Gardie's Garden
PoetPeppi, Gardie's little friend from down the street, was at Gardie's house eating cookies and drinking tea. They had met only a year ago, when Peppi was 8 and Gardie was 68. Despite the age difference, they had become good friends. They were talking about what plants they would grow together this year, when they started to smell smoke. All of a sudden, the smoke detectors went off. Gardie grabbed Peppi by the hand and they ran outside.
Only a half hour later, they stood across the street, looking at the rubble that was once called home.
"What do we do now?" Peppi asked.
"We wait," said Gardie.
"Wait for what?" Peppi peppered her with questions.
"The police. They said they'll be here in a few minutes."
"But what about the plants?" Peppi had a tear in her eye.
"It's okay, Pep. The plants have firm roots. They will grow back, even though the fire came." Gardie also had a tear in her eye. This garden was her everything. from the time she was 5, her fingers were deep in the dirt, planting, pruning, picking the produce. Her mother taught her everything she knew about plants. Days were spent going to the library to pick up plant books, then going to the seed store to grow more plants. When she moved away to college, her mother kept the garden going. When her parents got in that car wreck that ended their lives when she was 19, the garden helped her to heal. She continued their work.
It always made her feel close to her mother. The garden was the last thing she had from them. That, and the house.
When she got married, and then started having children, she taught them all how to garden.
Then, one by one, they left to live their own lives. Two years ago, her husband passed away.
It was the garden that kept her going.
The rubble of her house lay there, sad and full of smoke. But her garden would come back, bigger than ever.
I guess what they say is true. What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger.
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