Tulips

© Ivan Denisov, 2023

ISBN 978-5-0060-7077-6

Created with Ridero smart publishing system

Chapter 1

When it was all over, humanity began to look for hope. Endless conflicts and wars have mutilated the old world to such an extent that a new world had to be created…

The war was so horrible and long that people had forgotten how to rejoice and found it hard to appreciate peaceful life, but those who were able to overcome themselves, blessed their descendants for their future endeavors and bequeathed them to create a new dream and grow new tulips…

The founding fathers of this new world settled on a miraculously preserved blooming island that lay in the ocean, separated by a strait from the lifeless desert of the mainland. Civilization was destroyed, nations wiped out, lands scorched, seas and rivers poisoned, and this scrap of land was given to the survivors as a last chance.

The slanting rays of the rising sun slid into the valley and melted the white patina of the night fog. The hills glowed with golden light, giving the emerald valley a jewel-like setting. Instantly the birds awoke and chirped in all their voices, the flowers turned their beautiful heads toward the sun, and the orange fruits on the trees flashed brightly among the dense foliage. The valley was serene and majestic, like an earthly paradise.

The boy took full advantage of the morning silence, disturbed only by the singing of the birds, he nestled comfortably under a tree and indulged in daydreaming.

The sun was beaming on the two young men, as they were walking down the trail, laughing, and chatting merrily despite the early hour. They were walking to the village, which was spreading freely among the gardens at the foot of the mountains.

“Look at him, daydreaming and not noticing his friends at all”, exclaimed Hugo.

The boy opened his eyes, looked in the direction the voice had come from, and smiled at his friends.

“Yeah, shame on you, Joshua,” Alba added, wagging her finger reproachfully.

“Judge not, that ye be not judged,” Joshua smiled even more broadly, without raising his head.

The boy continued to lie undisturbed beneath the sprawling tree, its shade hiding him from both prying eyes and the hot rays of the sun. But it was really time for class. He jumped up, picked up his big tuba with a musical instrument from the ground, and joined his friends.

“What were you dreaming about?” Alba asked.

“I wasn’t dreaming at all. I was just revising history homework. It’s easier to concentrate with your eyes closed, so don’t make up things that didn’t happen,” Joshua answered, slinging the tube over his shoulder.

“What did and didn’t happen will be judged by Ana-Maria, “the girl laughed.

Teasing each other, the kids headed for the academy.

“Wait, wait, history, you say? Well, here’s a question for you. Why did our Founders call the children tulips?” Hugo took Joshua by the hand right at the gate and asked him seriously.

“Because it’s the first flower they ever saw in the new land,” Joshua answered confidently.

“That’s not an answer, that’s some frivolous nonsense”, Alba reproached her friend for his flawed statement.

“Y-yeah, with answers like that you’ll never graduate from the academy,” Hugo added with a shake of his head.

The friends carried on their short journey carefree. Who could have guessed what trials awaited them…

These very young tulips were one of the main units of the new society. Humanity’s future depended on them, and they understood that… or, well, they tried to understand it. In any case, society did its best to raise them into decent people.

The tulips wore bright costumes that symbolized flowers, the sky, the sea, the sun; cloaks that reached to their waists and wide-brimmed hats that protected them from the sun and covered their shoulders in bad weather.

The islanders, the older ones, dressed more modestly, with clothes made of heat-resistant cloth that looked more like bark, stone, moss, or grass in their shades and patterns. The islanders worked every day to help each other survive, and they had little time to dress up. They were focused on the tulips only.

The islanders mostly worked in agriculture, construction, various crafts, and more, but they put the training and education of their tulips at the center of community development. The older people, who could already do physical work with difficulty, served as mentors to them in their professions and were happy to share their life experiences with the kids.

The veterans also looked after each of the crafts, were advisers in affairs and simply teachers to the younger workers. These respected old men wore white suits that covered them from head to toe.

The girls, whether very young or older, wore loose long dresses, decorated with simple but colorful beads and brooches to their liking.

The islanders were always neat and good-looking. This helped them morally in their difficult lives, and their past habits and predilections were forgotten forever.

All citizens on the island, divided by age and occupation, were ruled by the Supreme Ruler, whose name was Isa. Ruling is a strong word, Isa was rather the father of the community, a wise leader of people living in such difficult and unusual conditions.

