IN THAT ROSE GARDEN

IN THAT ROSE GARDEN (1.1)

ONE

IN THAT ROSE GARDEN

Jacob was turning twenty five so fast. He felt his adolescent years were slowly chirping off but immediately he turned eighteen, time started to move too swiftly.

The sun wasn't shining too bright that morning, so it was perfect.

Rain had just poured in last night and the water hyssops had soaked in enough water. The Easter lilies and Venus fly traps were prepped before the down pour. He had finished most of his work meticulously and was just left with a single duty.

In that thought, he took a while to take in the beauty of the green house garden.

There were pitcher plants and Babys tears, Conifers, roses that were pink red and blue, orchids, stephanotis, lilies and lily of the valleys.

Marisa loved plants and she had an enormous garden with so many species. Some needed tending to and others were easy to take care of. There were five of them who tended to her gardens but only he was allowed inside the green house and her home.

In the grandiose mansion he had pruned the lilacs, rhododendrons, viburnums and forsythias. Marisa grew deadly nightshades and a castor bean in one of her balconies but she would never let them touch the deadly plants, she took care of them herself.

Only a few years ago, Jacob was hired among others with a head house maid. But only the head house maid knew how she looked. No one else did.

Even till now, no one does.

Mrs. Agnes was her house maid and one day in privacy, she told Jacob Marisa had quit music and would no longer ever leave her house. And it made sense; she was probably in her late sixties by now. What would she be doing with music?

Jacob jovially looked out the green house, the sun was still shady. After planting in new Chrysanthemums he would be done for the day, and then he and the other gardeners could meet for brunch as planned. He checked his watch and worked a bit faster with the manure.

"She doesn't like Alpaca manure"

Jacob heard a soft feminine voice faintly coming from behind him. He turned back and there was a middle aged woman, maybe thirty two or three and she wore a knee length causal white dress with green floral prints on it. She carried a brown sack with red rubber gloves and walked to him with black waterproof boots. She was dark with brown curly hair which she had tied up.

"Sheep manure smells less" She continued, dropping the sack to the floor.

"You're right but its been hard to find lately" He continued raking the soil while the woman stood beside him.

"I found sheep manure, so you'll have to start over" She calmly said, before walking out.

"Well Marisa won't know" He murmured to himself while the woman casually strolled out. He wondered who she was but didn't bother. He looked at the sack she dropped and it was indeed sheep manure.

Mr. Gage probably found a new supplier but it was too late, he wasnt going to dig a new hole and start over.

They all met at the outer rose garden, which was straight in the front yard of the mansion near the entrance and next to a beautiful mermaid fountain.

The gardeners were excited as they did theyre work earlier than any other day. It will be afternoon drinking next.

Mrs. Agnes greeted them goodbye with longing. She only left the place once in a year. She first took up the job because she fit the requirements, no family, friends or anyone to inherent her hefty salary, but as Jacob grew closer to her he found that he was becoming like her family, who lived seven thousand miles away in a Mediterranean Island.