How did I not notice her before? This little marvel jutting right out of the wall outside my gate! And how does she survive in the dot of a niche on the bare dry wall and still manage to look so bright and happy? I named my precious find Perpetina – a more respectable sounding version of what her species is called locally, although the actual name is Periwinkle.
Perpetina proved to be an absolute charmer, an eloquent testimony to the caring nature of the Great Provider! A perfect picture of a survivor, despite getting so little she has been faithfully producing at least one brand new flower to make my brand new day! But questions bothered me: how long would she live in her fragile & hostile environment? Would she live to see another monsoon? For Perpetina herself perhaps these were trivial matters that never crossed her mind… She is happy, just happy to live true to her unique self and contribute towards a brighter world with the meagre resources at her disposal.
For some time I toyed with the idea of transplanting her to Terra firma but finally decided against putting asunder what the Author- of- Life in his infinite wisdom had put together.
Every dawn we share the golden rays of the rising sun and thank the Lord for another glorious day in Paradise. One Sunday morning, my worst fears almost came true: Unable to support her growing weight, Perpetina had come down and was literally hanging by the skin of the roots. I got pretty disappointed with myself for not having the foresight to support her weight and relieve the strain on her semblance of roots. A delicate emergency operation later, Perpetina was standing again albeit a lot shaken up. Miraculously she regained her health, the cheerful infectious ‘smile’ soon returned.
My fascination with Perpetina led me to discover that she comes from a family known for their curative powers. Vinca, as Periwinkle is known in Botanical terms, is used in traditional medicine across Europe, China, India and the Pacific and Caribbean Islands. Chewing a few leaves of white flower Periwinkle everyday is known to help keep diabetes under control and also enhance memory power. Voodoo Magicians in the Caribbean sew periwinkle leaves onto the mattress of newly weds so as to keep the husband and wife eternally in love and the household peaceful and happy.
Perpetina has taught me a lot without speaking a word… For one thing, she does not compare herself to those on the ground and brood but does her best in the situation she is in. Perpetina does not envy the plants in the garden pampered with rich organic manure – the concept of envy I suppose is pretty alien to her! She is a Giver who joyously transforms whatever little she gets to sustain her little life into things that make the world a little more greener, a little more beautiful, colorful and bright.
The central line of Perpetina`s story is clear to anyone willing to listen: We can bloom even in the worst of situations if we only stop comparing ourselves with others and keep giving our best… Some of us are born great but end up in the gutter while many others born with serious limitations achieve greatness!
