Bread For April

Annie's Garden

Annie is a stout woman . Neither old or young. She tells everybody she was born in the middle of everything. So when the hose started leaking and the handle got stuck she almost laughed it off. She could easily unscrew it, she thought confidently. Until her red hands smarted sorely that is.

Officer Jarvis was shaking his head as he made his way hurriedly to his police van. He took one more quick glance at Claudine's small cottage and shut the van door loudly. Then off he went.

Annie watched the police leave and pursed her thin lips. They were sore as well from her dry chapped flesh that kept flaking. Her doctor tells her to drink more water but she knows she drinks enough. Her mind off the soreness , switches on the butterflies. Annie looks and sees them all as pests not the pretty , springtime miracles that most view them as. Oh a few is fine. But not this many. That's why she anonymously made a nuisance report a few days ago.

Claudine peeked from her front door and cracked it a bit when she saw her butterflies had arrived for that day. She also glanced in the other direction briefly to see Annie. Her smile was sunshine in a storm. " Do you need help Annie?"

Annie grunted but she looked at her hand. Beet red and now stinging. As she said " Doubt you can do anything, but my hose is stuck ."

" Oh let me see. I've gotten many stuck in my day! I'll be right back in a jiffy. " Claudine shut the door back and a few minutes later came out with some paper towels.

Taking the hose from Annie's hand she held it near the bottom with a paper towel wrapped around her hand and in a few moments got it loose. Then she screwed it back on and the leak stopped. " Good you don't need a gasket , it was just crooked "

Annie blushing slightly started to say thank you to Claudine but Claudine walked into her house again and when she came back out had the other paper towel wrapped in two pieces of ice chunks.

Giving the ice to Annie she said " This should help take the pain away." Looking at Annie's hand that actually now had a small purple bruise in the center.

" Funny how that never happened to me before, thank you for the help Claudine" Annie said in her raspy voice. She was feeling a little guilty for making the report on her butterflies now. Relief also flooding through her as the ice did numb the sore hand. Some small butterflies were flying around the ice as it melted on the grass. She caught her frown and smiled thinly instead.

" Everyday is a new day to live , learn and to grow. I must say your roses are big and bounty this year! " Claudine told her neighbor warmly.

Annie smiled a real smile this time because her Roses were her joy.  " Your butterflies are happy today"

" Yes they are " Claudine watched them and did her little butterfly dance.

Just like that pests become beautiful creatures of joy and friendship. Suddenly.