The Red Rose

Love is such a hurtful thing

The Red Rose

By Aaron Campos

The young boy was under my tutelage. He lived a full life, he used to tell me. Climbing, running, swimming and doing anything and everything he wanted. He told me about how he climbed the mountains in Colorado, the feel of the brisk air hitting his face as he climbed his way to the top of the mountain; his girlfriend’s voice in his head telling him “I Love You,” and he would recite in his head “anything for the one I love”.

He told me about the cross country run he did, the wind whipping against his body as he ran those three thousand miles, the will of fire burning in his heart to push him forward, his girlfriend’s words echoing in his head “I Love You,” making him believe that he could move mountains. And, as he ran those three thousand miles, he kept repeating the words in his head, “Anything for the one I love.”

He told me how he swam across the Pacific in search of excitement and exploration; the freezing temperatures of the ocean chilling him to the bone; but nothing could stop him, and again those words echoed in his head “I Love You” over and over. They were said and again and again he would recite back “anything for the one I love.”

Finally, I asked him not why he did those things; rather how he came to accomplish such amazing feats. The boy looked me straight in the eyes, and he said with the softest and kindest of words.“Love Mr. C, love. That’s how I was able to do those things. I was able to do things some people could have only dreamed of because the will of the one I love, along with my own, is what pushed me to do my best; and I would climb the Rockies or run across the country or even swim across the Pacific again if it meant being with her; and if that’s what I had to do, then it’s what I’m going to do. Sadly, the one I love has left me and is with someone else. No matter how much I love her, she may never come back. But I will not stop trying. I will never give up, because that’s not who I am.”

“Young man, love is a very rare thing to find. Even when its true love, it’s even harder to come by; but when you find it, you must never let it go. Love is among many things in this world that people have come to take for granted. If you feel that you are truly in love with this girl, then you must go after her. Know this though; Love is much like a rose. A rose never appears out of thin air; it must be tended and watered constantly. Love must also be worked with and shaped to how you see it, and must also be taken care of and tended with the upmost care.  A rose also has thorns. Sharp as they are, they will cut you if you’re not careful;l and you may stab yourself with them from time to time.  But in time, that wound will heal. Love can hurt you if you’re not careful and gentle and take baby steps. Yes, sometimes you will get hurt, but that Young One; is a part of life that cannot be taught. That is something you find within yourself, and it is a journey you must make alone. In time though, the wound to your heart will heal. Heart or hand, it matters not. What matters is what you do to fix it; and even though the petals on a rose falls and the flower dies, it will eventually bloom into something beautiful once again. Love is also everlasting when treated with care…”

“This is where your journey with me ends. I have taught you everything you need for life. It’s time you create your own path and forge your own destiny with the one you love.” This was the last thing I told the boy before I found myself drifting back into my subconscious, in the outer reaches of my mind,

 once again trying to find myself. It was then that I saw, the boy… was me and the destiny he was about to forge, was my own; and the girl he spoke of? She was the one that I love and the one I’ll do anything to get back to.