Four Rubbings by Jennifer Hotes

Author:Jennifer Hotes [Hotes, Jennifer L.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Booktrope Editions
Published: 2013-08-26T00:00:00+00:00

JOSIE WATCHES AS GRACE

RECLAIMS A GARDEN

“I SPEND MORE TIME with the living than the dead now, Josie,” Grace reveals as she prunes back a row of hedges clipped flat enough to set a plate onto. “On Thanksgiving, I couldn’t stop looking out the windows and wishing I could put on some gloves and cut back this mess. Sure Grant said he did some work on the yard, but it wasn’t near enough. It was like some cottage garden gone wild. Now, look at it!” She appraises a newly transformed Jameson garden. Over the last three weeks, she has come over with her garden implements and dug into our overgrown yard one planter bed at a time.

She smiles as she does a visual assessment of the yard. Everything is trimmed back and tidy. In fact, I am hard-pressed to find one thing she could possibly do to make it better. I scrunch my face at her to ask, and then the truth hits me. She has come over every Sunday to see us. Her visits aren’t about gardening. She spends more time with the living now... Duh.

“I have to hand it to you. Our yard hasn’t looked this good for a long time,” I say, and I mean it. “My mother did all the gardening. After she died, the rest of us never stopped to think about it much, well, at all,” I expect the words to make me sad, but sharing this feels good, like pulling out a splinter.

“Well, I’m happy to get it back ship-shape.” She tosses her hand trowel into her wheelbarrow and extracts a pair of hedge trimmers. I laugh. At this point, what she needs is a pair of those itsy bitsy scissors they use to trim miniature bonsai trees. We are down to the fine details; busywork is what my mother called it.

“What are you giggling about? Seriously, just wait until spring, Josie! These roses and rhodies are going to wake up to a layer of fresh mulch. I bet you will get twice the normal blooms. Wait and see!” She holds her hands on her hips and smiles. I’m glad we could provide such a satisfying project for her. She glances past me to my approaching father.

He is all smiles. “Hi, ladies. How’s it going? Is anyone ready for burgers and milkshakes yet?” He takes a finger and gently wipes away dirt from Grace’s cheek, and she puts a hand over his.

Owen stands in the picture window making smooch faces. I frown at him and signal for him to stop before either Grace or Dad spot him. He is being a goofy spectacle and I turn my back, deciding distraction might be the best course.

I touch Grace’s sleeve. “I’m starving. What about you?” I ask, standing close to keep her from seeing my idiotic brother.

“I need ten minutes.” She hands me a heavy blue container. “Would you mind tossing a capful of this under each of the rose bushes? It won’t do any harm to add a little slow-feeding fertilizer before winter.

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