Blood and Ink

Chapter 2

Marvin walked down to the end of the hall, by the front door and opened the closet. As the door creaked open, he was hit with the familiar smell of leather and canvas. Emmy had done a very good job of keeping the front closet free of dust and cobwebs, as she does with the rest of the house. Mavin grabbed his gardening apron and leather gloves, draping the thick canvas apron over his arm. He bent down and grabbed his tool bag from the bottom of the closet, hidden in the back behind the coats. 

"You wouldn't by chance know someone I could pay to mow the lawn, would you?" Marvin asked as he turned to face Emmy.

"Not off the top of my head, but I will look into it for you," she said as she stepped toward the closet to grab the spare apron and gloves that Marvin kept in case anyone else wanted to help in the garden.

"I just want to concentrate on the garden tonight, but the lawn will need to be tended soon. It's turning into a real jungle out there," he said as he opened the front door.

He stepped out on the front porch and took in the smells of the outside. The gentle spring breeze carried with it the smell of every wild and domestic flower from both the garden and the surrounding woodlands. He took a deep breath in and let the smells and warmth of the sun wash over him. This was the first time in a long time that he felt somewhat normal. 

As he took another step forward, the board under his foot let out a despondent groan. Marvin looked down and took in the whole of the porch. When was the last time he had the finish on the porch touched up? Just another thing to add to the list.

Emmy stepped out onto the porch, shutting the door behind her as she came. She looked at Marvin for a moment. This was the healthiest he'd looked in months. He was still pale and far too thin to be healthy, but he looked less like he was on death's door than he had in recent days. The fresh air would definitely do him some good.

Marvin stepped off the porch without a word and headed around the back of the house following the cobblestone path that lead to the back garden, closely followed by Emmy. After traversing the low-hanging flower and fruit trees and squeezing past the bushes that flanked either side of the path, they finally reached the koi pond. Marvin set his tool bag and gloves on the patio table that sat in the middle of the garden. Has he put his apron on and began rolling up his sleeves, his head began to swarm with happy memories of this tranquil place. A smile began to creep across his face. This was the first time that Emmy had seen him smile in a long time.

"What is it, Marvin?" she asked while tying her own apron.

"I was just thinking of the day my uncle bought the koi fish," he said, his eyes moving towards the pond that was now overgrown with lily pads and duckweed. 

"That was a long time ago. Those koi fish are almost as old as you are," she said, smiling herself.

"They were just minnows when my uncle brought them home. I was so excited to see them. I was just a tot at the time. I wanted so badly to pet them or to hold them after he put them in the pond. I was standing near the edge of the of the pond reaching my hand out trying to call to them. They would come to the very surface, thinking I had food. At one point I reached a little too far out and slipped. But, just before I could fall into the pond, Uncle Arthur jumped out of his chair and scooped me with his free hand throwing me back. Unfortunately for him, momentum carried him into the pond and he went all the way in. He climbed out completely soaked from head to foot, still clenching his pipe in his mouth," Marvin said. 

He retold the story in such a way, Emmy almost felt like she could see it being played back like a movie and they both began to laugh. The picture of Marvin's uncle soaked in water in his usual tweed vest and pants with, his pipe in his mouth was quite the funny picture.