Unexpected Souvenir

Spain Mochi

This is what you spent 5 agonizing years of learning Spanish for. Your advanced Spanish class was offered the opportunity to travel to Madrid for a week as part of the curriculum, and you didn't have to give it a second thought. Traveling to Europe has been something on your bucket list for as long as you can remember, and now your dream is coming true.

Madrid is a bustling metropolis that puts your quiet suburban town to shame ten times over. You've taken so many pictures of beautiful buildings, elegant statues, and your goofy friends that you're afraid your digital camera is going to run out of memory. Today your group is visiting the Buen Retiro Park, and already you've seen some amazing things.

"Listen up everyone!" your teacher calls. "I'm going to let you explore the park on your own. Manténgase a salvo y que no van a faltar. (Stay safe and don't get lost)"

Your friends buzz around you excitedly as you try to figure out what to see first.

"Let's go to Casón del Buen Retiro and look at paintings!"

"No, no, no! We should see the Paseo de las Estatuas!"

"Why don't we go to the Rosaleda rose garden?" you suggest. "That'll be pretty."

"No! We have to see the Palacio de Cristal first! I heard it's awesome!"

"Yeah! Okay! Sounds good!" everyone but you agrees.

You try not to look too disappointed as your friends begin their search for the Crystal Palace. It's not that you don't want to see it, but you're really anxious to see the rose garden. You overheard there is a beautiful fountain located inside of it, and you've wanted to see it ever since. Now is your chance, but your friends have other ideas.

An unhappy sigh escapes your lips as you follow behind your boisterous group. Your eyes roam up and down the path to take in the natural splendor of the park. It cheers you up a little bit that the weather is so nice and the air smells so sweet. Sweet like flowers. You turn your head to the right and you're met by the sight of hundreds of different colored rose bushes.

You stop dead in your tracks. The rose garden is literally right there, but your friends keep walking to find the Palacio de Cristal. Time seems to stop as you weigh your decision. Either you stay with your friends or explore on your own. Technically, your teacher didn't say you couldn't explore by yourself, so there's no harm in wandering off, is there?

Without a word to your friends, you take off toward the rose garden with an excited smile on your face. This is what you really came here to see. Row after row of colorful rose bushes grow in their carefully kept beds. Some bushes have grown up over arches that span whole walkways, and others sway happily near burbling fountains.

"Wow," you breathe in wonder. You raise your camera to snap a picture.

"Muy bonito, ¿verdad? (Very nice, right)"

You spin on your heel to see who is talking to you. A nervous sweat breaks out over your palms at the thought of having to converse with a fluent Spanish speaker. You wipe them nervously on your pants when the voice comes again.

"¿Te has perdido, chica? (Are you lost, miss)"

You look down and finally pinpoint the source of the voice. It's a strange looking round object with a tomato balanced on top it. It smiles up at you in a friendly sort of way, and you can't help smiling back. This thing, whatever it is, makes you feel happy just by looking at it.

"Er...no, yo estoy aquí con mi grupo (no, I'm here with my group)," you tell it.

"¿Dónde están? (Where are they)" the thing asks curiously. Its green eyes sparkle at you, and you crouch down to get closer to it.