Holding The Bouquet

The age of my first loving girl was nine when I was sixteen. My mother was a teacher of her school and she came into our home to learn Math and English from my mother. There is a concrete wall with a window and a door between my room and the teaching room. I set up my reading table beside the window and she used to sit down a specific chair which is very comfortable for me to see her face to face. I just looked at her and she just gave me a little bit of a smile. After watching her smile, whatever I looked at, it seemed to smile at me even a tree. It was impossible for me to pass a single day without seeing her.

It was 19 February, 2 days before from 21^st February which is our one of the biggest national festival called International Mother Language day. On that day Hundreds of Bengali give honor and remember the national heroes who dedicated their lives for their mother tongue Bangla in 1952. By giving flower on the Martyr Monument (Shahid Minar) the people show their respect and honor to them.

However, in 19 February she came to and insisted to me to make a bouquet for her. I had never any experience to make any bouquet. I told her_ bouquet!! It’s very simple and I make hundreds of bouquet in my life. How many do you need?  She said_ just one!

On that night I along with my friends, made a great adventure. I lived in a village which was a totally remote area from the city area. There was no flower shop. People collect their flower from their own flower garden. It was my bad luck that I had no flower garden. But at any cost I had to manage flowers to make a bouquet. There was only one way and that was to steal flowers from others garden and we finished our great tasks in a professional way although it was our first time. But love makes me a professional.

After stealing flowers, now it was time to make the bouquet. I collected some bamboo stick and try to make a bouquet. After four hour hard working, I was sure that I never make a bouquet. Although I knew that ‘it is simple to make a bouquet’. I passed whole night but the result was zero. In the every morning I was working on my favorite road from where most of the decision of my life came from. Suddenly I got an idea_ no bamboo, no stick, I can make it with an art paper. Then went home and took a shower and had my breakfast. Already my love came to my house to acquire knowledge from my mother. But today I have some very important knowledge to share with her. So, I went to her and said_ hey! Last night I made the bouquet and I broke it and through it away. To hear my all sentence, she gave me some mixed expression. First few second her face was exciting and smiling and the last few second, it was totally annoying and astonishing. She wanted to say why. But the speed of my sentence was faster than her. I said to her_ I have a new idea and it is totally unique. I make a new type of bouquet that will be the only one piece bouquet in our festival. I will make it with art paper. Then I described the production process_ First I make a box with this art paper, then we design the box and at the end, we keep our flower in that box. But no one can identify that it is a paper box because of our design. To make a better design I need you. It was my first time to tell her that I need you. She agreed to help me without saying any negative sentence just sound_ let’s do it.

The whole day we worked together to make a better bouquet. I don’t know still today that that was a bouquet or not at all. But that was our first and last worked what we finished together. The society and custom of our locality were restricted by religious faith. To stay or to walk with a boy in public places was prohibited for girls. My family along with her family was very fundamentalist. But there was a good connection between two families. When she phoned her mother and said that she wanted to stay the whole day in our house and returned before sunset, her mother agreed because it was our house. If it wasn't our house, she will never be allowed.

After working all day she returned to her home and told me to finish the rest of the work. I said_ but How can you give it on the monument tomorrow if it is in my house? She just smiled and said_ next day, I will come to your house early in the morning. To hear that I was just looking at her and thought that how does this little girl know that I want this? She was just 9 years old and I’m still thinking today. How did she understand me?

The Martyr Monument was in our school campus which was not far from our home just ten minutes walking road. February 19, some people were cleaning the Martyr Monument and colored with Red and White by the order of the local authority. It was cleaned three times in a year. February 19 is one of them. The rest of the time, it looked dirty and different types of Lichens grew here and there. Some dogs lead their life happily here. Martyr Monument was the birth place of a dog which we called a tiger. There were three child dogs. One died in bad weather and one was taken by a boy. But the tiger survived and he lived there happily. But three times in a year he lost his birth place and roaming here and there. The tiger was very clever that he knew that after a few days, we returned to him of his birth and living place. So, the dog didn't walk away ever until he was sentenced by God to dishonor the Martyr Monument. We mourn for his death and the dog may be not. He was able to keep his lineages and hoped that they fought for their property.

On 21^st February, she came to my home in the very morning and I gave the bouquet to her. She looked at me, smile and say_ you are a very good boy. I wanted to say something but nothing came out. I was just staring at her and she walked away. I along with some of my friends walked towards the Martyr Monument with barefooted. When we reached near our school campus, we heard a loud sound and in a second all people was running towards me. I was also running and heard a male voice_ ‘Boob Blast’ ‘Boom Blast’. When I reached at home, I thanked god that He saved me. Suddenly I thought that she was in that place! Without thinking any word, I was just running towards the Martyr Monument. The place was already restricted by the police. I saw her motionless body in the corner of the Martyr Monument missing one hand and two legs. She was just holding the bouquet with her only one hand.