Prologue
I once knew a girl named Lily. She had fair skin of a yellowish complexion, and hair the color of happy orange marigolds. Lily’s eyes were a lovely faded grey, and she had plump rosy cheeks. In the middle of the bustling city where she lived, there was a large, and peaceful park surrounded by tall buildings and busy streets. Lily loved to escape to this park, where she could find comfort amid chaos. She would often spend hours wandering around, admiring the beauty of the park. It was there that her life began an adventure.
Chapter 1
One sunny afternoon, as she was exploring a new path in the park, Lily stumbled upon a boy sitting under a sycamore tree, engrossed in a book. His dark hair was slightly messy, and he had a thoughtful expression on his face. Lily couldn't help but be drawn to him and the book he was reading. As she approached him, the boy looked up and smiled, his eyes lighting up with excitement.
"Hello there, I'm Peter," he said, extending his hand towards her. Lily shook his hand and introduced herself. She then peered at the book in his hands and saw that it was a collection of fairytales. She couldn't help but grin, feeling a sense of kinship with this stranger.
"Do you enjoy fairytales as well?" Peter asked, noticing her smile.
"Yes, I love them," Lily replied, her eyes shining with enthusiasm. "Do you know of any good ones?"
Peter's face lit up as he flipped through the pages, eagerly telling her about his favorite stories. As they chatted and laughed, time seemed to fly by, and before they knew it, the sky had turned a deep shade of orange. Lily and Peter exchanged goodbyes, and promised to meet again in the park.
From that day on, they would often meet under the same tree, sharing their love for fairytales and creating their own magical adventures in the enchanting park. The two friends would sit under the shade of the large sycamore tree, surrounded by a blanket of wildflowers and grasses, and get lost in the enchanting stories of princesses, dragons, and many other creatures. They would often act out the scenes, with Peter pretending to be a brave knight, and Lily as a fair maid, or princess. Their friendship grew stronger with each passing day, and their love for books only deepened.
Chapter 2
One sunny afternoon, while playing their usual game of knight and princess, Lily was supposed to say, "Take me back to the tree," but instead, she asked,
"What should we name our beloved tree?"
Peter was taken aback by her question. He had never thought of giving the tree a name. Together, they thought of different names, but none seemed to fit the majestic tree. Just then, a wise old man, who lived in the city, passed by and overheard their conversation. He smiled and said,
"How about Aastik? It means faith in God."
Lily and Peter loved the name. They looked at each other and nodded in agreement. They realized that the sycamore tree had become a symbol of their friendship and their unwavering faith in God.
From that day on, they referred to their favorite tree as Aastik. Every time they played under its shade, they felt a sense of peace and calmness. As Lily and Peter sat under Aastik, they would look up at its branches, which had grown taller and stronger, and they knew that no matter what challenges they faced in life, they would always have each other and their faith in God, just like their beloved tree, Aastik.
They had promised each other that they would always meet in the park to read fairytales, no matter what. But one day, everything changed. Lily's father received an unexpected job offer in a different city, far away. Peter was devastated, and so was Lily. They both knew that their days of reading fairytales in the park were coming to an end.
Chapter 3
The thought of not being able to see Peter every day made Lily’s heartache. As they sat under Aastik, Lily's eyes brimmed with tears. Peter noticed and pulled out a small box from his pocket.
"I have something for you," he said with a smile. Lily's face lit up as she opened the box, inside was a beautiful pendant in the shape of a cross.
"Shine a light through it," Peter said. "A bible verse will appear."
Lily did as she was told and the verse appeared:
But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
— Romans 5:8
Lily hugged Peter tightly. It was the perfect gift, a reminder of their friendship and God's love for them.
"It's wonderful, Peter!" she exclaimed, tears of joy now streaming down her face.
"I wanted to give you something to remember me by," Peter said, now trying to hold back his tears.
Suddenly, an idea struck Peter. He got down on one knee and said,
"Lily, will you be my princess forever? I know we're just kids, but I promise to always be there for you, no matter how far apart we are."
Lily's heart skipped a beat as she realized what Peter was doing. She nodded eagerly, and Peter placed the pendant around her neck. As they hugged, their childhood game of prince and princess had taken on a whole new meaning. For the rest of the day, they played in the park, pretending to be a king and queen this time. As the sun set, they lay under Aastik, holding hands and watching the stars, knowing that their friendship was forever sealed with a beautiful pendant and a pretend proposal.
