Lemon and Lime 柠檬与青柠

“From sour lessons come fresh beginnings.“
酸涩， 是成长的开始。“

oil on canvas
51×61 cm

"Lemon yellow, lime green, cerulean blue..."

Rei loved watching his owner, Susie, paint. As she mixed colours on her palette, he danced around her feet, fascinated by the swirling shades.

"Rei, please stay back," Susie warned. "You're going to mess this up."

But Rei was too captivated to listen. A swish of his tail caught the palette, splashing pale blue-green across the canvas.

The room fell silent.

With his ears drooping, Rei wandered to the beach.

As a gentle wave slipped away, it left behind a slice of lemon and a slice of lime. Two little crabs sat beside them.

"You seem troubled," said the older crab.

"I ruined something important," Rei whispered.

The older crab gently held up the lemon slice.

"When we outgrow our shells, we must leave them behind. For a while, our new shells are soft and tender. Even the smallest scrape can hurt."

The younger crab nodded. "That's when we use lemon. It stings terribly."

Rei looked puzzled. "Why use something that hurts?"

"Because not every sting is our enemy," the older crab replied. "The lemon cleans the wound so it can heal properly. A little pain now saves us from greater pain later."

The younger crab lifted the lime slice.

"And when the wound begins to heal, we breathe in the fresh scent of lime. It reminds us that every difficult lesson carries the promise of a new beginning."

The older crab smiled at Rei.

"Kind words make us feel good. Honest words may sting, but they help us become better."

Rei lowered his head.

"Perhaps Susie's words hurt because I needed to hear them."

"And what will you do now?" asked the younger crab.

Rei looked towards the little beach house in the distance.

"I'll apologise... and next time, I'll listen."

The two crabs smiled as another wave washed over the sand.

"Then your heart has already begun to heal."

Like lemon, the truth may sting for a moment. Like lime, learning from it brings a fresh beginning.