I HAD A BUTTERFLY.....

http://www.ansp.org/explore/online-exhibits/butterflies/lifecycle/

http://www.cocoon.org/cocoon-articles/what-is-cocoon.shtml

When we were kids, we played with butterflies on the fields.
We dreamt of having a butterfly garden.

Three weeks ago, I saw a caterpillar in my garden.
I wondered why my young calamansi plants were losing their leaves.
I examined them, trying to know if there was a worm or a pest that would make my young calamansi trees bald.
While I was pulling the unwanted grass, I picked a green and black thing which was so soft. Because of its texture, I suddenly released it from my fingers, never knowing that it was a caterpillar.


When I realized that it was a caterpillar, I built its sanctuary.
I was afraid that it would fall from the third floor of this building down to the ground floor.


I made a sanctuary of the caterpillar from scotch tapes. I wrapped the potted plant with scotch tapes. I visited it every day. I saw how voracious the caterpillar was. It ate all the leaves of my calamansi plants. I gave it other types of plants, but it didn't like the other young leaves of the other plants, such as chili, mango, camote, tomato, and alogbati plants.


The next day, I saw my other potted calamansi plants bald, too.
I suspected, there's another caterpillar. And I saw one sleeping on one leaf of the calamansi tree.


To make the story short, I had two insects in my garden. So I built another sanctuary with the same materials.


When I woke up this morning, Saturday, August 4th, 2012, I saw a small creature in the cage with wings. It looked like this.

I hastily got my scissors, cut the scotch tapes, and let the butterfly fly.


I saw it flew happily. 
I felt I was the one who was freed from my cage.
I even told it to go and let live. I saw it flung its wings high up until it disappeared from my sight.


So I just had a butterfly for just seconds. But I took care of it for less than a month. Though I still have a cocoon in  my garden, I still don't think of keeping it for a lifetime when it becomes a butterfly. I want my butterflies to live freely, just like myself, living freely but righteously.

I guess I still have to wait for a week before my cocoon in my garden becomes a butterfly again. Till then, I'll write another story of my butterfly to be.