Matthew and Celine were at Marseilles for their tenth anniversary honeymoon. they were going to be there for one and a half weeks and had been saving up for the past year for this. They were married on the tenth of February do Valentine's Day would fall somewhere within their trip. On Valentine's Day itself, Matthew woke Celine with a good morning kiss. 'Get up, get up, get up! I have a surprise!' he said smiling. Celine opened her eyes groggily and gradually, hearing the traffic downstairs, still amazed at the cold air that blew in from the window.
The weather was gorgeous, she had thought, the minute she stepped out of the plane. It felt like there was a gigantic invisible air conditioner floating above Paris, keeping the air perpetually cold. 'What?' She started out; people usually weren't that coherent first thing in the morning. 'I said I have a surprise.' 'Huh?' 'It's Valentine's Day!' 'Oh! Valentine's Day! Surprise... Oh, okay! Happy Valentine's honey.' She sat straight up and gave Matthew a peck on the cheek. She was only thirty years old, while Matthew was thirty four. They had both married young and everyone on both sides of their family had thought that they would not last more than a year. That was ten years ago. Matthew took out two pieces of paper and waved them in front of her face. 'Tickets?' She asked in an almost childlike wonder. 'A musical?' Matthew shook his head as his eyes sparkled. She rubbed her eyes and looked at the tickets carefully.
'A cruise!' Matthew nodded enthusiastically and began to talk about the cruise. The luxury liner was obviously making lots of money the fact that it was Valentine's Day. It was however, a very good deal. For just thirty dollars extra per couple, (the money was paid when purchasing the ticket), they would get complimentary chocolates, a stalk of rose, a modest bottle of champagne and a complimentary dinner. Not forgetting that Celine had always adored the sea. 'Where are we going and for how long?' She said, extremely excited. 'Nowhere.' 'Pardon?' 'Here's the thing... It's an overnight cruise that sails until it reaches a wide expanse of sea. Then it drops its anchor and we spend the night on the ocean.' He waited to hear if she was disappointed. But much to is delight, she threw her arms around him and kissed him on the cheek.
The ship was beautiful. It boasted a pool, a games arcade, a wide selection of eating places, a childcare area, a small pub as well as an entertainment room where people could have dinner and watch live entertainment put up by the crew itself. They spent the day exploring the ship. They caught up on their childhood and played a few computer games them celebrated their adulthood by having a few drinks. Matthew did not want to go swimming for the fear of sea sickness. But they did have a fabulous early dinner before retiring back to their room. In their room, a 30cl bottle of champagne lay on the bed together with a long stemmed red rose. On the pillow lay a small box of eight beautifully crafted chocolates. A small circular window (which of course could not be opened) was right next to the bed. Matthew was in the toilet and Celine was taking out her bracelet when someone knocked on the door. Celine laughed as she heard Matthew's surprised exclamation (which sounded a bit like an 'uh?') coming from the toilet. 'Expecting someone?' She mused as she walked to the door.
'Maybe it's one of our parents.' 'You take that back right now.' She opened the door and thought at first that no one was there. She then looked down and saw a young girl. She could not have been older than seven. She had tiny blond curls which fell around her face and cheeks of strawberry. Her eyes were big and hazel colored and she wore a small velvet green dress. She was indeed beautiful and if she had been perfectly still, one might have even mistaken her for a doll. 'Yes?' Celine said, unable to stop herself from smiling. Her own eight year old was at her mother's all the way back in Singapore. She wanted to pick this girl up and cuddle her in her arms. She had her hands behind her back as if she was hiding something she had stolen from the cookie jar. 'For you!' She said in her tiny French voice as she took her hands from behind her back, revealing a red rose. 'Happy Valentine's Day!' 'Huh?' Celine was most definitely confused. 'You get one free flower when you sail today. I am Alamae. My father drives the ship.
'Oh! But we already have a flower dear...' 'Who's there?' She heard Matthew asking from the toilet. The girl looked up at her like she did not understand. 'But it's okay, we'll take it. Thank you very much.' She took the flower and closed the door after the girl ran off. Wow, she thought. Talk about excellent marketing strategy. People are sure to tell their friends about this after going on the cruise. And what an adorable little girl she had been too... Matthew then popped out of the toilet and she explained to him who it had been. He just shrugged and took the rose as well as the one on the bed and put them in the sink in the tiny little toilet. He plugged the water up and left them to soak in their respective containers. The one the bed had a little plastic vial filled with water attached to the stem. The one which the girl had been holding was wrapped in the traditional foil and soaked cotton. They were both unbloomed and would live for at least another three days before they had to dry them. Celine loved roses and thought that they were beautiful.
