We were what some of you would call best buddies, who stick with each other through thick and thin. We enjoyed every season. If one were to get sick, the others would get worried and look after them. I was slightly lighter in colour than the two leaves besides me.

Our gossip was never-ending, everlasting. I had a strong bond with every other leaf on the peduncle we were attached to. I often wondered about the perfection of the Creator, how beautifully He arranged us on a stalk, and how amazingly He assigned us various colours and functions, how He designated us for interactions with other organisms in an incredible way.

Our time to wake up was quite early, 30 minutes before we could hear the chirping of birds in the trees near us. The sweet chirping would add to the beauty of the environment. We all simply loved the morning dew, a source of happiness... a thing to cherish every morning. A fresh morning, dripping dew on our faces, air smelling of dew, and the fragrance of nearby roses and daisies.

The winter brought along with it a cold breeze, freezing mornings, chilly nights and frigid snow pouring on our upper epidermis and slowly covering our lower epidermis. I would cry to my friends about the pain snow caused. It was awful.

Despite all the difficulties, the One who created us designed us in a way to adapt to every harsh weather. I loved the roses as our new partners. They always came out of the tiny branches as the most awaited season approached us, spring. Spring was always the most stunning and ravishing season. The mild and charming fragrance of big, red roses and the adorable scent of delicate purple tulips filled the air. Butterflies and bees buzzed all around.

I just cannot explain the insane and inexplicable charisma every spring brought. It was a perfect life, however, only till the hot summer and dry autumn arrived.

The golden rays of sunlight fell directly on us every time; at times, it felt like the sun cast them upon us fiercely. My stomata used to often close, screaming silently, to prevent the loss of excess water. Preserving water because of its scarcity was always challenging. I always felt thirsty and we faced hard times frequently.

Once, I experienced severe chlorosis due to an extreme nitrogen deficiency, but I eventually recovered. And the necrotic patches I got in the middle of last summer! My goodness, they ached horribly! Those areas where I got brown and yellowish triggered dreadful sensations. I lost my freshness and vigour completely. But again, nature nurtured me. I knew I would not fall unless it was the order of the One who is always in control.

Next came autumn. The blowing wind without moisture, the dryness everywhere, the falling of leaves, and the cruelness of this season always took away many friends of mine with it. I didn’t know when it was going to be my turn.

Regardless, I prayed for my long life and the lives of my fellow leaves. But nature moves in cycles and nothing lasts forever. It was in autumn last year when I saw a group of little kids approaching us. My friends, the roots and stems, stimulated me about the danger to come.

For us, the leaves and plants in general, humans as cruel beings who tap us, harm us and pluck us up, even when they do not have a reason for that.

As a young boy among them drew near us, a chill ran down our veins. He touched me, but it was a very soft touch. I heard him speaking about his mother, who was not well and needed the leaves belonging to our species for her treatment. He put his hand on me and grabbed me tightly, I felt as if someone had choked me. Finally, I found myself in his basket, taking my last breaths, filled with resentment.

But then a thought came to my mind. I would have rather slipped away in the fall season before being plucked. This would have been an absolute waste of me. I would have been trampled underfoot by people countless times. Or my life would have simply drained away when new leaves would have appeared in spring.

Thankfully, someone plucked me up to utilise me for medicinal purposes. I am happy... happy that I would make a positive difference for someone who is ill. I reminded myself of the life I was going to live through other leaves on the same peduncle. I found peace reflecting on my life amid other miniature leaves growing, flourishing and providing benefits to others.

Published in Dawn, Young World, May 17th, 2025