The Amarillis Flower ~ One Day Of Glory

Claudia had returned from her annual two weeks in Germany to visit her parents. I went by her place to welcome her back and give her the messages from her answering sevice, explaing which calls I'd returned and what I'd said to this one or that one. Claudia and I are still good friends even though we've now been divorced for more years than we were married, and I know all her regular clients from her antique restoration business.

I was greeted by her dogs, Prince and Caeser, then she showed me the huge bud on her amarillis plant next to her front porch. She said that she was so glad that it had waited for her to get home before blooming. Then over a fresh cup of coffee I went through the ritual of putting a fresh roll of film in her Minolta X-700. She had that camera when I first met her about 1982 and still doesn't feel comfortable changing the film by herself. We chatted awhile about her trip and her folks, finished my coffee while petting the two dogs, and as I was leaving I told her to call me when the flower bud opens and I'd take the pictures for her.

Two days later the phone rang first thing in the morning and I rushed over there, about a mile away. I was greeted by happy dogs, a thrilled ex-wife, a cup of fresh brewed coffee and home made cake, but first I had pictures to take!

The blossoms were huge, maybe 5 or 6 inches across, bright red with a touch of white on a couple of the petals. I shot about half of her 24 exposure roll in the Minolta and then thought I'd have some fun with my 15mm lens on my Bessa L. This is one of the Bessa/15 photos.

Bright and early the next morning the phone rang. It was Claudia. Somebody had come in her yard during the night and neatly cut the flower off at the bottom of the stem. The amarillis was gone. All she had left were the photos.