Chapter 4 (Several years later..)
It was a beautiful day in the park, the sun was shining and the birds were singing. Peter had decided to take a walk and enjoy the weather. As he strolled along, he noticed a lovely young lady sitting on a bench, completely engrossed in a book. She had a gentle smile on her face and her fingers were delicately flipping through the pages.
Peter couldn't help but feel a sense of nostalgia wash over him as he watched her. It reminded him of his childhood when he used to sit in the park and read for hours. He remembered the day when he had met a girl, just like this one, while reading. They had struck up a conversation and had become fast friends. However, their friendship was short-lived as the girl's family had to move away due to her father's job. Peter was heartbroken but he never forgot the girl and the memories they had shared.
Lost in his thoughts, Peter didn't realize that he had been staring at the young lady for quite some time. She looked up from her book and their eyes met. Peter quickly looked away, feeling embarrassed for being caught staring. He hurriedly walked away towards the library, he was almost late for work.
Chapter 5
Peter had been working at the library for a few months now and had grown accustomed to the quiet and orderly atmosphere. As he was shelving books one afternoon, he noticed a young woman across the room. It was the same woman from the park, he realized. She was reading fairytales to a group of children.
As she finished her last story, a little girl walked up to her and said,
"Thank you, Miss Lily."
Peter's heart skipped a beat. That was the name of his long-lost friend, Lily. Lily smiled and bent down to hug the little girl. As she did, Peter noticed something glinting around her neck. It was a cross pendant. The same one he had given to his Lily before she moved away. Peter couldn't believe it. It was her. Peter took a few minutes to work up his courage, and then he walked up to her, trying to contain his excitement. As she stood up, she looked at him with a confused expression.
"Do I know you?" she asked.
"It's me, Peter, from the park," he replied. The woman seemed confused. Peter’s heart sank, was this not his friend? Wait! Did she think he meant from the other day?
“Sorry,” he stammered, “I mean from when we were kids. We used to play under the big sycamore tree, Aastik.”
Recognition dawned on Lily's face and she pulled him into a hug.
"Oh my goodness, Peter! I can't believe it's you!" she exclaimed.
They caught up on each other's lives, reminiscing about old memories. Peter found out that Lily and her family had moved back, and Lily was going to start working at the library too. As they were about to say goodbye, Peter suggested they meet for coffee the next day. Lily agreed without hesitation.
Chapter 6
For the next few months, every afternoon they met at a small coffee shop near the library after work. Then they would walk in the park and lie under the big sycamore tree named Aastik. They would sit down on the grass, leaning against the tree, and read many books together. As they talked and read, Peter couldn't help but think about the time they were kids. He remembered how he had pretended to propose to Lily with the necklace on that last day.
And now, as he looked at her, he wondered if maybe he could propose for real. As the days went by, their daily coffee and park meetings became a routine. And with each passing day, Peter's feelings for Lily grew stronger. He couldn't imagine his life without her by his side.
One sunny afternoon, as they sat under the Aastik, Peter suddenly turned to Lily.
"Hey, do you remember when we used to play prince and princess under this tree?" he asked.
Lily smiled, remembering their childhood games. "Of course I do. We used to pretend this tree was our castle, and we would go on epic adventures," she replied.
Peter laughed. "I know it's silly, but do you want to play again? Just for old times' sake?"
Without any hesitation, Lily agreed, and they began their game. Peter was the brave prince, and Lily was the beautiful princess in need of rescuing. They ran around the tree, dodging imaginary dragons and saving each other from perilous situations. As the game came to an end, Peter dramatically knelt in front of Lily and presented her with a flower he had picked from the ground.
"You are the bravest princess I've ever known. I couldn't have saved the kingdom without you. And now, I have one more question for you," he said with a smile.
Peter pulled out a small ring from his pocket. "Lily, will you be my princess forever? Will you marry me?"
Tears welled up in Lily's eyes as she nodded, unable to find her voice. Peter slipped the ring on her finger, and they shared a sweet kiss under the sycamore tree. Their childhood game had turned into a real-life fairytale.
