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Calla Lilies And Sunflowers
My Two Favorite Flowers, On The Street In Xochimilco
About a week after moving to Barrio de Xochimilco, I discovered Giant Sunflowers for sale on the street, a couple of blocks from home. I immediately bought a bundle and proudly took them home.
I didn’t have a vase, but I did have an empty five liter water jug. I cut the tapered top off and filled it with water. Then I trimmed the new flowers, and put them in my makeshift vase.
They were perfect on my bedside table. I could also see them from my desk. They were the first thing I saw every new morning, and the last thing I saw before switching off the light at the end of the day. I was a happy man.
A few days later the cleaning lady put them in a real vase with fresh water. My sunflower joy continued for another ten days. Then it was time to say goodbye to their golden beauty. They had lasted longer than I expected.
On the first day of September, my landlady brought me a fresh bouquet of sunflowers. She told me, she knew how much I loved them. It was her way of saying ‘Thank You’ for my continued stay in her apartment. We were both happy.
