The moon was high in the sky and the botanic garden was shrouded in darkness and stillness, but inside the greenhouse of the exotic flora sector there was light and fanfarre.
Botanists, reporters, photographers and the rich upper class, all crowded together in the small rows of the greenhouse circling a big and odd-looking bulbous bud. All eyes rushing from the plant to their watches back and forth in anticipation.
The star of the night, the heart of Amazon as it was called by those scholars, is a rare plant that would spend a century in its bud form before blossoming for a few moments and then withering, its corpse being the nutritious bed from where its seeds would sprout.
The legend says that the blossomed heart is one of the most beautiful flowers you could see in your lifetime. The plant worked like clockwork and all records of it stated that on the night of its centennial, at the twelfth chime of the bell, it would open her ephemeral form during a fleeting second.
And that night was upon them! It would be the most talked event for years to come in the intellectual circles and a proof of status to be shown in the newspaper as one of the few people alive to have seen it.
The countdown begins, cameras ready and eyes unblinking...
...5
4
3
2
1!!
...
With mouths agape they gazed at the heart.. and nothing. Not even a single twitch from the bulbous vegetable.
Some more minutes passed and not a single sound from the captive audience, even their breaths seemed to be frozen in place.
"PREPOSTEROUS!!!" An angry scream cut the tense atmosphere. It was one of the rich nobles that composed the entourage of less scientific inclined members of the audience. " I DONATED A HEFT AMOUNT TO THE UNIVERSITY TO GET FRONT ROW ON THIS GARBAGE! I WILL SUE YOUR FAMILIES TO THEIR THIRD GENERATION IF THIS STUPID PLANT DOESN'T MOVE OR IF I DON'T GET MY MONEY BACK!!"
All eyes were now turned to the scandalous noble man and his family. Some few timid flashes from the paparazzis's cameras started popping up, if they couldn't get the plant as front page, a higher class scandal was a good substitute. The attention made the wife of the noble cover her face ashamed, her kids on the other hand where waving oblivious to the meaning of this new found spotlight.
"Not again..." the wife said under her breath, remembering the few last times when a family outing made the news thanks for her husband short fuse and entitlement. "Husband dearest, please... There is no need for that, the donation sure will help when it's time for the kids to receive higher education" the wife tried to calm her partner with her soft and balanced words, gently tugging him back to his seat.
It was working until a quip from the University Dean broke the camel's back:
"If they are anything like their father, you should go ahead and buy the whole university so they have an actual chance to pass through the doors!"
The self contentment from the dean lasted until a chair crossed the air and landed into his forehead. Surprised gasps and camera flashes filled the room. Now it was front page material for a whole week!
The frustration from the failed event and the old bad blood between attendees made this the perfect recipe for a disaster. The screams and fight sounds could be heard from a distance, nothing was sacred or safe anymore. Even some of the paparazzis joined the fray because of work conflicts and stolen news.
The few that weren't fighting either recorded the happening as they could or tried futilely to stop the brawl.
In midst of the confusion a sudden sweet aroma pierced through the fight, a delicate fragrance that they had never smelled in their lives.
"THE HEART!!!" One of the scholars, now with some missing tooth and a black eye screamed.
The conflict immediately stoped and all heads turned back to the plant. The smell was gone and so was the bulb, in it's place a decayed mound with some small protuberance remained, exactly like the texts and drawings describe it would be after the blossoming.
Checking his watch, the Dean noticed that exactly one hour had passed after the expected time and their mistake dawned on him "we forgot about daylight savings... It started yesterday..."
Defeated and frustrated, everyone gathered their belongings and dragged their feet back to their homes.
Daylight savings were banished the next day due to popular demand.
Thanks for reading! Don't forget to water you plastic plants, they don't need it but they like to feel cared for!
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