Sublime thoughts of a perfect life now just seemed like distant myth. He had begun regretting for not have chosen a life of a drifter. The tree that he had called his home was coming to the end of its cycle and now resembled a withered old man with not enough strength to even carry a leaf. Fatigue had grown on him from scraping the dead wood and fungus which had accumulated through time but there was only one thought which made him think a multiple times before walking away.
A unsuspecting traveler wouldn’t have given a second thought about this orange tree just considering it to be another piece of nature’s picturesque creation. But for him it was different. There was a history attached to this tree which was holding him back. A history of a boy and a girl who had found a meaning to true happiness under the shades of this same tree. A happiness they had comforted with just mere luxuries of a shed, a lake behind the tree and the fruits the tree bore. A happiness they had always compared to the enriching flavor of those juicy fruits. It was them who planted the first seed together hoping with uncertainty of what would become of something so tiny. It grew and grew while they relished around it, enjoying the fruits of their labor. Their days were spent involving themselves in foolhardy arguments and silly mud fights. By sunset they would sit on the lakeside and bet each other on who could spit out the orange seeds the farthest. But happiness is always momentary, and there came a time when the girl had to leave. Promises were made but they both knew times would change and circumstances were never stable.
Forever a enemy of death, he formulates a plan. He plants a new seed just next to the dead orange tree and waits for it to grow. Over time he watches over the plant with all the gentleness he could muster, holding patience for one single hope. When the day came and the tree stood high, he picks the fruits, packs them in a bag and sets off to a nearby village. He sells the fruits to a commission agent and gets a reasonable price for the sale. He leaves the village with a smile and the path set clear, dreaming about the chain of events to come in the near future. He begins his journey for a new life, a new goal to find his new home. No, it doesn’t end here.
The commission agent ships the oranges to a wholesaler located miles away which then gets sold to a vendor who is happy with the quality of the fruits. The following day, a mysterious girl clad in colors of black, forest greens and deep red shops for the oranges and takes them home. She unties the veil covering her face and neatly arranges the oranges on a dish. She slices them in sharp figures and takes a deep filling bite. While she is munching on the oranges she feels something pricking her teeth. She reaches out and picks a seed. And she smiles.
“To revel in the wonders of life, to think, to remember, to dream – this is to know happiness.” Giancarlo Di Gratsi
“Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.” Robert Brault
“Happiness is only real when Shared.” Jon Krakauer