Once upon a time a violets pot was sitting on the desk of a sad PhD student in the beautiful city of Vienna. The flowers brought some beauty and peace in that ostile environment. This PhD student soon realized that her life was elsewhere and therefore she moved back to Italy. Before leaving, she left the violets pot to me, as memento.
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| My birthday in Vienna in 2011 |
Some months later, I celebrated my birthday. For the first time I haven’t gone home for staying with my parents, but I was waiting for a couple of friends from my hometown. In the morning, I went working as usual. Another sad PhD student made me finding on the desk a present: red tulips in a cute fabric vase. She was going to quit her position in Vienna, too. They both have later found the happiness in Italy. Perhaps they gave up with the contradictory academic world just in time.
The last year I had to leave Vienna. I couldn’t bring the violets with me and I left them on my desk. During the three years in Austria, these flowers had listened to my outbursts and my confessions, they survived despite my irregular care and gave me flowers every spring. Although I've never liked flowers and plants, I loved these violets.
The first year in Brussels has been too much dark for having a living being at home. Then I moved to a new district and the light began to enter again from my windows. The day of the moving, a friend of mine gave a nice vase with an exotic flower. There is the possibility that she will leave Belgium, but she didn't consider the idea at that time.
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| The new violets, remembering three friends |
A couple of days ago I went to the local supermarket for buying something quickly. At the check out I saw a lonely violets pot, probably left over by someone before me. I was touched by those refused flowers. I asked the price. The cashier had to ask it with the microphone. I felt the hate of all the people waiting after me. Ehm, sorry! Finally I knew the ridiculous price and I bought the flowers.
Now the violets pot is on my kitchen window, with the tissue vase I brought from Vienna and next to the exotic flower. After 3 years, I have again some violets, with velvet leaves and cute flowers! The first thing I greet in the morning while I have breakfast and the last to which I wish goodnight after dinner. It’s not like having a pet, but at least it’s a living being, which will not suffer much my absence during the working time but that will enjoy with me the rainy and sunny days during my staying in Belgium.
Take-home message: Don’t give me flowers, unless you want to leave the country where you currently live. Chocolate is a fine alternative ;)
