Lily - A Ray Of Hope

Mrs. Fernandez has spent her entire life in gardening and planting in her personal garden. She also started her own plant nursery and sending some plants to an old age home and an orphanage for free. Her husband was a Navy officer and used to stay outside the home for more than 10 months a year. In his absence, plants gave Mrs. Fernandez a reason to live and smile. After 3 years of her marriage, Mrs. Fernandez realized that she can never become a mother after sometime doctor also confirmed that the fact was true. At first, she used to feel alone but soon she started nurturing plants as her kids. She found a peaceful home in her plants.

Mr.Fernandez was never close to the plants and sometimes when he used to come home, his wife's excess attention to her plants irritated him.

Now Mr.Fernandez was also retired and at the age of 86 he started feeling lonely, he had his wife but there was always a void that he felt. He regretted their decision of not adopting a child.

"Lily !" he said to his wife one day, "Don't you think we should have adopted a child, who would have taken care of us at this age"

"John..." Mrs.Fernandez replied with a smile "these are my kids. They take care of us" she said holding a small plant in her hand.

"what nonsense! These silly earthen pots, they can't even talk how come they aid us in our bad time" the lonely old man inside Mr.Fernandez blurred out.

"No honey, they have been with me for all these years when you weren't here. Of course, I had my bad times and they were here with me" his wife pitched.

"Oh you mean they gave you medicine when you were coughing on the bed" the husband argued.

The slight conversation resulted in a big argument, following a muteness between the couple.

At night the lady of the house fell ill. She was in her eighties and his condition made her husband worried. He tried every doctor, everything but nothing worked. Her deteriorating health condition was snatching life from her husband too. He had only his wife in the name of family and now she was also going away.

One fine day, all of a sudden Mr.Fernandez planted a small lily plant in an earthen pot. Mrs.Fernandez saw him from their bedroom window and tried coming down with small steps. seeing her stand gave hope to Mr.Fernandez. The worried husband starting taking care of the plant, he used to show his wife the plant every now and then. He realized that his heart, soul, time and strength is being spent and it is giving him an utter pleasure.

Soon the wife recovered. And the lily started producing flowers. Now Mr.Fernandez has changed his mindset about the plants. The couple has started the little plant nursery again.