Chapter 7
As they hugged each other tightly, Peter asked Lily,
"What dress will you wear on our wedding day?" Lily's smile faltered a bit as she looked down at the ground.
She then explained to Peter that her mother had always told her that she could never wear purple because of her yellowish complexion. It was a silly superstition, but Lily's mother was very particular about it. However, Lily confessed that her favorite flowers were sunflowers, bluebells, and most of all, lavender. She had always dreamed of wearing a lavender dress on her wedding day. Peter smiled and thought for a moment, then Peter asked Lily if she wanted to see a secret.
He took her hand and led her to a hidden field of lavender, just a short walk from Aastik. Lily's eyes widened in amazement as she saw the endless rows of purple flowers swaying in the gentle breeze. She couldn't believe that this magical place existed. Lily was speechless and tears welled up in her eyes. She hugged Peter tightly, feeling overwhelmed with love and gratitude.
The next day as they walked among the lavender, Peter asked Lily if she wanted to see another surprise. He led her to a small cottage hidden among the flowers and opened the door. Inside, laid on a chair next to a small table, was the most beautiful Lavender gown Lily had ever seen.
Tears welled up in Lily's eyes as she tried on the dress. It was everything she had ever dreamed of and more. The delicate lace, intricate beading, and soft lavender hue made her feel like a princess.
“Peter,” Lily cried, “I can’t thank you enough!”
“I’ve got one last thing,” he smiled, “It’s from your mother.”
Peter opened a delicate box on the table and lifted up a breathtaking crown and veil. The veil’s delicate lace formed dainty flowers, and the enchanting fairy crown sparkled and gleamed.
“There,” Peter said, gently placing the crown on Lily’s head.
“Thank you,” Lily whispered, there was so much joy in her heart. She hugged Peter and they prayed, thanking God for his many blessings.
Chapter 8
On the morning of his much-anticipated wedding, Peter awoke to a mix of overwhelming joy and nervousness. The day he and his beloved Lily had been eagerly awaiting had finally arrived. As he prepared for the moment he would see his stunning bride walking down the aisle, his best man and groomsmen attempted to lighten the mood with their jokes and laughter. However, nothing could shake Peter's wedding jitters.
As Peter was standing at the altar, waiting for Lily to make her entrance, a man rushed up to him and whispered urgently in his ear. Peter's heart raced as he was told to go to Lily's house immediately. Ignoring the bewildered gazes of his groomsmen, Peter rushed out of the church and drove to Lily's house. Upon arrival, chaos greeted him. Lily's parents were in tears, and her siblings were clinging to each other for support.
"What's happening?" Peter asked, his fear rising.
Lily's father choked out the words, "She's gone, Peter. Our Lily is gone."
Peter couldn't comprehend what he was hearing. Just the night before, Lily had been full of life and excitement for their big day. Approaching Lily's room, he found her lying motionless on her bed. Collapsing to his knees, he struggled to make sense of the situation. How could this be happening on their wedding day?
Chapter 9
Peter's footsteps echoed throughout the empty cemetery as he made his way to Lily's grave. It had been three years since she passed away, and every Saturday without fail, he would visit her final resting place.
Peter carefully placed a bouquet of sunflowers, bluebells, and lavender on her grave, just as he did every week. Lavender was Lily's favorite, its soft purple petals and savory smell always made her smile.
As he sat down beside her grave, Peter opened his Bible, the pages were worn and tattered from countless readings, but it was the words inside, about his great God, that brought him solace.
He read aloud as if he was sharing their favorite stories with her once again. Memories flooded his mind as he reminisced about their childhood.
They grew up together in a small town, where everyone knew each other. Their favorite spot was under the sycamore tree, Aastik, named for their “faith in God.” They would spend hours playing make-believe games, climbing Aastik, and dreaming of their future together.
But that future was cut short when Lily died suddenly. Peter's heart ached at the thought of all the memories they would never get to make. But he found comfort in the fact that she was no longer in pain.
As he sat there, surrounded by the peaceful stillness of the cemetery, a gentle breeze rustled through the trees. Peter stayed a little longer that day, lost in thought and memories. And as he got up to leave, he whispered a promise to Lily that he would continue to visit her every Saturday, for as long as he could, until the final day.
