. Apakah untungnya kita memelihara apa yang harus dilakukan terhadap-Nya dan berjalan dengan pakaian berkabung di hadapan TUHAN semesta alam?'" (Maleakhi 3:14) Dalam menjalani kehidupan di dunia banyak orang cenderung m... Readmore

  • Cerpen My Girl Nina

         Nina namanya, seorang gadis berwajah oriental yang selalu membuatku terpana melihatnya. Dia sering memanggilku "Rio" sambil tersenyum. Aku memang baru mengenalnya, tapi dia begitu istimewa, sampai aku tidak bisa bayangkan betapa aku menyukainya.      Sifatnya pe... Readmore

  • Cerpen Pelangi dalam Hujan

    'pelangi di bukit senja'       Pagi itu ashilla berjalan tak tentu arah dibawah derasnya hujan yang melanda kota minggu itu. Ketika ashilla terus menikmati perjalanannya dibawah hujan tanpa peneduh apapun, tiba-tiba seorang lelaki memayungi dirinya dari belakang, mungkin ia tak teg... Readmore

  • Cerpen Cinta di Ujung Senja

    "Apakah kau tahu seperti apa jatuh cinta?" Katamu kala itu tanpa mengalihkan pandanganmu pada awan yang berarak riang. "Entahlah!"jawabku sembari menggelang pelan. Walau aku tahu kau pasti tak melihatnya.Kau terlalu sibuk dengan langit sore.Menikmati indahnya mega merah di ufuk selatan. Kualihkan... Readmore

  • Cerpen Permaisuri Hati Fahrie

         Mata Fahrie menatap buliran-buliran rintik hujan dibalik kaca jendela ruang bersalin tempat istrinya Farida dirawat setelah baru saja melahirkan 2 jam yang lalu. Samar-samar dia teringat sesuatu. Dia berusaha keras mengingat potongan-potongan memori yang dialami sepanjang perj... Readmore