A Sunset to Remember

Hey this is kind of a children's story, let me know how you like it.:)

I am a barrel cacti, I am fifty years old and still young.  I live in Casa Grande, Arizona where the weather gets very hot and is often sunny.  I always point to the southwest so that I don’t get burnt.  To my right sits a prickly pear cactus, to my left stands a saguaro cactus.  The saguaro stands tall and when the sun sets he blocks my view of the beautiful sunset.  I often complain to him but he just laughs and says I need to grow taller.  Well, I am ten feet tall, and for a barrel cactus that is an amazing feet; it was clear I wasn’t going to get any taller.

 The saguaro called himself Guapo, which meant handsome; but the barrel decided to take on a more modest name, Epico.  Guapo was sixteen feet tall and had many arms that reached out in all directions; he teased Epico, since Epico was a plain stalk.  Every evening Guapo would stand tall and exclaim over the beauty of the sunset, he would never describe it to Epico; he would only say that it was more beautiful than the last.  Epico resented Guapo for this and every once and a while he would yell at him for his audacity.  

Cosa Dulce, which meant sweet thing, would calm Epico down on these occasions.  She was the little prickly pear that dwelt beneath him; she would never be able to see the sunrise or sunset for she was too short.  A building blocked her way on the east and on the west both Epico and Guapo blocked her view.  Epico was always courteous enough to describe the sunrise down to the smallest detail.  Epico also noticed that she was never irritated with either him or Guapo for standing in her way; Cosa Dulce always seemed to be happy.  Epico decided he would try and acquire Cosa Dulce’s optimistic attitude and for years after he became less infuriated with Guapo.

It had been seven years since Epico had learned to be content, and he had still never seen a sunset.  Guapo was too proud to describe it to him and still teased him about his lack of limbs; but Epico’s temper never was raised.  Now Epico saw that Guapo had become sullen and the tall proud cactus he remembered was slowly disappearing.  One night Epico woke with a start to a loud thud, he glanced over and saw Guapo slouch down even more than he had been and heard a loud sigh.  He could never tell but he believed Guapo had lost one of his marvelous limbs.  The first frost came upon them and Epico toughened it out; he knew Cosa Dulce would be able to stand it, but Guapo had been getting worse and worse.  

It was now three months into the winter season and daylight broke; Epico and Cosa Dulce watched the sun rise, for the building which had hindered her view had been removed.  She loved watching the colors blend together in the crisp morning sky, and never grew tired of seeing the golden rays of sun come over the mountains.  The sun had risen and the daily show was over; Epico heard a sigh and turned his attention to Guapo.  The cactus that had once been tall and proud stood now slouched appearing that he would collapse at any moment.  Already there was a steady wind coming in and Clouds began to cover the sky; it would be a cold day.

 “Tonight,” said Guapo breathing deeply and heavily, “Tonight you will see a sunset.  I am sorry that in my prime I was too prideful to realize that it was a phenomenon meant to be shared with everyone.  I am sorry.”  He said and Epico didn’t even know how to respond.  The aging cactus needed no reply for he had drifted away preparing for the next gust of wind that would bring him to his knees.  It came towards the evening, and when it did Epico looked away; there was a loud crash then it was over.  Epico looked back and saw the mighty Cactus lying on the desert floor, then, it happened, a mighty sunset, far better than any Guapo had seen before.  There is no way to explain it; all you who saw it would understand, and when it was over Cosa Dulce asked for him to describe it.  “When I fall,” said Epico, “You will understand, for it is something far beyond explanation.  I will fall before you Cosa Dulce, and you will see the beauty and the splendor that is, a sunset.