The Rebel and the Rose

ONE fine September morning, two paintings were hung side by side in the Multipurpose Activity Center of the province. In one painting was a sugarcane worker while in the other painting was a red blooming rose.

As the two paintings awaited the arrival of the visitors, the sugarcane worker and the rose spent some time chatting with each other.

First, they introduced themselves to each other. The sugarcane worker said that, during the day, he worked in the fields to earn a living but, when night came, he had other more important things to do. The rose noticed that the sugarcane worker had a red bandana tied around his head.

The rose shook her lovely red petals and told the sugarcane worker about her life in the woods. “I should be in a garden where people could see and admire my lovely colors. I feel so alone and lonely here in the woods,” the rose said to the sugarcane worker.

“And look at these thorns. People keep on pricking their fingers whenever they touch my dainty stem. It makes me feel so undesirable at times,” the rose sadly said.

“To tell you the truth, I lead a hard and difficult life,” the sugarcane worker shared with the rose. “The money I earn is not enough to feed my family and to send my children to school. I long for a better life for my family,” he added.

At that point, people began filling up the Multipurpose Activity Center. A program was held to commemorate September 2012 as the 9th National Peace Consciousness Month. This was followed by a painting session with rebel returnees as the participants.

As for the sugarcane worker and the red blooming rose, each was left with his own thoughts on whether their life had any meaning and purpose at all.

The time came when the two paintings were bought by some art enthusiasts and the sugarcane worker and the rose had to bid each other goodbye.

“Goodbye, red blooming rose. For me you are a reminder that life is like a rose, still beautiful despite the sharp thorns,” the sugarcane worker said to the rose.

“Goodbye, young fellow. I will always remember you for your good intentions to uplift yourself and your family from poverty,” the rose said in return. “May there be good and sincere people in your life who will work for this noble purpose.”

The End.