Marigold

Ugochinyere Elaine Iheanacho 

My master is tall, slender and tired eyed with a beard touching his chest. We live in a castle that is not much of a castle, dark and moist brick walls that smell of the earth after rain but I do not wish to leave.

He mixes a potion, milk shaded dark with nutmeg and pours it into a humanoid case. Tree bark for hair, blueberries for eyes and pressed red roses to bring color to my lips and cheeks. His most prized possession, a ring from his father, is kept for my heart.

“Estrea,”  he says as he breathes life into my lungs, “You are a decade and a half.” 

I nod. He is my master, if he says so, it must be true. 

Despite my ingredients, my hair is soft, my skin is smooth and I look just like any other person. I smile showing as many teeth as possible because this is something I am grateful for. 

I later came to realize that I age painfully slowly. My master has developed a distaste for sugar and lines around his eyes whereas I remain youthful and unchanging. Because I am greatly saddened by this, he is compelled to bring up my spirits.

“Estrea”, he says, my name rolling off his tongue like a form of endearment, “You have stayed with me for many long years, is there anything you desire?”

I think about this question very carefully.

“Yes.” 

“Which is…?”

“To be human, sir. If you will let me.” 

His eyes are saddened by my request, I can tell, but I do not back down.

“Oh but you are”.

“I am not sir, I might look like them and sound like them but my eyes are fruits and lips are flowers this is an unchanging fact”.

He stands up, his body towering over me and his hands on my shoulders.

“You have said so yourself,”  his voice is slow and I can tell he is carefully picking his words as if talking to a child. “You are made from tree bark, milk and flowers, this is an unchanging fact. But I have made it so that you are able to think for yourself and live for yourself, that is a very human trait”.

He takes a deep breath and slightly squeezes my shoulders.

“I have made you to the very best of my ability, Estrea, if it is not enough then I am truly, deeply sorry,” his right palm rests on my head. “There is nothing more I can do for you”.

I nod. He is my master, if he says so, it must be true. I will outlive him and continue to age like wine for the rest of my life.

“If it is alright with you sir, may I change my request?”

“Yes, yes of course,”  he nods his head, eyes trained on me and listening intently.

“Then I wish for love so that I may have companionship after your departure”.

His long slender fingers scratch the chin underneath his beard before he slips into his workroom, robes flowing after him. Moments later, he returns with a seed in hand.

“Plant it, water it and treat it with care and when the time comes, you may reap that which you desire”.

_._

The petals are golden and the stems are rich green in color. Marigolds. Excited for the results, I go visit my master in his workroom.

There are more folds in the skin on his face and his beard is falling to his knees, whereas I remain youthful and unchanging. 

“Master, master,”  I say, shaking his hand excitedly. “When will I reap that which I desire?”

“Patience, Estrea,”  his eyes are tired, “When the time comes”.

“When my love comes to me, will it bring me flowers? Is it as beautiful as they say it is?”

“Yes of course.” 

I nod. He is my master, if he says so, it must be true.

_._

The plant has grown considerably and can no longer contain the flower pot. After transferring it into the ground, thrilled, I went to my master in his workroom.

His head is balding and his beard is falling to his toes, whereas I remain youthful and unchanging.

“Master, master,”  I say, shaking his hands excitedly. “When will I reap that which I desire?”

“Patience Estrea,”  his voice is wearing thin, “When the time comes”.

“When my love comes to me, will it bring me goosebumps? Is it as beautiful as they say it is?”

“Yes of course.” 

I nod. He is my master, if he says so, it must be true.

_._

The plant has grown considerably and is now a tree. Tall, thick and sturdy, it no longer has any need for me. I go to my master in his workroom.

He lays on the chair as still as stone. His eyes are sunken, his lips chapped and his beard as white as snow. I too have grown. Taller and a bit more chest but I am still youthful and very much alive.

“Master, master,”  I say softly whilst clasping his fingers carefully as if scared that they might break. “When will I reap that which I desire?”

He does not look at me. He does not speak.

“When my love comes, will it bring me happiness? Is it as beautiful as they say it is?”

I hear a cry from his lips. I dropped his fingers, alarmed, as I watched the muscles in his eyes and forehead squeeze together and tears stream down his face.

“Forgive me Estrea,”  he cries, “Forgive me. It was not my wish to deceive you, I do not know if your love will ever come”

“What do you mean?”

“Your request was a bit out of my ability but instead of telling you, I carried on to give you something that was not guaranteed to work because I was too afraid to disappoint”

My heart sank to the bottom of my feet, my mouth dry as I was hit with the sudden realization that I had spent most of my life planting that which could not yield fruit. Disappointment churned in my chest and tears threatened to burst from my eyes. Devastated to say the least, but I would not show it. Master is soon to die and I want his soul to rest easy.

“Forgive me, Estrea,”  he sobs, “Forgive this foolish old man”.

I take his hand carefully and smile with the lips that he had gifted me.

“It’s alright,” I lied. “I have no need for such a thing anymore”

The clock strikes midnight as my master breathes his last.

_._

Because I am not human, I do not feel the need to bury the dead.

I walk away from the castle leaving my master to sleep in the chair in which he had died. I climb my enchanted tree, stepping over the fallen golden petals to pluck a flower from one of its branches and braid it into my hair. My feet carry me away from the life I once knew and into the city.

I walk for hours on end through the streets, bumping into strangers and falling into potholes. I walk until my feet ache and my head spins, until I am utterly exhausted and can’t move any more.

I stand in the middle of the street as rain begins to fall. I have no umbrella, I remember. Apart from the clothes on my skin and the flower in my hair, I have nothing at all.

“Miss,” 

I turn around to meet the voice. The rain no longer touches me and I notice he holds an umbrella. The gold of his hair is similar to the flower in mine and the green of his eyes is as rich as that of plant stems. I feel an unknown but welcome emotion bubble up inside me.

“You’ve been walking around for a while,”  his voice is soft like silk. “Have you been searching for something?”

I know this man, I think. I have never left the castle and never entertained visitors but deep in my heart and the marrow of my bones, I feel that I know this man.

“Yes,” I say, smiling with the teeth my master had gifted me.

“Yes I have.” 

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