The Tale of the Lady of the Night

Over breakfast with my mom, we sat next to a bushel of these flowers that we cut and brought in from the garden. Their strong fragrance still lingering in the air although not for too much longer. These flowers are called Night Blooming Jasmine, or sometimes Lady of the Night, and for good reason, too. They bloom at night, of course, and that's when their fragrance is the strongest. 

How they look bloomed at night

While we sat by breathing in nature's perfume, my mom told me a tale about them, a sort of folk tale from her country, Laos. It was said that there was a boy who loved a girl, and as fate would have it, their love was forbidden. Determined to be with each other nonetheless, they would sneak out at night and the boy would bring her flowers. Their love filled the air and seeped into everything around them, including the flowers. So while the two lovers spent their night together, the flowers bloomed. When the boy left in the morning, so did the fragrance. It was left to linger until nighttime, when the lovers were again reunited.

How sweet? :)