Dresses and Flowers

By: Victoria Diaz

The girls were in the garden, like they always are. Dancing around and collecting flowers and fruits. One of them, Lucy, was collecting daisies as her sister Jane was collecting strawberries. Both of them were very careful on their task. Jane will stare and touch and eat and smell the perfect strawberry like she was searching for something beyond this life while her sister was still careful but she already knew the daisies like the palm of her hand so she didn’t need to do much to know which ones were the ones she had to pick. The girls were quiet, they were too much in peace to be ruined by something so unnatural like a conversation. 

The girls continued walking to the end of the garden where tea was waiting. A beautiful pink blanket was laid on the ground. It looked too soft to be used, but the girls were tired and hungry so they sat in it. Jane grabbed her basket and started putting, very softly and delicately, the strawberries in the heart-shaped glass next to her as Lucy put the flowers around the blanket almost like a protection spell. Protection of what? One may wondered but the truth is more complicated than that. 

The girls keep quiet, hearing the wind through the trees and leaves. Eating the strawberries and using it as makeup for their lips and cheeks. The girls felt happiness, the kind of happiness that you simply can not explain to someone who has not lived it. But, like every day, the sun set and the girls returned home. With smiles they went their separate ways to their own bathrooms where the respective maids were waiting for them to take a bath. 

They sank in their baths and enjoyed the hot water as the maids cleaned their hairs, the happiness never once leaving their bodies. They have dinner together, consisting of waffles and pancakes with hot chocolate and then they leave for bed. 

Another beautiful day, another simple place. But tomorrow wasn’t promised. While they slept, ignoring the real word, the first bomb was dropped far away and yet, still a threat. May God protect the kids now, because no one will.