He wore everything black, and on his chest shone the Symbol. A new symbol. The same symbol that had once helped create this new society, the golden rose of the winds. It was so radiant and contrasted so much with his dark clothes that every person who saw the glow of that rose felt touched by the light of hope.

Isa was a rather tall middle-aged man with black eyes, long hair reaching to his shoulders, and a neat beard. Among other things, the Supreme was the spiritual director of the community, so every week he held a service for all the islanders, “There is no power that can break our Rose of the Winds”.

There were always his assistants beside Isa. They wore black uniforms, and their shoulders were covered by short cloaks. These men not only carried out the will of the Supreme, but also helped all the other inhabitants of the island, resolving conflicts and disputes, in essence, being the executors of the ruler’s will. But fortunately, the society was always peaceful, so there was not much disagreement at all. Everyone lived in equal conditions, had equal rights, opportunities, and possessions, so there was no point in dividing anything.

Knock…

Knock, knock …

The game in the meadow was in full swing.

“No-o-o-o-o, you’ve won again!” Alba said with regret.

“It’s my game,” Hugo said with a smirk.

“Yes, you’re a natural, you are,” Joshua confirmed.

“Smart hands and no tricks,” Hugo continued to be amused.

“Let’s do it again,” declared Alba petulantly.

“Aren’t you tired of losing?” Joshua asked.

“Come on, it’s my pleasure to prove my skills,” said Hugo.

“You could give in to a girl for once,” Alba muttered.

“But that would be cheating,” said Hugo indignantly.

“But it would be very pleasant for me”.

“Then we’d both be liars,” the young man smirked.

“Oh, you…” Alba exclaimed and swung her little fist at Hugo.

“Friends, don’t fight, it’s just a game,” Joshua tried to calm the heated heads. “I suggest we take this as a practice, and at the end of the school year, when the graduation contests are held, decide everything honestly, on general terms”.

“You can’t compete with contestants like this,” Hugo sneered.

“Your pride will ruin you. Don’t get burnt by your brilliance,” Alba joked viciously.

“My light is enough for all,” said Hugo pretentiously, and the friends finally laughed.

The students often spent time outdoors, running, jumping, and playing various games on the grass. Their favorite game, taught by their mentors, was to use a club to send a ball into a hole, thereby earning themselves points. It was just one of the games the academy students were taught to develop their dexterity. But active sport was not welcomed by mentors, considering it too dangerous for children’s psyche. The curriculum was mostly simple games, though a competitive version, which did not provoke violent passions as they might have if they had been more adventurous. In this way, the tulips were taught restraint and humbleness, which was a part of their general training.

“Next time we’ll play without him, let him look for an equal opponent,” Alba said.

“Right, let him compete with his teacher,” Joshua added.

“Oh, well… And I thought we were friends,” smirked Hugo.

“We’ll have to be friends off the field, for here we are rivals,” Joshua said.

“I agree, and it’s even better that you play away from us,” Alba continued.

“Let me give you some treats, as an apology for winning and a sign of eternal friendship and love,’ suggested Hugo solemnly.

“Love? We didn’t agree to that,” Alba replied, grimacing.

“Like it, dislike it, bear with me, my beauty,” Hugo laughed.

“I have to be the girl who lost to you to get your treats?” Joshua asked.

“I can’t waste my feelings on everyone else,” Hugo smiled.

“I’ll have to get my own treats,” Joshua sighed.

“Don’t worry, I’ll share it with you,” Alba said.

“There goes the reward for unselfish friendship,” Joshua said contentedly.

Leaving the clubs and balls behind, the tulips picked up their things and headed for their next lesson.

Joshua lingered, still fiddling with the heavy tuba and the broken clasp that wouldn’t go on and off.

“When will you fix the lock?” asked Hugo, seeing the anguish of his friend.

“I can’t get my hands on it,” Joshua answered, “I’ll ask Giuseppe to help me after school, he’s a jack of all trades.”

“Yes, he’ll help,” Hugo added, nodding.

“He will definitely take you under his wing after the exams. He’ll teach you how to make watches, and not just locks,” Alba said.

