Yesterday's Petals

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Yesterday's Petals
Agustin is a retired sailor, his life at sea ended a long time ago, and although he is an old man, he is always full of energy. Proudly, he takes care of his beautiful sunflowers and a bunch of bananas that he displays on his tree.

One day, as usual, he sat on the porch of his house to have lunch outdoors. He looked at the bananas and realized they were about to ripen. "Gee," He said, "I'll wait a day or two to pick them."

He feared that someone might take them away at any moment. So during the day he began to watch them. He watched them like an eagle, always on the lookout, very attentive to the people walking near the tree, as if one of them was going to take a banana.

As the sun lowered its hues, the shadows on the street lengthened. The cool breeze awakened the old sailor's dream. Like a wolf of the sea, he did not lose sight of the treasure he guarded, fighting against the seductive breeze that lulled him to sleep.

The bobbing of his head, for an instant, snapped him out of reality. Half-asleep, he had a glimpse of the past. He could feel the swell of the sea, the rocking of the boat under his feet, and the sound of the seagulls. When he looked up, the bananas had disappeared.

His eyes rolled around like two coins, he looked in all directions and saw no trace of the thief, no bananas. Grabbing his machete, he ran towards the center of the road "What the hell!" he shouted furiously "This is not going to stay like this, I'm going to get paid for the bananas"

Suddenly, his face straightened, and there was absolute silence in the whole street. To make matters worse, not only had the fruit been taken from him, but also one of his sunflowers, of whose beautiful flower he had been gazing at for so long, only the stem remained.

The bananas made him angry, but when he saw that his favorite flower was missing. He felt a different emotion. An emotion he hadn't experienced in a long time. Not since he was a young novice at sea.

Losing that special flower reminded him of the first time he went to sea. He was a good boy, eager for adventure with a unique opportunity. Ready to explore the world. The only detail was leaving his girlfriend. A beautiful girl. With hair and eyebrows as red as copper, and a personality so nice he'd have a hard time forgetting her. He knew he might not see her again, and he didn't want to leave without giving her one last kiss goodbye. "Captain!" Exclaimed the young man "I haven't had time to say goodbye to my girlfriend, could you wait for me for a moment? She doesn't live far away.

The captain smiled "We're almost out" he replied "But don't be angry, boy. It is well known that sailors leave a woman in every port.

The engines began to resonate like dragons, moving the ship towards the dark horizon. That night the sky was satiny with stars and the moon as big as a pearl. The glow of the dock lights rippled over the surface of the ocean. And, on the outskirts of town a small spotlight was visible, tiny from afar. It was that girl's house.

He began to remember everything clearly. The cold wind that shook his suit, and how the dim glow of that house was lost before his eyes in the distance "How was it that I forgot that day" he said to himself "I would have liked to say goodbye".

The memory filled him with longing. Thinking of everything he had experienced at that moment. Setting sail for the stars and leaving, forgotten in the ocean, that flower that had captivated him so much.

While Agustín was immersed in his nostalgia, the silence made all the neighbors think that something serious had happened. "Agustín has had a heart attack," was heard in the distance. "Is he all right?" one asked. "Usually his rants last longer," said another.

When they got to where he was. They found him very comfortable in his chair, with his legs crossed, enjoying the pleasant afternoon, and the memory that had arisen for him because of the flower thief.