LILY

THE LILY

[Originally posted on October 24, 2013 at 2:41pm]

The moment I saw her picture on a wall, I quickly identified her as Calla Lily The Beautiful.

I heard the words Calla Lily for the first time when my friend “Lec” was about to get married for the first time. It was explicitly manifested by his then fiancée that her most favorite flower was Calla Lily, not Water Lily, but Calla Lily. I could not remember anymore if Calla Lily did also attend their wedding ceremony as she wished, for all that retained to mind since that day till now is that their married life’s still remarkably at peace.

From then on, I became infatuated with and mystified by Calla Lily so much so, especially when I felt rumors were true that it could only be found in the City of Baguio. Thus, upon our first hearing of another rumor, which was also later found to be true, that Baguio would be the couple’s honeymoon venue, I started the first serious money savings in life I’d ever do, till I filled up all nine orange KFC ketchup plastic containers with coins by dropping in them “lima-lima” and “piso-piso.”

That’s why I don’t pant for riches anymore or dream about exceeding great possessions for me, for once in my life it happened that I could not lift alone my own money, much less, move it in one single carry. The Land Bank UPV Miagao for me would readily testify. I just couldn’t remember anymore the teller who did almost cry.

And off to Baguio we followed when the couple followed their dream, but it was obvious that their faces were grim. There the pair could not run and could not hide just the same, for the “asungots” were ubiquitous and “naghahasik ng lagim.”

  

Then I suddenly remembered the coveted Calla Lily, but my problem I did ask her, “To whom shall I give thee?” Nevertheless, I started my quest right away for that wily and elusive flower which, like Solmux, I called “The One.” I was determined to find her there in Baguio before our group would return to Iloilo after finishing the fun.

I imagined Calla Lily as being delicately cultivated and specially potted like in hanging garden of a Babylonian. But when I took a leak against the wall of the clean Dirty Kitchen of our “bahay bakasyunan,” there I saw Calla Lily living under the sink or something you call dwelling “sa Calla Lily-man ng banggerahan.”

Oh, Calla Lily, you shattered yourself before me your own myth. Just like when I found lettuce growing at an abandoned side street.

Indeed, every flower of every plant in this world has its “human side.” The world’s perfect beauty a hedonist seeks he truly cannot find. There’s only one amazingly astounding, beautiful Flower that could satisfy man’s eye and soul from here to eternity. One that was already growing in from the Garden of Paradise to Gethsemane and still dwelling in our hearts, if we only let it stay.

The Preacher calls it The Rose Of Sharon for its beauty. Otherwise known as The Lily Of The Valley (Songs of Solomon 2:1).