“I don’t think I’m destined for anything else” Joshua said with a smile.

Tulips headed to a music class where students learned to play various instruments, vocals, and everything else related to music. The academy had its own orchestra where all the gifted children played. One of those gifted children was Joshua, who played the bassoon beautifully. Though, to show his talents, he had to carry a huge tuba for the instrument and bother with its lock. But Tulip loved music and was ready to endure more than such hardships for the sake of it.

The choir and orchestra of the academy performed only those works that were authorized by the Supreme. This did not mean that there was any censorship. Rather, the Supreme, himself having a good taste in music, selected melodious and optimistic songs, symphonies, and suites to please the ears of citizens and educate young people in the right way. There was never any overly loud and informal music, or at least none that anyone remembered. Back in the olden days, the Founders forbade any aggressive music that would evoke unwanted aggressive emotions.

The Young Tulip Orchestra played and sang at all the festivals and was very popular. There were individual singers and musicians too, of course, but due to tradition they were not as successful, and more often performed only at family parties or for friends.

Individualism was not encouraged in the academy at all, which was evident in everything. In sports, work and art. It was considered indecent and not welcomed by the tutors. Such restrictions made it possible to avoid conflicts and did not give people cause for envy. All this was considered vicious.

The Founders, those who survived the Last War, learned a good lesson from the past and drew up a new set of rules and laws for human existence. People wanted to live in peace, in harmony with nature, and to see only the beautiful. That is why those in power decided to create a world like the Garden of Eden, which they had heard about from people who remembered how happily, in their opinion, they had lived before. The Founders had no other sources of information, everything was destroyed by war.

The basis of the new power was faith. Why faith? Because any form of government in the history of mankind has always displeased someone and was constantly questioned. And faith, religion has lived for centuries, albeit changing its attributes, leaving the principles unchanged. Similarly, in times of hardship, living under bombardment and bullets, the Founders saw clearly that people involuntarily rejected technological civilization in their minds and began to reach for nature. This manifested not only in their way of life, but also in their simple clothing. It made both they and their children, young tulips, wear outfits emblematic of the world around them. No wonder, as you see nothing but gloom and death, and flowers are the only thing that can make the soul happy and help it escape its misfortunes.

The wise Founders knew that nature can be cruel for the sake of life itself. They had learned by painful experience that since this life was given to man here and now, the punishment for sins for those who overstep reasonable limits would come at once by the will of the Supreme Ruler, not at some distant afterlife.

Yet the idea of eternal torment, which the Founding Fathers received from the ancestors, they also laid at the foundation of the faith and threatened all unfaithful spirits. All those who did not want to accept the new order were threatened with eternal punishment. Most people followed the Founders, for the horror they had already endured made them trust only in a higher power.

The new human community has resisted and even gradually, year by year, transformed itself to resemble to the kingdom of God.

The islanders called their home Paradise, and the opposite wounded shore, which had endured all the horrors of war, was Hell. It was exactly as their ancestors had told them. Paradise was a blooming land, and Hell was a dead desert, with eerie sounds and the light of devilish flames in the night. On the mainland the earth was so mutilated that its entire surface was covered with a charred crust, and it became impossible to use it for cultivation because it killed any plants. Fortunately, the island and the Black Earth were separated by a Dead Ocean strait with poisoned water. The strait was relatively wide, allowing the inhabitants of Paradise to witness the terrible shadows and infernal outbreaks firsthand. It served as an extra admonition to the inhabitants of the island. Yes, the islanders were very fortunate, for on their land, clear water flowed directly from the mountains, ready for them to enjoy.

As time passed, the misfortunes and the old ways were forgotten, each new generation moved along directly to the course of goodness and peace that the first settlers had instilled in the people since childhood.

It took decades before the principles and ideas that the Founders laid down in the structure of society became common to people and were followed unconditionally.

“Eh… Here you go. The clasp is very flimsy, I suggest you go to Master Alberto, and have it changed,” Giuseppe said as best he could.

“Thank you, I’ll be sure to visit him if I don’t forget,” Joshua replied, bowing.

“The true virtue is to live in harmony with your thoughts, otherwise your life will become chaos,” the smiling grandfather finished his work.

“I can’t do it all, the whole day is packed and there’s no time to think,” Joshua said with a wave of his hands.

