The Sakura Tree That Needed Space

Others of my kind hate winter. They complain about the bitter cold and groan as they move their stiff limbs in the wind. They bemoan the lack of color in the surroundings, the loss of their flowers and gaze mournfully at people passing by hurriedly.

But not me. I love winter. I love the way dusk falls in this season, quickly and silently, enveloping the world in comforting darkness. There are fewer people out on the streets and in the park where I live. They do not like to stay out in the cold for too long. I like the quiet and solitude that winter offers.

I spend my winter evenings watching people who come to the park. A middle-aged man runs past with his earphones on. I wonder what kind of music he is listening to. Does it sound better than the soft whispers of the wind? A young couple walks past, hand in hand, the boy laughing at something the girl said. They look so happy and in love. I wonder which of them will be able to remember this moment in the future.

Some nights, when the trains stop running and the moon hangs high above the sky, snow falls gently from the sky. Those nights, I stretch out my bare branches and try to catch the snowflakes. I think there’s no feeling in the world better than that of snowflakes melting against my skin.

But it doesn’t last long.

The weather gets warmer and everyone else get excited. The moment we have been waiting for all year long is coming. We are putting up a grand show. It will be so spectacular and breath-taking that people cannot help but stare at our beauty.

Then it happens. The trees turn green and beautiful flowers sprout up from our branches. Like a magician pulling a white fluffy rabbit out of his hat, we surprise the world with our white and pink flowers. And the audience was awed with our performance. They love it so much that every day, we have large crowds coming to see us. They jostle to admire and take pictures with us. My friends bask in the spotlight and soak in the praises.

But I begin to miss the peaceful winter days. I am tired of people looking at me but not seeing me. I wish they would stop pointing their cameras and phones at me, taking countless pictures from so many different angles. The sounds of camera shutters and the indecipherable chatter from the large crowds are giving me a headache. I feel so drained being the center of this much attention.

My friends tell me that I should treasure this moment because it only comes once a year.

But me? I just want my peaceful days back.

AN: Since it’s Sakura season here...