It was the end of July. When I walked into a flower shop and asked, “Do you have Edelweiss?”, the old woman put her fingers to her chin and squinted:
“It is not easy to find it everywhere. It’s a sensitive and “whiny” flower. In fact, it takes two weeks to sprout. You should water it, but not too much. It needs the sun, but don’t leave it in the sun too much either! It’s a delicate flower.”
Edelweiss, along with the words that poured from the old woman’s lips, began to blossom in me. I was apparently going to go on a long adventure to see it as soon as possible! Yes, its name became an adventure! First, I had to go a long way to reach it. I had to cross mountains, streams, hills, even rivers.
The meaning of its name is “noble white.” It is so noble that it exists in one color only, does not need any other. Only white! I think it is so valuable and noble that it is not found in places where anyone can reach. It grows on the slopes of the Alps. The velvety flowers feel as if they will warm cold hands. This rare flower matching with the winter starts blooming between July and September. It is short-lived; but it represents eternity and perseverance.
The road in front of me was long and far, but I was determined. In my future, like Edelweiss, I would make humanity realize “value,” and I had to be brave for this! Yes, from now on, courage was the name of Edelweiss! Those who could reach the heights and bring this flower were called valiant. So much so that since the Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph, this flower, which is difficult to reach, had become a symbol for overachieving military units in many European countries. When the value of a flower was so great, how much was the value given to a person?
That is the journey! The darkening of the night had captured my eyes. I couldn’t go back now! Sadness had covered my left side. I was going to see the Edelweiss, which was closer to the sun than anything else under the endless sky. What about the truths that did not wish to be seen? Who was going to collect my silent tears? So many tears, flooding like rivers. At the moment time was being chased, the hour hand tripped on the minute hand and fell! At that moment, a legend of Edelweiss came to my mind. O my God, was it the time now, when the seas covered me like a quilt!
There were two sisters named Edel and Weiss. While they were playing in the highlands of the mountain, Weiss saw a flower she had never seen and wanted to pluck it for her mother. She and her sister decided to climb even higher to get this flower. The hill was so steep that it became harder as they climbed, but the two sisters did not give up. They finally reached this beauty they admired, but just as they were pulling it off, Weiss’ foot slipped. Edel tried to help her, but she couldn’t succeed. They tumbled into the abyss together. Many years later, a flower bloomed on the spot where these they fell, and they called the flower “Edelweiss.”
It was the end of July, but for some reason I was cold. When I opened my eyes, the sun seemed to be half hidden by the clouds. Suddenly I noticed snowflakes falling softly on my hair. It is forbidden to pick Edelweiss, which is so delicate and rare. What about the people who are cut off from their hopes, from their tomorrows? Edelweiss, once waiting to be found, had been a prisoner in the mountains. Now it was at liberty in its velvety white. Yes, henceforth, eternal freedom was the name of Edelweiss! And I saw it bloom on a river.
Note: Written in memory of the innocent people who drowned attempting to cross the Evros river border between Turkey and Greece to escape from the unlawful persecutions. God bless their souls.
