Chapter 9 - Blooming Flowers

"Where is your father now?" Finally, Loriel decided to ask Elise about her father. He just had to know what happened. Maybe it had something to do with her not remembering him? Elise lowered her head and sighed. "He is very sick." "Oh... do you know where he is treated?" Loriel asked again. The woman shook her head dejectedly. "I don't. And besides, I don't want to go there." "Why not?" Elise pretended not to hear his question. She raised her hand and pointed forward. "That's the entrance. We are here." Loriel felt Elise was hiding something. She seemed reluctant to talk about her father. What was so bad about his illness? Where was he being treated? And.. why she didn't want to go there? So many questions! "I know several top surgeons in New York and access to the best hospitals," Loriel blurted. "I think whatever it is that your father is having, I am sure he can be cured." "You do?" Elise turned to Loriel and looked at the man with furrowed brows. "You said you don't have money, but you know top surgeons and have access to the best hospitals?" Loriel coughed violently when he heard her question. Uff, Elise was too smart. He replied nonchalantly and asked her back, "What does money have to do with knowing someone?" "Well... I don't know. They said usually people like top surgeons and the best hospitals are only accessible by people with a lot of money," Elise replied. "You couldn't even afford a taxi today." "Well.. I am not always poor, okay," Loriel raked his brain to find a good excuse. "I recently lost my money on the stock market. I used to be rich." "Oh..." Elise now looked at Loriel from head to toe and she could confirm that the man had impeccable taste. So, it was possible that he was rich. "Okay, then." "So.. do you believe me that I know top surgeons?" Loriel asked again. "You can just tell me what happened to your father, and I will contact those surgeons to check on his condition." Elise's eyes gleamed with tears when she heard his kind offer. Sadly, she had to decline this man's generosity. "You are so kind," she said with a low voice. "However, I cannot go there. I can only pray for him from afar." "I don't understand. What happened?" Loriel's mind was filled with so many scenarios as to why Elise couldn't go and see her 'father'. Was the man in jail? Was that why Elise couldn't come and visit him when he was sick? They had walked inside the huge park and Elise didn't reply to Loriel's question. Instead, she looked around and clicked her tongue in disappointment. "The trees are grey and there are no flowers like the last time I came here..." She sighed. Well, of course. They came at the end of autumn. Most of the trees had gone grey after being orange for months and the flowers were no longer blooming. Soon, winter would arrive and the temperature would drop that people wouldn't come here to sightsee like what they were doing now. However, Loriel would not let the beautiful woman feel disappointed. He pointed in a direction and said, "I think I see some flowers over there. Do you want to check?" Elise looked in the direction he pointed at and furrowed her brows. She couldn't see anything. It was the same grey trees. "Do you want to walk there?" Loriel offered. "Let's find a nice place to sit and enjoy the view." Elise smiled and nodded. She thought there was nothing to lose to go with him. She didn't really have a specific place to see anyway. She only came here twice before and didn't really know her way around here. It was actually nice to meet someone who also wanted to visit this place. The man seemed nice and helpful. Being on her own was quite lonely. Elise had not really talked to anyone for days. Loriel smiled faintly when Elise accepted his suggestion and walked together toward the lake. As they walked, he waved his left hand subtly, and slowly flowers started blooming around the lake and the green leaves growing on the trees again like it was the spring. By the time they got to the lake, Elise was stunned by the beauty around them. She pressed her lips with both hands and turned around to admire the scenery. "Oh my god... you are right! They still have so many flowers here!" She gushed. Not only the green trees and blooming flowers everywhere, there were also three beautiful blue Jacaranda trees by the lake. Today, the three Jacaranda trees were filled with flowers, like it was in summer. It was oh so beautiful! Loriel smiled broadly when he saw Elise's reaction. Gosh.. she was so adorable! Always had, always will. The wind blew gently and soon the air was filled with the Jacaranda flowers floating in the air, after being blown away from their trees. Audible gasps were heard from around them. People suddenly noticed the change that was happening around them. "Hey, I didn't realize that those Jacaranda trees are blooming. Did you?" "Neither did I. Wow... look at that!" "So beautiful! I will take a picture!" "Look! So many flowers are blooming too! This is wonderful!" Elise raised her hand and looked up to see the raining flower petal. She was beaming with happiness. "This... this is amazing," she whispered. . . >>>>> You can google the picture of Blue Jacaranda trees. They are so beautiful!