“You have to start small and work your way up. Take, for example, that bush you’re pruning. A little seed sprouts out of the ground to become a lush plant, but it takes a step-by-step process to get there. So do you, start with observation, try to write down your day, separately write down the moments in which you fail or that you forget, and solve them in the first place. Paper to the rescue, when you’re foolish,” Giuseppe laughed.

“Did you come up with that all by yourself?” Joshua asked.

“Sure! When I was your age, I was known for my sharp wit, and I wrote many plays that are still in the theater,” the old man answered modestly.

“Is it about the donkey and the goat?” asked the young man with a smirk.

“And not only that, but you young people grab what’s on the surface and don’t see the rest,” Giuseppe replied thoughtfully.

“Tell me, Giuseppe, what’s the point of cutting these bushes? So what if they were round or square? Why shape them?” Joshua asked another question.

“Look for yourself, son,” the old man said with a smile as he looked around, “nature is beautiful and its creations are truly incomparable. But our work is also worth something. We give meaning to nature, we saturate it with new colors and create a human-friendly environment, without disturbing the overall picture. A solitary bush becomes part of a beautiful garden. I like it better this way, so let’s do less talking and more doing,” Giuseppe laughed when he saw the young man’s indignation.

Each tulip, at the end of the school day at the academy, went off to obligatory assistance to others, which lasted until evening, finishing their work at the same time as the adults.

Joshua worked in the garden, where the counselors often spent time enjoying the solitude of nature, reflecting among the fragrant plants. Day after day in the garden, Joshua became friends with Giuseppe, who became not only a friend to him, but also a sort of spiritual mentor, which the young man himself did not notice, considering the old man to be simply his older companion.

After finishing his business and saying goodbye to Giuseppe, Joshua went home.

The islanders lived in families and each family usually had two children. Two adults and two children, usually a boy and a girl. Joshua’s parents’ names were Anna and Klaus, and his little sister was named Pietra. But the parents didn’t choose the names, they were given by the Supreme at birth.

The houses on the island were the same size, although they had different facades. And each family’s household was more or less the same. There was nothing to envy. Everyone worked equally, which helped all the inhabitants to live well, because the nature of the island was really beautiful and prolific. Most of the food came from their own farms, and the lacking was given to them at work once a week. The temple counsellors distributed particularly valuable gifts of the Lord, which were rare on the island. Tea, coffee, salt, spices, family coupons.

Everyone was happy and no one had any problems with food. The crops grew lushly and abundantly. Yet the big trees such as oak, hornbeam, sycamore, pine trees were much worse. Of course, they existed and grew beautifully on the island, there were even dense forests in the mountains, but the number of trees, their growth and use were strictly controlled. All timber was accounted for, so many houses were built of stone and the roof was made of turf on arched structures. But the soil gradually sprouted grass, and the roof itself sometimes turned into a pasture for the ubiquitous goats, who inexplicably climbed up and pecked at the living roof. They were chased away, of course, but…

Joshua always chuckled when he passed another herd of goats that were eating their lunch on the roof of some apartment building, bellowing like crazy. He could not drive them off, the goats obeyed no one. And sometimes he had to run away with all his might, if, for example, to throw a stone at the robbers, or swing a stick at them and get into sight of the leader of the herd. The goats did not bear grudges. They were feared by everyone because they were so violent.

“Mom, Dad, I’m home,” he said as he entered the house and closed the door behind him.

“Joshua, come in, dinner will be ready soon,” Anna answered.

“How is old Giuseppe, did he not bother you with his lectures?” Klaus asked with a smirk.

“Everything is all right. Here, he helped me with the buckle on the tuba belt”.

“Go to Alberto and change it, don’t wait till it breaks”, father answered.

“Yes, I got it, thank you,” replied the son.

Joshua went to the sink to wash his hands and rolled up his sleeves, when he suddenly exclaimed indignantly,

“Aha! Why do I always get an empty hand basin?!

“Don’t grumble, go get water and fill the washbasin, that’s all!” replied the mother.

Joshua, sighing, took two buckets and went to the water tap. Every street in the township had a tap from which everyone could get their own water. As a rule, the taps were built near a group of houses, so that all the families could use them equally.

