The Garden

I’ve never been one to enjoy the great outdoors or have any kind of appreciation for nature. So, when we moved into our new home, I decided that I would be responsible for the interior (I love soft furnishings) and my husband James would maintain the garden, something he readily agreed to. James is the opposite of me in many ways. He revels in nature and will happily mow the lawn and trim our hedges. He says it’s therapeutic. In the summer, he likes nothing better than to sit outside having his tea and gazing with pride at the bloom of our gardenias. When he asked me to keep his precious garden in good condition while in hospital, I sighed deeply and promised I'd do it through gritted teeth. I really didn’t want to be on all fours digging up weeds even with gloves on. The thought of all those creepy crawlies living in the soil turns my stomach. I wanted to call in a gardener and pass off their work as my own but after 10 years of marriage, James can always tell when I'm lying. He says I make a twitchy movement with my mouth, apparently. Anyway, I had put it off long enough. I retrieved James's equipment from the shed and tied up my long locs with an old silk scarf. If I could, I’d wear one of those hazmat suits, but I had to settle with the next best thing: James’s overalls.

I noticed one corner of the garden that looked a bit more neglected than the rest. They always say tackle the hardest task first, then do the easier items on your to-do list. I tried to get myself in the mood by listening to my favourite playlist of Motown classics. I jigged and dug along to the soulful beats of Stevie Wonder putting the weeds in the bin bags close by. Suddenly my shovel struck something solid. I quickly brushed the soil away wondering what it could be. I hoped it wasn’t a pipe; I could just hear James complaining about having to spend money we didn’t have on fixing the mess I created. Maybe this could explain why this spot was different. The ringing of the house phone interrupted these thoughts. Everyone I know calls my mobile, I knew they were probably telemarketers or outstanding bills owed, either way, they would call again. I rested on my hunches for a bit; I still couldn’t see the object. It looked similar in colour to the soil. I took off my gloves; it felt smooth like leather to the touch. The phone started again I decided to answer it just in case it was the hospital.

When James came home, he checked the garden first. No surprise there.

‘Oh, you’ve done a good job love’ he said surprised.

‘Thanks’ I said sheepishly.

‘Erm...when did you get this,’ he asked pointing to the new armchair. ‘And the telly it’s almost the size of a cinema screen!’

‘The chair is for you love, it even has a built-in massager.’

‘But where did you get the money from?’ he said quizzically knowing full well that money had been pretty tight recently.

‘Oh, I won a little on a scratch card’ I said making sure not to twitch. He seemed satisfied with my answer and enveloped me in an unexpected bear hug. I smiled over his shoulder, glancing at my new special favourite spot in the garden.