The night went by like lightning and before they knew it, Matthew and Celine saw sunlight streaming in from the tiny porthole that was their window. The ship rocked slowly as Celine looked at the watch she was still wearing. She woke Matthew up and asked if he wanted to take a stroll out on the deck before they went for breakfast. He shook his head and yawned. She kissed him on the cheek and told him she would be back in a while. She contemplated on brushing her teeth as she put on her shoes but decided not to. People often thought she was gross for this reason but she like to brush her teeth after breakfast; she saw no point in cleaning them then getting food stuck in between them all over again. She opened the door and shut it quietly, smiling as she thought about the whole cruise. She walked down the corridor and up to the deck where she felt the fresh breeze upon her face. She stood at the rail at the topmost corner of the ship and looked out at the sea. It was truly beautiful in its shades of green and blue. She wanted to fly to the horizon. It was then that she heard footsteps behind her. She turned around to see a man dressed up in some kind of uniform. He wore a white shirt and pant and a navy blue jacket over. It was actually quite grand with its gold buttons and all. She was not sure what kind of uniform it was. He was fairly older than her and smiled at her cordially.
'Are you having a nice trip ma'am?' He asked, his voice dripping in a thick French accent. 'Yes, I am thank you.' He must have been one of the crew members. 'You here alone?' 'No,' she smiled. 'I am with my husband.' 'Ohhh,' he said as if he realized something... 'So you are here for the Valentines' Day special... did you like it?' For some reason, she suddenly realized that this must be the captain. She felt incredibly stupid for not realizing what she thought now should have obvious. 'You are the captain!' He laughed. 'Yes. But dont worry. My... How do you say... my assistant is driving ship.' 'Ah! Your daughter came last night. She's a very pretty girl. Is your wife aboard the ship as well?'
'My daughter?' he asked, sounding almost offended by the word. His voice was filled with a mixture of shock and caution. Celine even took a step back when he replied. 'Yes,' she said slowly. 'Your daughter came to our room last night to give us a flower.' 'Not my daughter.' 'huh? She said the person driving the ship was her father. She had blond hair; very curly. She was about...' Celine gestured with her hand '...this tall... what was her name? Ellamay? Alemay? And... Are you okay?' The captain's face had turned white. And he was looking for a place to sit down. Realizing that there was none around. He just covered his face in his hands for a while before continuing. 'My daughter... she died three years ago, on this ship. She was sending flowers and she...' 'Oh my... I am so sorry...' 'It's okay, I must leave.' 'But... Why me?' Celine could not understand.
'That, I have no idea. Anyway, I hope you have a nice journey back to Paris,' he smiled bitterly as he turned and headed below deck. Celine could not believe what she had just heard. She walked briskly back to her room and unlocked the door. Matthew was still in bed, smiling as he slept. She wanted to see the rose. She wanted to feel its solidity in her hands. She opened the toilet door and looked at the roses. She could not explained it. They were both still there. The one that had been left on the bed was blooming beautifully. None of the petals had dropped. It stood erect and lovely, it's petals showing of their beautiful color. The plastic vial was still attached to it. The other flower was bent over the sink, it's foil covered in a light hue of brown that looked like rust. The stem was brown, as were its leaves. The red had dried into a deep maroon color and it bent stiffly over the edge of the sink as if it had wilted in that position. Mould grew on the bottom part of the stem where the water touched it; that happened to many dry flower when they are wet.
Somehow, Celine wanted the captain to have this flower, mouldy as it was. She went out of the bunk and went to the deck. The captain was not at the helm but after asking around, she managed to get the directions to the captain's room. At the door, she hesitated a while, not sure whether to disturb him. In the end, she rapped on the door. 'Come in,' the captain's voice could be heard. Celine opened the door and entered. Inside, the captain was seated at his desk, surrounded by photo frames. 'Hi, I came because I wanted you to have this rose. Your daughter gave it to me,' she reached out her hand and placed the dried rose on the table. The captain smiled at her. She could see that he was touched by her gesture. 'Thank you.' 'Is that the photo of your family?' She asked, indicating the photo frames on the table. 'Yes, and it occurred to me why Alamae came to you,' he picked up a photo frame and showed it to Celine.
A beautiful Chinese woman in the frame was smiling at her. 'Alamae's mother died at childbirth. We do not get any Chinese ladies on board. Alamae never met her mother. Perhaps she thought that you were her mother.'
