Golden Flowers

The forest of Caronia was the most famous place among the Sicilian inhabitants, though nobody had been there since any past juncture people today could recall. It was a gospel among the people about the existence of orchids which bore golden flowers, in the depths of the forest. People had only dreamt of them and often talked about them to increase the gravity of their conversation. Mothers made stories upon them and narrated them to their children in the night. Sometimes when they woke up in the morning they would tell that they saw the golden flowers in their dreams. But there are men of all sorts. They had abandoned their lives in the quest of the golden flowers for various possible reasons – inquisitiveness, greed, seclusion and even love. But unfortunately there was no news of their return. But people’s belief in such an amazing existence never shrank. Despite all the bitter truths, men of great wits courage, determination and indomitable desires had fallen to its charisma. The written historical artifacts corroborating the spectacle of orchids were still extant. Achilles was a young man in blind love with Agnes. His love was sacred and impeccable. But Agnes could never discern his feelings for her. They knew each other since their childhood and were friends. One fine evening Achilles was sitting by the riverside deeply occupied by some thoughts. Agnes reached there searching for him. “Achilles!” she screamed at the top of her voice. “Where you have been all the day?” “Agnes,” said Achilles with profound emotion on his face. “Should I ask you something?” Agnes nodded. “What is that one thing, having which you will exult like never before and which will bring out the most beautiful smile on your face?” Tell me Agnes. For a moment Agnes was dumbfound. Her countenance was blank with great amazement. For a split second she saw the orchids of Caronia, the ones bearing golden flowers. A figment of her imagination, her classic dream, unlived. She was often narrated about the stories of such orchids in the nighttime by her granny. “Eh, I…mm,” Agnes spoke in a trembling voice once she was back to her senses. There was a void silence, an uncomfortable one. “I want to see the marvel of God’s creation, the one with which He blessed Sicily,” she said. “I’m confused. Pardon me Agnes,” Achilles said. “Golden flowers,” she said with desiring, starry eyes, not knowing his intentions. He said, “Oh! Such a fantastic work by the Great hand,” disguising the predicament. “But why did you ask such a thing?” asked Agnes. “Ah. Nothing. A way to kill time, actually a nice way, knowing about people’s desires,” he replied. “Hmm,” Agnes uttered out of doubtfulness. “Stop doing that anymore, there is work to be done. Fetch water from the well and ready the supper for the horses,” she said. Achilles was in his own thoughts. Agnes jabbed him back from sub-consciousness. “Yes, yes. I’ll be there in some time,” he said. Agnes left. Achilles drooped to the ground. His eyes closed and palm behind his head. He laid there as if deprived of life. Next day Agnes looked all worried. She had been searching Achilles since morning, but couldn’t get a clue. She had checked his abode but there were no signs of him. She combed through most of the shire only to add to her worry. “Where in the world he could have gone?” she asked to herself in great dismay. All of a sudden something clicked her mind and she hurried to the riverside, where she had been yesterday evening. He wasn’t there too. Hopeless and fatigued Agnes sat and leaned by the tree, beside where Achilles was lying yesterday. Her eyes almost shut, little brightness entering them. The river and the breeze were flowing in the same serene eternity as always. The moment she was about to completely shut her eyes, a seagull flew very close to the ground and fluttered at a short distance from her. Her eyes now wide open, fixed at the creature which appeared in pain. The seagull shrieked and gathered strength to finally reach to its nest over one of the twigs in the tree. But Agnes’s eyes now settled to something else. A rolled sheet of paper fastened to the twig. With some effort Agnes took hold of it. It was a letter. “To Agnes” written in bold letters and “From Achilles” at the bottom. She didn’t wait longer to read it. “Agnes. I have loved you all my life. Every breath I took was inspired by your thought. Whenever I felt short of courage to make you feel my love, I cried my heart out sitting by the riverside. The river, trees, seagulls and the drowning sun all suggested me to surprise you with something which could make you feel my love. Agnes, I have put my love to test. Every love has to succeed this horrendous path of fire which is the test of its pureness. Should I return I’ll present you the marvel you always desired. If that not be true I’ll be happy to search for it until my final breath.” Her face was white in extreme despondence and her hands shivering. Tears rolled from her soaked eyes. Tears of love and despair. Since then it is often said of love – “Love Is Blind”.

The Little Knowledge Robbers : The Gist

The story is written in the context of colonization of Sicily by the Greeks and the Romans, a few centuries before the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. The fable primarily revolves around the interactions between the Greek and the Roman kings and the diminutive gnomes of Sicily.

The Little Knowledge Robbers : Part II

"Gekoh pays reverence to the great Greek emperor", said the wee gnome Gekoh. The king was befuddled to watch a small creature talk to him. He observed the gnome top-down with prying eyes. Gnomes did not use to wander through the island nor they were seen over the streets. Instead, they normally preferred being confined within the periphery of the dense forest Caronia.

The Little Knowledge Robbers : Part I

Greek king Leonidas was speeding towards the main Greek empire fortification over his daunting black horse. But the horse could stride no further. In front, the hills laid stubborn as if blocking the way deliberately. A narrow chasm was still visible but not enough wide for the king to get through with the horse. The king had no choice but to revert back. Just as he did so a little gnome popped out from the tall grasses.

The Little Knowledge Robbers : The Backdrop

The little gnomes of Sicily were offended. The Greeks had invaded into their sanctum and had disturbed its naturalistic topography. Trees were stabbed down, forests were burnt, dams were built, thick and tall walls were erected. All these had caused a great deal of concern amongst the gnomes of Sicily.
Gnomes were peaceful, rational and intelligible creatures. They were bearers and avid seekers of esoteric knowledge and recondite philosophy. People from the local tribes often visited them to solve the problems they themselves were unable to. The island was in great harmony until encroachment by the Greek kings.