Yan 2
Tony Yan
Mr. Normann
English 10
15 January, 2017
I Smell the Pear Flower Again
Very late at night, in the morning light, stars climbed up to the peak of the mountain quietly. Wind touched my face softly, sending me a cold shiver, itchy.
Granny with a kindly and warm smile on her face, like she always was, brought me a plate of refreshing watermelon pieces. Sweet and cool. I leant against my granny’s shoulder, and watched the pinky sunlight vanishing on the horizon. Then I slept peacefully.
My childhood was dreamlike and beautiful as heaven.
My grandparents had a house in the countryside. It was an old house with a big yard. Granny always grew some fresh vegetable for me and Hebe, my cousin. The veggies were amazingly delicious.
There was a huge pear tree in the garden, too. Every time when the blossom season arrived, my grandma will take us to sit under the tree. She shook the white branches, then the pure white flower rain flew all over the sky. The pear flowers smelt sweet like honey; petals were shining brilliantly in the sun. We just sat under the flower rain to be barefoot, and listen to my granny’s fantasy stories when she was young.
She told us things about her straitened childhood; how five people huddled in a small shack sharing a piece of bread which tasted like stone. She told us that her mother, my great grandma, a very beautiful woman, died early. She also told us how she met my grandpa and swore to live forever with him. And and and… Every time her eyes were full of crystal tears when she recalled the past. She cried and held me tightly, but I couldn't understand at that time. I was too little.
Then I grew up, like everybody but not what my granny expected. I went to schools, became an annoying teenager, and hardly talked with my granny. My mom often said my granny missed me so much, but I just ignored her most of the time.
Years later, my grandparents left the small town, too. Hence, I never went back again.
One day in the last year, my grandma sent me a letter. There were some pear flower petals in the envelope.
The letter said, these were the last few pieces of that pear tree. They uprooted the tree.
After reading that letter, I closed my eyes, and took a deep breath. The sweetest odor surrounded me again. I felt the sunshine, birds were singing around the tree. Laughter was everywhere.
And I saw my granny, my dear dear granny. With white hair and signs of aging.
I cried.