The night went by like lightning and before they knew it, Matthew and Celine saw sunlight streaming in from the tiny porthole that was their window. The ship rocked slowly as Celine looked at the watch she was still wearing. She woke Matthew up and asked if he wanted to take a stroll out on the deck before they went for breakfast. He shook his head and yawned. She kissed him on the cheek and told him she would be back in a while. She contemplated on brushing her teeth as she put on her shoes but decided not to. People often thought she was gross for this reason but she like to brush her teeth after breakfast; she saw no point in cleaning them then getting food stuck in between them all over again. She opened the door and shut it quietly, smiling as she thought about the whole cruise. She walked down the corridor and up to the deck where she felt the fresh breeze upon her face. She stood at the rail at the topmost corner of the ship and looked out at the sea. It was truly beautiful in its shades of green and blue. She wanted to fly to the horizon. It was then that she heard footsteps behind her. She turned around to see a man dressed up in some kind of uniform. He wore a white shirt and pant and a navy blue jacket over. It was actually quite grand with its gold buttons and all. She was not sure what kind of uniform it was. He was fairly older than her and smiled at her cordially.
'Are you having a nice trip ma'am?' He asked, his voice dripping in a thick French accent. 'Yes, I am thank you.' He must have been one of the crew members. 'You here alone?' 'No,' she smiled. 'I am with my husband.' 'Ohhh,' he said as if he realized something... 'So you are here for the Valentines' Day special... did you like it?' For some reason, she suddenly realized that this must be the captain. She felt incredibly stupid for not realizing what she thought now should have obvious. 'You are the captain!' He laughed. 'Yes. But dont worry. My... How do you say... my assistant is driving ship.' 'Ah! Your daughter came last night. She's a very pretty girl. Is your wife aboard the ship as well?'
'My daughter?' he asked, sounding almost offended by the word. His voice was filled with a mixture of shock and caution. Celine even took a step back when he replied. 'Yes,' she said slowly. 'Your daughter came to our room last night to give us a flower.' 'Not my daughter.' 'huh? She said the person driving the ship was her father. She had blond hair; very curly. She was about...' Celine gestured with her hand '...this tall... what was her name? Ellamay? Alemay? And... Are you okay?' The captain's face had turned white. And he was looking for a place to sit down. Realizing that there was none around. He just covered his face in his hands for a while before continuing. 'My daughter... she died three years ago, on this ship. She was sending flowers and she...' 'Oh my... I am so sorry...' 'It's okay, I must leave.' 'But... Why me?' Celine could not understand.
'That, I have no idea. Anyway, I hope you have a nice journey back to Paris,' he smiled bitterly as he turned and headed below deck. Celine could not believe what she had just heard. She walked briskly back to her room and unlocked the door. Matthew was still in bed, smiling as he slept. She wanted to see the rose. She wanted to feel its solidity in her hands. She opened the toilet door and looked at the roses. She could not explained it. They were both still there. The one that had been left on the bed was blooming beautifully. None of the petals had dropped. It stood erect and lovely, it's petals showing of their beautiful color. The plastic vial was still attached to it. The other flower was bent over the sink, it's foil covered in a light hue of brown that looked like rust. The stem was brown, as were its leaves. The red had dried into a deep maroon color and it bent stiffly over the edge of the sink as if it had wilted in that position. Mould grew on the bottom part of the stem where the water touched it; that happened to many dry flower when they are wet.
Somehow, Celine wanted the captain to have this flower, mouldy as it was. She went out of the bunk and went to the deck. The captain was not at the helm but after asking around, she managed to get the directions to the captain's room. At the door, she hesitated a while, not sure whether to disturb him. In the end, she rapped on the door. 'Come in,' the captain's voice could be heard. Celine opened the door and entered. Inside, the captain was seated at his desk, surrounded by photo frames. 'Hi, I came because I wanted you to have this rose. Your daughter gave it to me,' she reached out her hand and placed the dried rose on the table. The captain smiled at her. She could see that he was touched by her gesture. 'Thank you.' 'Is that the photo of your family?' She asked, indicating the photo frames on the table. 'Yes, and it occurred to me why Alamae came to you,' he picked up a photo frame and showed it to Celine.
A beautiful Chinese woman in the frame was smiling at her. 'Alamae's mother died at childbirth. We do not get any Chinese ladies on board. Alamae never met her mother. Perhaps she thought that you were her mother.'
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