Hidemi’s Rambling No.415

by Hidemi Woods on May 30, 2012

MusicMarketplace.com

***** 88th Planet Project *****

My home where I spent my childhood had a front yard that was larger than the house itself. My grandfather was absorbed in growing chrysanthemums in the yard and there were over 600 chrysanthemum pots. Our yard was literally packed with his chrysanthemums. He even built a vinyl hothouse in the yard to take care of them in the wintertime. Chrysanthemums were all over the place and they had pretty much disrupted the family members’ lives including mine. Whenever a typhoon approached, my grandfather would order my father to bring his chrysanthemums into the house and the garage. Whenever a display takes place, my father would load and carry the chrysanthemums for my grandfather into an amusement park or a botanical garden by his truck. When I wanted to have a dog, my grandfather didn’t allow me because it would ravage his chrysanthemums. I resisted and said it was unfair that he could keep so many chrysanthemums while I couldn’t keep one dog. He told me it was totally fair because this was his house, not mine. My father felt pity for me and made a playing space on the rooftop of the garage when we rebuilt the house. My sister and I got our small yard, but my grandfather’s chrysanthemum pots had gradually crept up and soon the rooftop was also occupied with them. I was playing by the row of chrysanthemum pots in the yard one day, and carelessly broke a sprig. I was terrified, as it meant a death penalty for me. I couldn’t even imagine how furious my grandfather would get. I was no George Washington and hid away the broken sprig. Although I spent dreadful hours, my grandfather, to my surprise, wasn’t so angry with me when he found it. He could have ranted and raved considering his devotion to the chrysanthemums. I still wonder why he could have forgiven me…