The Weeping Wisterias of Westwood🔊

In the old, charming town of Westwood, nestled amid the verdant knolls and babbling brooks, was an ancient home known as the Wisteria Manor. The imprints of past generations seeped into its every stone, whispering tales of bygone days. Its distinguishing feature was its garden, famous for the rare, breathtakingly lovely 'sapphire wisterias', a sight to behold for their unique colour. This narrative is about the Weeping Wisterias of Westwood.

The manor's master was a stoic elderly gentleman named Alexander Westwood, a direct descendent of the town's founder. Alexander was the town's legend, his deep-set eyes mirroring the wisdom and secrets of the generations that came before. He lived alone, his only companion being the sapphire-hued wisterias that spread their turquoise tendrils over the manor's stone walls.

One autumn morning, to the town's great surprise, Alexander declared he was to host a grand ball at the manor and everyone was invited. The town buzzed with excitement, the townsfolk preparing their finest attire, eagerly awaiting the event.

As the night of the ball approached, the Wisteria Manor was embellished with fairy lights twinkling amidst the wisterias. Inside, the manor was transformed into a magnificent ballroom.

The ball was underway, the townsfolk dancing the old songs played by a local band. The air was electric, filled with laughter and merriment that hadn't echoed through the manor in decades. Alexander, looking handsome in his old-fashioned tuxedo, was enjoying the evening, when the villagers noticed that the wisterias were weeping. The somber blue petals were falling, draping over the manor’s walls with unusual vigour.

As the whispers about the wisterias grew, the guests noticed Alexander's disappearance from the ballroom. The town's doctor, who was close to the Westwood family, rushed to his quarters only to find him peacefully passed away, a single wisteria petal grasped in his now still hand.

The ball turned into an evening of mourning as news of Alexander's passing spread. The villagers remembered their old master amidst tears, offerings, and stories shared. The petals of wisteria continued to fall as if weeping for the departed soul, painting the scene almost bittersweet.

The legend of the Weeping Wisterias of Westwood was born that night, along with the passing of Alexander. It was considered a beautiful phenomenon that nature expressed sorrow on losing a friend. Alexander had often said that he shared an unspoken bond with the wisterias, and his peaceful passing affirmed this belief.

Through the following years, the manor was maintained by the town, a place of historical significance. The wisterias still bloom every spring, their unusual color a beautiful reminder of Alexander and their weeping, a testimony to the bond shared. When a gentle wind would blow in Westwood, the wisterias would weep, their petals floating down, as if maintaining a decades-long vigil for their departed friend - or perhaps, it was believed by some, shedding tears for the stories witnessed, but never told.

In the end, Westwood and its wisterias have survived, persisting as living reminders of a legacy and a legend. The story of the weeping wisterias has become embedded in the collective memory of the town of Westwood. It is now a part of oral lore, narrated by old grandparents to their wide-eyed, wondering grandchildren on cold winter nights when the only sounds heard were the crackling of firewood and the soft rustling of wisteria vines wrapped around a love-woven tradition and story.