Flower Boy

The story about a boy, who took the life of his own out of desperation for a change.

Case File: #1674

Name: Robert Whitewood

Age: Sixteen

Sexual Orientation: Pansexual

Suffers From: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Insomnia, Severe Anxiety, Depression and Suicidal Thoughts and/or Actions

Ever since the youthful age of six, Robert never had a substantive childhood. Nothing that society would consider normal, for a boy. All Robert had was his nurturing mother, and the covert stash of glitter, kept from Robert's father. The glitter was Robert's only salvation. Every colour was dissimilar from the next, each with one's own special meaning. As Robert told me himself, I shall reiterate them, as Robert would have liked to be done so.

White means Happiness. Red means Pure Love. Blue means Fear. Purple means Nervous. Green means Calm. Yellow means Positive State. Pink means Love. Grey means Stressed. Silver means Peaceful. Gold means Courage, and lastly Black means Depressed.

Through Roberts blossoming childhood, Robert never had to worry about the negative colours. Robert's mother told me that she never wanted them to be brought out. Robert eventually found them, stashed in his mother's sewing drawer. Robert was twelve at the time. His mother had just gotten back from her provisional job at the local assisted living homes, only about one mile from the family's living quarters, to see Robert playing in the Black glitter. Robert's mother asked Robert, "Sweetie, how did you find this, and why this colour?" Robert responded with that he was just looking around for something different, and that Robert had no clue, it just felt like the right one to use at the moment. Robert's mother took him to the Family's shrink, and she ended up concluding that Robert was diagnosed with Depression and signing a prescription for Antidepressants, twice daily for the rest of his life.

Robert's radiant life had suddenly become extremely dull and colourless. Robert never ended up getting out any other colours than black and grey. Robert was known as freak, outcast, gay, and the lonely boy who will never have friends, or someone who will love him. Robert told the family's shrink that his favourite one was being called a mistake. Robert's boss said that the boy was his happiest when arranging his customer's bouquets and helping families pick out the perfect flower for any occasion. Robert's boss never knew that Robert was struggling with an inner turmoil greater than a teenager's normal stress. "The kid was an amazing addition to the company. I treated him like the son I have always wanted. Everyone loved Robert, till this day, our regulars who worked with Robert come in and only order from the section dedicated to Robert, and end up buying one of Robert's favourite flower, which is a Larkspur. They tell us that they are going to see him. So we give it to them for free." Robert always hated funerals. Ever since Robert was always a little boy, Robert hated going to see people mourn and cry. It was too sad for Robert to bear.

"My baby boy always told me this. 'If I die before you mama, just know I love you. I never mean for you to suffer from my loss. Just promise me one thing,' I said I promise. 'Please, just please don't give me a funeral in a church. I only want those close to me to come. Also I would want a moment of silence at the high school for me. Can you do that for me?' Right then and there I should have known that he was contemplating death, but I did tell my baby boy that I would grant his wish. I just thought it wasn't true." Robert's mother said at his funeral. Everyone came who were close with Robert, brought a single Larkspur and some packs of multi-coloured glitter. Everyone took a turn placing down the Larkspur and sprinkling the glitter into the Earth's soil.

The one thing Robert left for his mother was a recording tape of her saying to him, "My baby boy, remember this. I love you, and you will always be my baby, even when you grow old and move out. I will always accept you for who you are, you will always be my baby. When you were born, I knew you were going to be special for this world. You always played with momma's flowers, so all the neighbours called you Flower Boy. I thought it was a perfect nickname for you, and it was. Ever since you could make crafts, the first thing you made on your own was a white and gold flower crown. I asked you why you choose those colours and you explained to me that you gave each colour a reason and emotion to represent how you are feeling. So my baby boy, continue to sparkle, for you will always be My Flower Boy." As well as another section on the tape, that you can hear how he died. It played, "'Hi, mom-ma. I-I just wanted to say that I lo-love you. I ca-can't deal with being depressed anymore. So I-I will still sparkle, just I-I'll be up above, radiating my sparkle down unto you, Lo-Love your Flower boy.' You could hear the screams of pain and hear Robert's tears and sobs of agony as Robert slit his stomach open, and stabbed his neck with the butcher knife that was stolen from under the kitchen sink. It was as if, Robert thought the whole world didn't know his glorious name.

Date of Birth: January 18th, 1992

Time of Birth: 9:03am

Time of Death: 3:25pm

Date of Death: February 29th, 2008