After collecting one bucket for the washbasin and a second for the reserve, the young man headed back. Suddenly there was a wild scream,

“Baaaa!”

It was a goat bleating.

Joshua shuddered and thought that he was the only one going to get water, but the goat made him laugh, and he returned home in good spirits. On the doorstep he was greeted by his little sister Pietra in a fancy yellow dress.

“Hello, little brother,” said the little sister cheerfully.

“Hello to you too, Pietra! Do you want to help me?” Joshua asked with a smile.

“Yes, I do,” the little girl answered kindly.

“Well, come on, hold on to the hand, we’ll carry this heavy bucket together,” replied the brother.

Pietra grabbed one of the buckets and with all her strength began to help her brother to carry it to the washbasin.

“Oh, we did. I couldn’t have done it without you, thank you,” Joshua continued his role.

“Hee-hee,” laughed the little girl, twirling around and holding the hem of her beautiful dress.

“Well done,” Anna remarked from the stove and took Pietra in her arms, “come and help me too”.

“Is everything ready? Let me rinse my hands,” Klaus said, walking first to the washbasin that Joshua was filling.

The young man was a little upset with his father, for he had filled it, hence he should have been the first to wash his hands, and if his father had long wanted to wash, he could have fetched water himself without waiting for his son. The young tulip did not hide his displeasure. But Klaus didn’t even notice it, not even thinking to apologize, for he was the head of the family. Klaus washed generously, and his son had to refill the water and rattle the pimple a lot to wash his hands. Finally, when it was his turn, Joshua washed his hands. The hand basin looked like a bucket, but with a hole in the bottom that was blocked by a metal valve in the shape of a rod. And to open the tap, you had to lift it up.

All the preparations were completed, and everyone was seated at the table.

Traditionally, the family said a prayer before the meal and only then had the right to begin the meal.

“History was given to us not to make the same mistakes again, and you are neglecting it. Appreciate what you have, including the knowledge of the past, which, unfortunately, is not much left,” Ana Maria said with a stern voice.

The knowledge that mankind has acquired over the millennia has been tremendous. The same knowledge that led to the terrible war threw humanity back into the Middle Ages, depriving it of all the achievements of civilization. Of course, some information was saved, but only what people were able to recreate from memory or convey at least in words. Everything else was burned in the fires of hell…

“Who can tell me what reasons led to the Last War?” Ana-Maria asked the class a question.

One of the students raised her hand to answer her mentor.

“Alba, please,” Ana-Maria said, pointing to the girl.

“As mankind evolved, people began to forget about the spiritual component of their lives, causing their souls to become black as tar, and our ancestors had no choice but to wage war against evil,” Alba answered.

“Okay. And what lesson should we learn from this?” the mentor asked again, looking for a student to answer her question.

Alba held out her hand again, but it was as if Ana-Maria hadn’t noticed.

“Joshua, please,” the mentor said pointing to her student.

“Hmm…” the boy said, slightly embarrassed.

“We’re listening to you,” Ana-Maria insisted.

“Each of us must remember this tragic lesson and put our souls first, for when it is not pure, our existence has no meaning,” Joshua answered firmly this time.

“Well done! It would be all the better if you could have those thoughts,” Ana-Maria said, looking sternly at him.

The mentor heard Alba, who was sitting next to Joshua, whisper to him.

“Remember, no one will live your life for you. Appreciate it and reflect on your life. But as you reflect, don’t shy away from hard work. Labor is a virtue that brings us closer to God, and laziness is a vice that hurts everything,” Ana-Maria said sternly.

“Everyone is ready to share the fun, no one wants to share the sadness,” Hugo said quietly, while the mentor was admonishing his friends.

During the longest break between classes, the tulips would go out into the fresh air, under a special tent where all the students would gather for a communal meal.

During this time, the students of the academy were frequently visited by the Supreme, who periodically went around the island, talking to the inhabitants and helping them in any way he could. Today, Isa decided to visit the young tulips. He unexpectedly entered the tent, where students sat at tables surrounded by their mentors. Everyone stood up to greet the Supreme and show their sincere respect for the great man. Isa graciously accepted the recognition and immediately urged everyone to sit down.

