Suresh. S
I ECE 3
It was a beautiful day in my life. People create memories some of which they cherish for a lifetime, either good or bad. In the same way, animals also create memories. It is fascinating to learn about the moments that others hold dear, but often, we shy away from recounting our negative experiences. People with two eyes have two lenses with which they capture the memories they create. I, as a butterfly, have 12,000 lenses in my compound eyes—imagine how many memories I would have created. Nothing much actually, because my life span is too short, approximately 2 to 6 weeks. For me, creating memories is not that easy. My name among people is Monarch Butterfly, but my original name is Vero.
The biggest problem in my life is my beauty, the beautiful colours, and patterns I have on my body. My life span is short, but even in the limited I get I cannot live peacefully. I have to cross so many hurdles in my life to create beautiful memories with my family. So many predators are attracted to my colour, and they aim to kill me. Even human beings don’t allow me to live peacefully, though I have never disturbed them in any way. I have successfully crossed 2 weeks of my life.
One sunny afternoon, I was spending my time with my family members in the garden. Suddenly, a small boy entered the garden with a huge net. He started chasing my family members. All of us flew high except my son because his wings were damaged a bit, and he was very new to this survival field. In an effort to save him, I allowed myself to be caught in the boy’s net. The boy was very happy after catching me. It was at that moment that I realized: that this day, though tragic, was a beautiful day in my life, as it marked the last memory I would create with those I loved.
The boy locked me in a glass bottle and explained the reason for capturing me to his sister. The reason is his mother likes butterflies so much, so he planned to present me as a gift to his mom on her birthday, which is in two days. The boy didn’t know that I needed food to survive. For two days, I was locked in the glass bottle without food. I died starving. After two days, the boy came to check on me as he was planning to give me to his mom that morning. After seeing me, he was heartbroken. With a sad face, he went to his mom and gave me to her, lifeless. With a sad face, he gave me to his mother, who, though sorrowful, accepted the gift with a smile, touched by her son’s thoughtfulness.
The life of a butterfly is not easy, and it is often cut short by the very beauty that makes us unique. We ask for nothing but the chance to live peacefully. Our lives may be brief, but they hold value in the moments we create. I urge you, dear human, to allow us to live undisturbed, to respect the life we are given, and to remember that every creature, no matter how small, has a place in this world.
