The Lucky Orchid

Once, there was a beautiful orchid. She had dark green leaves and a tall, graceful stem decorated with bright violet flowers. She stood on the windowsill next to her two orchid friends, who were just as beautiful. Their flowers were white and pink.

They spent their days basking in the sun and looking out the window. There were two very kind humans, Mindy and Jim, who gave them water whenever they were thirsty. It was a peaceful life, but the violet orchid was bored. She was tired of the same friends and the same view and the same windowsill day after day

One day, she noticed a tiny, fuzzy, white bug crawling on her leaf.

“Who are you?” she asked.

“I am a friend,” he answered, “and I’d like to stay here for a little bit if it’s alright with you.”

“Oh, I love new friends,” she exclaimed, “Please stay.”

So, he settled in on the underside of one of her leaves.

They spent afternoons chatting about all sorts of things, but mostly the outside world. The orchid had only seen what she could make out from the windowsill, and it was the same view every day. But, her new, fuzzy friend had been out in the real world and could tell her stories about the trees and what grass smelled like, and how the wind felt.

The other orchids asked what she was doing all day because they noticed she wasn’t talking to them as much as she used to.

“Don’t tell them,” said the fuzzy, little bug. “They’ll get jealous, and I will have to leave. Or worse! They’ll make you leave.”

“Oh no. I don’t want that,” said the orchid.

So, she made up a tiny lie- only to protect her friend, of course. She told the other orchids she was tired and didn’t feel like hanging out as much as she used to. They believed her and just shrugged.

One day, a second fuzzy bug arrived.

“This is a friend of mine. Can she stay too?” asked the bug.

“Oh yes! More friends!” said the orchid

So, the second fuzzy, white bug settled in under another leaf.

The conversations continued and a few more friends showed up. The orchid noticed she was starting to get very tired, but she didn’t want to be a bad friend, so she stayed up most nights and chatted with them. Before long, there were too many fuzzy white friends to count, she was feeling very run down and began to avoid the other orchids. She was sad about losing them, but the fuzzy bugs said not to worry. They were her friends now.

Her leaves began to wilt, and her beautiful flowers began to fall off one by one. She was sad about that too but felt grateful that at least she still had her fuzzy, white friends.

The orchid wasn’t the only one to notice this change. Jim and Mindy stood over her one day with very worried looks on their faces.

“It appears one of our orchids has mealybugs,” said Mindy to Jim.

They lifted her up and took her to another windowsill away from the other orchids.

“Yay!” exclaimed the mealybugs, “Now we don’t have to hide from them anymore!”

They scrambled all over the orchid. She was happy her friends were happy, but she couldn't help feeling lonely. She missed her orchid friends, and her fuzzy friends weren’t talking to her as much as they used to. In fact, they talked to each other all the time, but when she tried to join in, they’d give her funny looks. She was starting to feel like she didn’t belong anywhere.

The next day, Jim and Mindy showed up with a spray bottle and a soft washcloth.

“What are you doing?” asked the orchid

“We’re going to get rid of these mealybugs,” Jim answered.

The orchid hesitated. “But they are my friends,” she said.

“Oh orchid, no, these are not your friends. Look at what they’ve done to you,” said Mindy

Mindy held up a small mirror. The orchid barely recognized herself. Her leaves were yellowing and all but one of her flowers were gone. The one that was left was droopy and faded.

“My flowers!” she exclaimed. “What has happened to me?”

Jim and Mindy told her they could help. They used the spray and washcloth to gently wipe the orchid’s leaves, clearing all the mealybugs away.

“Now I am really alone!” cried the orchid.

Jim and Mindy comforted the orchid.

“You are not alone, dear orchid. We are watching over you, and we’ll make sure those mean bugs stay away from you. When they are gone for good, we can bring you back to the old windowsill.”

“This is all my fault. I told them they could stay.”

“No, orchid. How could you have known? They pretended to be nice to you,” said Jim.

“You could not have known. It is not your fault,” said Mindy.

Over the next week, Jim and Mindy visited her and softly wiped her leaves every day. They made sure she had sun and water. They watched over her as promised.

Then one morning, the orchid noticed she felt a little stronger.

“May I see the mirror?” she asked

Mindy held the mirror up and sure enough the orchid’s stem was straighter, and her leaves had brightened. She could even see a tiny flower bud starting to come up.

“I feel much better,” said the orchid. “Thank you so much. Do you think I can see the other orchids soon?”

“Yes,” said Jim. “We’ll bring you back in a couple of days.”

“I have a better idea!” said the orchid, and she whispered something Jim’s ear.

Two days later, Jim and Mindy went to the old windowsill and picked up the white and pink orchids.

“Where are we going!?” the excited orchids asked.

“To your new home,” said Mindy.

And they brought the orchids to the new windowsill where their old friend was sitting. They were so happy to see her. They had been worried. There was so much to talk about. They asked so many questions, and she answered them one by one. She realized how much they cared about her and how much she had missed them.

From then on, the orchid appreciated her peaceful life, but she did speak with Jim and Mindy who agreed to move them every once in a while, for a change of scenery. Their newest windowsill overlooked a playground, and they got to watch children run and play all day long. The orchid was thrilled to share the new view with her old friends.

“Wow,” she thought. “I am one lucky orchid.”

And indeed she was.