The Supreme was, as always, all in black, with a star shining on his chest. He walked through the rows, nodding to his students, and left contentedly. Everything was in order here.

The friends stared at Isa with admiring eyes, before they spoke.

“What a man! Maybe I will be lucky to stand beside him someday, like those guards of his,” said Hugo dreamily.

“Be jealous,” said Alba.

“I don’t envy him, I admire him,” said Hugo.

“I wish I were as old as Giuseppe, not as old as Isa,” Joshua said thoughtfully.

“You should always look up to the best, then you’ll be the best,” he replied.

“You are a treasure trove of wise sayings today, what else can you remember?” Alba asked.

“Well…” Hugo thought for a moment and then answered, “I love you, what more can I say? What more could I say?”

At that he put his hand over Alba’s palm. The girl was embarrassed and pulled her hand out of Hugo’s grasp.

The boys laughed.

“It’s not funny, you can’t talk about such adult things yet,” said the girl angrily.

“You asked, I answered. Why do you ask a question if you don’t want to hear the truth?” Hugo asked.

“Because she wanted a simple answer, not the truth,” Joshua answered for the girl.

The boys laughed again.

“You two insufferable troublemakers, how am I even friends with you?” Alba said indignantly.

“It’s just that we complete you. You’re smart, you’re beautiful, and we’re everything else,” Hugo said again.

“See, listen to me more often,” the girl said with her nose proudly turned up.

There was a loud ringing sound. The head cook hit the pot with a ladle to draw attention to himself.

“Gentlemen,” said Hans, “today on the menu, eggplant caviar, chicken pâté, fresh bread, coleslaw, pea soup, boiled corn, chicken from the oven, potatoes on the fire, pork shish kebab, fresh herbs.

While the cook announced the menu, his assistants distributed all these treats to the tables. No one on the island ever complained about food, for there was enough for everyone, and whatever was left over was given to our little brothers. All this was achieved through a moderate use of resources and the proper distribution of the harvest. When there was little, they ate it all; when there was more, they preserved the surplus, thus stocking up just in case.

“As they say, bon appétit,” said Hugo, and the friends began to eat.

After the school day was over, Joshua headed out to the garden for some obligatory help.

"…And she replied that no one will live this life properly for us if they don’t study. That’s why we need to love the academy and appreciate everything we have,” Joshua retold Ana-Maria’s words to his old friend.

“Wise woman, hee hee hee!” Giuseppe laughed. “I remember her as a little girl. Everyone was running and playing, and she was seating the dolls and explaining things to them. That’s what a real vocation means, hee hee hee!”

“We don’t really shy away from studying, but we’re reminded of it too often,” the young man said, picking leaves from around the trees.

“Hard in your studies, easy in your labors, you know that one?” Giuseppe asked.

“Well, yes…” the boy muttered grudgingly.

“Sit down and listen to an old man and I will tell you a story.”

The young man carefully put his work tools on the ground, shook himself off, and sat down next to Giuseppe.

“One day, while working in the fields, a man unexpectedly found a real diamond. He was very happy but was not in a hurry to part with it easily, knowing its value. The man took the precious stone to the master, hoping to exchange it for the goods he needed.

The master examined the stone and shook his head and said, “There is a crack in this stone.”

The man who found the diamond was very upset; he found the stone dirty and could not immediately see the defect.

But the master continued “This stone can be split into two pieces, which will make two diamonds and each of them will be more valuable than the diamond itself. But the problem is that a careless blow to the stone may break it into a handful of tiny stones. The diamonds made of these tiny stones will be many times cheaper than the diamond itself and will be worth practically nothing. I won’t take that risk, and I won’t do the job.”

– Other craftsmen in many cities, where the man went in search of a worthy jeweler, said the same thing. Then he was advised to go to an old master who had golden hands. The same hour, the man went to a distant land and found the old master there. Looking at the stone with interest, the man also began to warn him of the risks. Then the man told him that he had heard all this before, and more than once, but that no one had solved his problem. The master thought about it and, after quoting the price, said that he would do the work. When the master of the stone agreed, the wise old man turned to the young apprentice, who was sitting with his back to them in the workshop, doing his work. The boy took the stone, put it in his palm, smashed it once with his hammer, and then, without looking back, returned it to the jeweler.