There is nothing like a stroll in the botanical garden in a sunny autumn day. I decided to step inside because the colors were so inviting. It was the best refuge from the madness of the city. What impressed me was the mixture of green, yellow, orange and brown. It was dominant. The flowers which were still in bloom seemed out of their element and discordant. Some trees, still green, were claiming the supremacy of life over the prologue of the deadly winter. The others, dressed up very fancy, were facing the autumn sun which enriched their presence, made them sparkle. A thought was bothering me, the thought that when the night would fall over the garden there will be no difference between them. And what is more, they would look sad and spooky, uninviting and lifeless. But I was there and I decided to enjoy the show.
A little bit further, on the surface of the pond, some leaves were floating in a strange dance, resting for a moment, continuing to float, reflecting the light of the sun. Some birds, calming down their note, were sitting on the branches of the trees and were making plans how to postpone the bleak season that they knew it would follow.
The garden looked transparent, the alleys were deserted but full of dead leaves, the air was heavy and full of unknown, exotic scents, coming from exotic trees, a warm wind was blowing. I could swear I heard a melody coming from nowhere, a piano melody underlining the falling apart of nature.
Things changed when I entered the glass house. A different universe, a warm one where winter was not allowed. Huge plants, unfamiliar and overwhelming, were kept under glass walls and windows, in a hopeless attempt to preserve life in a bottle, away from degradation, till next spring. I felt as if I was in the wrong place, so I went outside to enjoy the game nature or God was playing with humans. I took a deep breath and continued my walk, riching the highest point in the garden. I looked down towards the town and what I saw almost suffocated me. My heart was too big for my chest, my blood warmed and I wished I could stop the time for a while. I regreted I hadn’t taken my camera. It was a moment, one in a lifetime, when the greatness of the earth made me think how lucky I was to be part of it.