Petal Memories.

From Doing Puzzles In Dim Light

Sight of two dozen red roses in a vase today reminds me of a long long time ago, two months of a dozen red roses almost every day. This sounds like an exaggeration, but it's not. How did I not realize at the time how over the top that was, from this person claiming to be a "very simple" man? I guess I was vein enough to think I naturally deserved it all, being the pretty young thing at the time. But, gee. It was roses coming out of our ears...it sort of became a part-time job taking care of them. I would dutifully trim their stems and watch the bud-ones bloom, and carefully remove the petals with browning edges. I believe I cooked with some of them, steeped them for tea or sugered them. Of course they were hanging all over the kitchen eventually, drying out, stinking up the place and turning that goth-red-black color. The man who gave them to me was very sweet in many ways, but we had BIIIIG problems. I can't even begin to remember what I wanted at the time. I think I wanted less roses, but what did I want more of? hmmm.