THE RED ROSES OF THE WHITE GARDEN

The dawn is breaking, the sun is peeping from the horizon as if it was playing a game of hide and seek.And now the children will play,not just hide and seek,but everything their young minds and hearts could do,The schools are reopening after the winter break.The streets seemed to be excited to welcome the little ones in their pretty uniforms.That morning, one could hear a dozen alarms from the corner of the street.It included the alarm from the lavender table clock of one of the rooms of the Thomson family.Soon long ,pretty finger silenced that annoying little lavender monster.She woke up to be kissed by the golden strokes of the sun that lit up the scene.She walks up to the balcony.The morning breeze blew her blond hair over her face.She looks outside,her eyes lit up as she saw the view of the distant rose field."Zelda",her mother called from the kitchen,"Get ready soon". Zelda goes up to the washbasin to wash her face and gives herself a confident smile in the mirror.She got ready for schoo and goes downstairs to the kitchen where she greets her mother and sister.

As they begin to leave,thier father,James enters the house after his jog in the Emeralds Park.Though Zelda was 16,she still was her fathers little princess.He was always a source of unending inspiration for Zelda and her little sister Zara.He was a brave soldier who served his country sicerely and who taught his childern to bold and face difficult situations with courage.They were so attached to him even though they got to see him very rarely.And this was one such occasion when they had spent their vacation with him.He accompanied them to the bus stop.Zelda and Zara boards the bus and feels content to see their friends.Zelda is seated at the middle row.She notices a new kid sitting next to her.She introduces herself and soon they starts talking.He too introduces himself.His name is Tim and is in the 6th grade.He had a plump physique.Zelda felt glad to get him as her little friend.

When she reaches the class,she takes her seat in the third row.She saw all her friends.She then settles at her table.She turns around and looks at other students,she seemed to search for someone.Her eyes seemed to search for someone.Her eyes longingly waited for someone at the class entrance.After a while,a great relief,joy and many more emotions were expressed on her face.It was Jeremiah he bestfriend since childhood,whom she had waited for.She runs toward him to give a hug.They shares their vacation stories.Soon the bell rings and their new classteacher,Ms.Hannah enters the class.After introduction,she assigned Zelda as the class monitor.

They had fun along with friends the whole day.After the class,Zelda and Jeremiah walks home together.On the way,they did'nt forget to stop at the at the large field,dotted with red roses.The field she views from her balcony.The roses were wet from the snow that had covered them.Jeremiah gifted her a rose.He gifted her rose each time they visited the field before.They visited the field along with their friends in weekends.

Zelda comes home to share the day's experiences with her parent,as usual,during teatime.After a few weeks,Zelda's father had to return urgently as there were signs of attack of the enemy country.Zelda,Zara,their mother Susan and Jeremiah accompanied him to the bus station.Zelda and Zara could'nt control their tears.Before leaving he calls Jeremiah and asks him to take care of Zelda.Jeremiah promises him.As weeks passed by,Jeremiah's concern for Zelda and family created Zelda to develop an additional affection towards him.One day,after school she asked if he loved her.He says nothing as he walks away.She felt guilty for asking it.She lowers her head and accompanies him on their way home.As they reached the rose field,Jeremiah stopped there to take a rose and give it to Zelda.She looks at him surprised.He says nothing but just smiles and walks away.His smile said that he loved her.

Zelda felt cheered up that she runs around him in circles.That evening she informs her parents about this.Her parents knew Jeremiah since his childhood and hence gladly accepted this matter.Her father was at the war-front when he recieved this news through telephone.The war was getting intensified,but he hid it from his family as he did'nt want them to be worried.School life was really fun for Zelda.Zelda and Jeremiah used to spend time in school ground during recess.Sometimes Tim too would join them.Tim was like Zelda's little brother with whom she shared her school stories as she did with Zara.

All was going well,until one day,when the war outbroke.There was chios and horror in the streets.The government announced a state of emergency.Schools,shops and malls were shut down and people were instructed to stay inside the homes.This seperated Zelda and Jeremiah.Zelda and family was left alone.They missed their father so badly.Day-by-day the situations got worser.There was shortage of food supplies and other necessities.Even then Zelda,Zara and Susan stood strong.

They could hear sounds of explosion at many places outside the street.On the 8th night,there was continuous shelling at their place.Zara gets frightened and says"Mother,I want to see Pappa''.They tried to coonect him through phone but the communication facilities were disrupted at many places that they could'nt connect him.There was some rest to shelling after a fortnight.One day Zelda hears the phone ring.It was Jeremiah.She was filled withtears when she heard his voice after a long time.He enquires if she was okay.Zelda replies,"I am not okay.I want to meet you".Jeremiah told that it was not safe,but after a long argument he finally agrees to meet her near the Emeralds Park.

Her mother asked her to be careful.She met Jeremiah at a blind spot behind the Emeralds Park.She hugs him and weeps.He consoles her.Soon a little boy waves from an apatment nearby.He then runs forward to hug them,but then a bullet penetrates into his soft chest.He falls down and crawls on his legs.But soon he falls down on his chest,his heartbeat fading away.

Zelda runs towards him but Jeremiah stops her as they heard the footsteps of the enemy.They hid behind a tall wall.Zelda weeps over Jeremiah's shoulder.Just then two soldiers appears near Tim.They tries to drag him,but being heavy,they left him in front of his apartment.Zelda held tight onto Jeremiah's hand.Just then the door of Tim's apatment opens and his mother comes out to see her son on the ground,motionless.It was their teacher Ms.Hannah.They both run towards her,then explains what had happened.She stayed there along with her only son,Tim.Jeremiah said that it was not safe to stay there for long.Ms. Hannah takes some cloths and important files of her and Tim,and accompanies them to Zelda's house.With deep pain in their hearts,they had to leave the most valuable thing of theirs-Tim behind.

On reching home,Zelda sees a few soldiers there and mistook them to be enemies.But they were her father's friends.They informs Susan that they must leave the place immediately along with other refugees.Susan enquires about James.They hesitantly handed over James' battledress and informs that he is no more alive.Susan holds his battledress close to her heart.Zara started to weep.Zelda could'nt accept it.She just falls on her knees to shed tears.The soldiers insisted them to vacate quickly.Zelda told that she would'nt leave the place where she had her father's memories.Jeremiah bends down and holds her shoulder.He then narrates the story of a little girl.When she was 5,she fell down from her bicycle and had her legs bleeding.But then her father wipes her tears and tells,"Little Zelda,do you know what 'Zelda' means?It means the'Strong Woman'.You are strong and bold enough Zelda.Now get up and move forward".

Zelda gathers all her strength and gets up now.She takes her father's diary along with her as his only memory.Before leaving,she takes a last look at her house.She sees her father and little Zelda playing in the house.She saw her father teach her little self how to play the piano.Then he looks at her and says,"Take firm steps so that it will lead you to the right path".She becomes confident and moves forward.

They starts to move to their new land on foot,along with other refugees.Jeremiah's parents too joins them.On the way,they walks past the rose field,which now was just land of mere black dust moving in circles.

After days of hardship,starvation and survival,Zelda along with her parents,Jeremiah,his parents and Ms.Hannah reaches a new land of beautiful landscape.She sees rivers and trees,cattle and butterflies.She felt as if a burden was removed from her heart.She breathes in fresh air.They notices a large field on their left which had red roses.The roses were brighter than the ones they had known.Zelda looks up at the white clouds which were now similar to her, that is without any burden.She remembers the symbolic representation of white as peace and tranquility.Soon a hand comes from behind to gift her a rose.She takes the rose from Jeremiah.They moves forward to begin a new life.