Planted

Chapter 12 Seeing Green

I stood at the door of Tommy's apartment and braced myself. As Logan, so kindly reminded me as he dropped me off, I was going into a greenhouse--where most conversations would probably revolve around Global Warming and the environment.

"That's not the worst of it, honey. Are you prepared for vegan food?" he asked cheeky as ever.

I took a deep breath and told myself, "This is good for you, you need a diversion from reading mum's journal and TM is very distracting." I raised my finger and was about to ring the doorbell when the door flew open.

"Hi, hi come," hurried Tommy, "I was about to wait for you downstairs in case... It's so good to see you again. Feels as if we've been apart forever." Tommy whisked me into the kitchen, shut the door and handed me plates of food. "Here, have some fried wanton and mango prawns. I made them myself. Here, let me give you a hug first," he excitedly rambled.

He drew me into his arms and held me tight. He smelled of homemade bread, warm and nourishing. I could have stayed in his arms forever, but I pulled away and popped some food in my mouth.

"Mmm..yummy," I mumbled giving him the I'm-so-impressed-you-can-cook look.

"Here, try this corn and tuna dip," he said pushing a plastic bowl of what looked like cat's puke at me. He eyed me hungrily and I dipped my carrot stick into the mixture. I gave him a thumbs up while crunching away. He looked so pleased with himself that I just had to look up at him and smirk. It was a bad mistake, because his face was just a breath away from mine and he swooped down to kiss me. Not once but twice, even after I ate tuna. TM was really impressive like that. He was leaning forward for kiss three when a knock on the door interrupted us.

"Tom, what's the hold up? We are starting mains without appetizers and we need more ice. Why did you lock the kitchen door?"

"You locked us in?" I mouthed an exclamation.

"We deserved a private moment," he said sheepishly, "now we need a couple more."

Instantly, we emerged from the kitchen slightly ruffled, carrying two trays of appetizers each and offering them to the crowd. There were so many people in the apartment that I had to elbow my way at places to serve the mango rice. The flow of conversation was predictably about endangered animals, carbon footprints and deforestation. What amused me was that only a couple of hours ago I was at a networking event where the topic of conversation revolved around property and car prices, cost of education and profit cycles. In both places, the faces were familiar, the atmosphere pleasant but I felt I didn't really fit in.

"Sandy, here in the balcony," yelled Monique. I grabbed a plate of vegetable spring rolls and joined her under the bamboo tree.

"Hi, how's it going?" I said with my cheeks full. We hugged briefly; they were a very touchy feely sort of family.

"What do you think of this?" she asked pointing some pots of flowering plants. The orchids were in full bloom displaying a perfect bilateral symmetry. My eyes widened at the huge white, purple and yellow blooms. I nodded chewing.

"Funny, how I didn't notice them the last time round," I thought to myself. "Amazing!" I whispered sheepishly.

"Prize winning orchids. Tom's won first prize at the community centre's Annual Garden Competition every year for the past few years," she said.

"Wow," I tried to make as many appropriate admiring sounds as I could but was interrupted by Ann and Doris who joined us.

"My little brother keeps everything he cares for so healthy, strong and robust. He is a natural at any living thing, plants, pets, people..." quipped Ann.

"A couple of years ago, we had to give out guppies as party gifts because the aquarium kept overcrowding..." added Doris.

"How about those baby rabbits, kittens..." began Monique.

"Chicks and birds...?" laughed Ann

"Jan told him to stick to plants, at least we can just give extra seedlings to the estate gardener," grinned Doris, warmly. I could tell from way their eyes lit up, they really loved their little brother.

After another round of hugging, the topic went on to homemade cleaning products and Jan's expertise in cleaning up their messes. By the time Tom joined us the conversation was in full swing, but at the corner of my eye I watched See Yew observing me intently, his eyebrows dancing.

"So what are you talking about? Cleaning products or green solutions to eco tourism?" Tommy said draping his arm over me.

"Homemade cleaning products, we used as a kid..." Ann filled him in.

"Tom, did you tell Sandy about the time Jan texted us OMG BRB?" sniggered Doris.

"No, not yet..." said Tommy looking indulgently around. See Yew seemed agitated and came closer to hear us.

"Jan wanted material for her upcycling and recycling sculpture and thought BRB meant Bring Rubbish Back please. Haha..." the three sisters broke out into giggles.

"Oh come join our latest craze, Sandy. The BCA Academy's Zero Energy Building has just been launched at SGBW, have you ever been in a zero energy building?" invited Ann and the sisters clapping in anticipation.

"SGBW stands for Singapore Building Week which encourages improvements in green technology," Tommy explained patiently, noticing my puzzled expression, "The BCA or Building and Construction Authorities education and research building has been fitted so that it generates it own energy from solar panels etc. It has started educational tours that are open to the public by appointment only."

"Are you keen to go?" asked Monique so eagerly that it was hard to turn her down.

"Well... I have been reading about Curitiba in Brazil and curious..." I began uncertainly.

"Good, I know the supervisor. Leave it to me, I'll set it all up for next week..." she whipped out her paper diary and penciled me down for Friday at 6pm. I looked up my phone diary and agreed tacitly. Tommy squeezed my shoulder and his eager sisters reminded me of a flash mob dance troupe seconds before the music started.

"My passion is MIT's Fab Tree Hab; Tommy's is the leaf flute and Monique's..." Doris trailed.

"You play the leaf flute?" I asked quizzically.

"You've never heard him? Tommy!"

The sisters leaped into action. Within seconds, Tommy was playing "Whispering Hope" on a mango leaf and the whole room was silently listening.

Monique turned to me and whispered, "Doesn't this music restore your hope in humanity?"

I nodded agreeably and scanned the reaction of the crowd. There standing just behind Tommy in the shadows stood See Yew green with envy.

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Hi readers,

Yes, leaf flute music really is a thing .... :)