Day 365-368-When Nature Takes Over

That week went by in a blur. I knew I was as enthusiastic and energetic as a cheerleader when I started. How on the first day, I felt like I could do so much in 1 week, 7 days , a whole 168 hours.  There was no doubt in my mind that I could finish project Housing The Homeless in that time. Having set myself what I know now to be an impossible goal, I pushed myself, working days and even nights with the help of a portable searchlight. I stopped only to eat and I camped at the House, sleeping an average of 3-4 hours a day. After about 4 days, Project House was nowhere near completion and all I had to show for for all that hard work was a terrible ache everywhere. I fell ill and then there were other demands and always, that perpetual, torrential, December rain. There was just no going back to the House.

I no longer remember exactly what I did those few days, least of all, what flowers I planted and where. I thought I was only working with the abandoned pots of plants I found. It was only when I went through my gardening basket looking for my scissors that I realised all my old packets of flower seeds were opened. I was confused at first, wondering why in the world they were opened. These seeds were bought so long ago, it felt like another lifetime. It was a time when I was not so consumed with this rat race, a time when  I actually dreamt of building a Sanctuary by Sans! A sanctuary with all the pretty flowers I love. I still remember that afternoon , 20 years ago, when I bought those seeds from an old gardener. He had joked about how these were magic seeds that would bring me happiness. When I laughed, he told me : Well, when you finished planting them and they grew into the flowers you love, wouldn't that make you happy? 

That was an incredible afternoon. I had tea with the old man at his shop, him in his rocker and I on a small bench covered in century old kilim. I had walked into the shop not knowing that he was selling flower seeds. I had thought it was an antique shop because it housed some really unusual and unique pieces of furniture. They were old but really beautiful. We started talking and I found out that the old man was in fact a gardener. He showed me pictures of a most amazing garden house that he had built single-handedly and we chatted till dusk fell. I think it was that day that I thought of the sanctuary. It would be like the house that the old man had built. 

20 years later and there was no sanctuary by Sans! Nor did I ever meet the old man again. For some reasons though,  I never threw the seeds away. I realised now that I must have used them at the House but what was I thinking? 20 year old seeds? Oh yes, I wasn't thinking, was I? I decided I had to go back to the House. So I packed my basket and set forth.

Imagine my surprise when I saw what I saw. 

Sunflowers! ? ! They were the first flowers I spotted as I was walking in because these flowers were huge! They were also my absolute favourite flowers. 

How in the world did they grow so fast? Every single stalk, so majestic and proud! Even the wilting one looked like it was bowing bashfully instead of dying.

I could not believe my eyes when I saw wisteria at the window! Just like how I had always visualised my sanctuary. More than anything else, I had wanted wisteria at my window. But how did I climb that far up?  

Of course I could not explain the flowers in the birdcage too. Or the white grape hyacinth.

And definitely not the rambling roses!

Oh my, those roses!

They were on the roof!

A roof that has turned from harsh, dry streaks to a lush moss green!  

There were only two things I was sure of. Every single one of those flowers were flowers I love and I had bought the seeds of these flowers from that old man. I definitely didn't remember planting them though or how. 

Bewildered, amazed and overwhelmed, I was walking around the house, trying to let everything sink in when I saw 

the ladder.

And that was when I remember.