He just wanted to find out for himself whether the townspeople were still handing down the memories of the tragedy whether deep down behind their laughing faces, there still lingered the sorrow that had been passed down from their forefather's time.

Called away by one of his customers, the tavern master leaves Argonar's side but nt without first delivering a warning.

'Be careful what you say. Sir. That kind of nonsense can get you in trouble. Really. Think about it, the earthquake happend all of two hundred years ago!'

Arganor does nt answer him. Instead he sips his liquor in silence.

Among the ones who died in the tragedy two hundred years ago were his wife & daughter.

Of all the dozens of wives & hundreds of children that he has had in his enternal life, the wife & child he had here were unforgettable.

In those days, he had a job at the harbor. There were just the three of them~he,his wife & their little girl. They lived simply and happily.

The same kind of days that had preceded today would continue on into endless tomorrows. Everyone in the town believed that, including Argonar's wife & daughter of course.

But Argonar knew differently. Precisely because his own life was long without end & he had consequently tasted the pain of countless partings. He knew all too well that in the daily life of humans there was no 'forever.'

This life his family leading would have to end someday. It could not go on unchanged. This was by no means a cause for sorrow, however. Denied a grasp upon 'forever.' Human beings knew how to love & cherish the here & now.

Argonar espcially loved to show his daughter flowers, the more fragile & short-lived the better.

Flowers that bloomed with the morning sun & scattered before the sun went down. They were everywhere in this harbor town, lovely, white flowers that bloomed in early spring.

His daughter loved the flowers. She was a gentle child who would never break off blossoms that had struggled so bravely to bloom. Instead, she simply watched them for hours at a time.

That year, too...

'Look how big the buds are! They'll be blooming any time now!' she said happily when she found the white flowers on the road near the house.

Tomorrow,maybe? Argonar wondered aloud.

'Absolutely!' his wife chimed in merrily. Get up early tomorrow mrning & have a look!'

'Poor little flowers, though.' said the daughter. 'Its nice when they bloom but then they wither right away.'

'All the better.' said Argonar's wife. Its good luck if you get to see them blooming. That makes it more fun.'

'It may be fun for us us' answered the girl.'but think about the poor flowers. They work so hard to open up & they wither the same day. Its sad...'

'Well, yes. I guess so...'

A momentary air of sadness flowed into the room but Argonar quickly dispelled it with a laugh.

'Happiness is not the same thing as longevity!' he proclaimed.

What does that mean, papa?'

'It may not bloom for long but the flower's happy if it can open up the prettiest blossom & give off the sweetes perfume it knows how to make while it is blooming.'

The girl seemed to be having trouble grasping this & simply nodded with a little sight. She then broke into a smile & said, 'it must be true if you say so, papa!'

Your smile is more beautiful than any flower in full bloom.

He should have said it to her.

Argonar later regretted that he had not.

The words he had uttered so carelessly, he came to realize, turned out to be something of a prophecy.

'Well now, yound lady,' he said. 'If you're getting up early to see the flowers tomorrow mrning. You'd better go to bed right now.'

'All right, papa. If i really have to...'

'Im going to bed now, too.' said Argonar's wife.

'okay, then. G'nite, papa'

His wife said to Argonar 'Goodnight dear. I really am going to bed now.'

'Good night.' Argonar replied, enjoying one last cup to ease the day's fatigue.

These turned out to be the last words the family shared....

End of episode 2

Labels: Fairytale