Chapter 4 - Memories

- So let me see if I understood correctly: this tiny planet has been under the care of a young boy with blond locks who was wearing a green tunic, green pants and a long yellow scarf? asked the caterpillar in a tone of surprise and disbelief.

-That's right. He is the one who was watering me and the field poppies every day, dealing with the awful baobabs and cleaning the two volcanoes.

- And what else was he doing? How was he relaxing after all this gardening?

- He was taking his chair a few steps and watching the sunset. He saw forty-four of them!

- Forty-four? That's a lot. Why was he doing that? It seems kind of repetitive.

- I don't know either to be honest. Whenever I asked him, he always got quiet and sit in silence for a while.

- Maybe he was sad? inquired the caterpillar

- How can you be so sure about it? 

- Because this is the kind of thing I was doing on my home planet whenever I was upset at my friends and family.

- Were you fighting with them often?

- Not all the time. Just in the case of serious matters.

- Such as?

- Food.

- Did you not have enough food there?

- We used to have, but the weather got too much to handle. The sun was burning almost daily which lead to the planet gradually drying. There were less and less plants every day and my family and friends got so scared that they started to eat more and more.

- That's horrible. Have you tried to stop?

- What do you think? said the caterpillar in a sarcastic and bitter tone.

She leaned her small head on my glass globe and continued:

- I tried to tell them countless of times to eat smaller portions, but my family was too big and my younger siblings needed to be fed constantly.

- What did you do?

- I decided to give up as they weren't willing to listen to me. That's when I started my habit to watch the sunsets. They gave me the hope that rain might come and save this planet from disappearing. How foolish of me!

- What happened?

The caterpillar went silent again.

- It's alright if you don't want to talk about it right now. We have plenty of time at our disposal.

- Thank you. 

- You're welcome.

- By the way, Rose, you said that your friend left because of you. Why do you think that?

- Because it is the true. I treated him miserably. I constantly lied to him by telling him my ridiculous stories with tigers.

- Tigers? You have quite the imagination, laughed the caterpillar.

- Too bad I didn't use it well. Now it's too late. He might be on another planet happy with his new friends. He doesn't need me anymore.

- Didn't you say that he cried before he put the glass globe?

- Yes, what about it?

- If he genuinely thought that you were not important to him, he would have left without a word.

- Maybe, but that was so long ago. He must have forgotten about me.

- Or he didn't. You can't be sure. Nothing in this life is certain. I mean look at me, I am a caterpillar, someone who becomes an entirely new insect in proper conditions. Change is scary, but it can be a good thing.

- Where are you getting with that? What has that to do with my little prince?

- It is the answer for your concerns. You assume that after his journey will end your prince will change and completely forget about you, but this might be his chance to blossom like you did.

- Oh. I never thought about it that way.

- That's because you're too caught up in your own world. You isolated from him the moment you asked him to put that glass globe over your head and denied your real feelings.

Now it was my turn to be silent. Once again, this insect read me like an open book. But I wasn't mad anymore. She was right. I should have been more truthful with my feelings.

- I guess, I shouldn't criticize you that much. I also did the same mistake you. I suppose me being so far from my home planet must mean something.

- Possibly. 

Silence once again.

I know I shouldn't impose on her, but I really want to know my new friend better. I don't want to ignore her needs like I did with my little prince.

So I gathered my courage and asked the caterpillar:

- If I am not being too rude, could you tell me more about your planet, please? 

The caterpillar took a few seconds to answer:

- Sure, I guess it's only after you told me so much about your human friend.

- Thank you.

The caterpillar took a deep breath and started to talk ...