No Strings

Chapter 9: Boy Decides to Garden

William was rooting around in the garden when I found him. I pushed the cellphone in his face. He took out his iPod earbuds. He answered the call with gardening gloves on. He tugged at a smaller weed.

"Yeah, right. I know. Yup. I took engineering classes too, but I still need one on the site. I'm not licensed yet, but I'm taking the test next month... Sure that's fine. See you."

He handed the phone to me. I hung up.

"What are you planning to plant?"

He took a long breath. "Roses--fairy button. I heard that they do well here. I'm not sure what their proper name is... a few herbs too. I also planted a lot of perennials-- such as lilies and day lilies. All of the plants have an edible component. I should be able to reduce weeding too. I'm planting in some blue ground cover too."

He wiped his brow on his shirt sleeve. "Thanks for getting the phone call. I appreciate it." He inserted the iPod buds into his ears again.

I nodded and went back to work. I was a bit behind on the stack of papers and budgeting, but it was getting a bit better with time. I hoped I could meet the deadline.

***

I saw the garden after William was done. His work resulted in a preliminary garden filled with old brick stones for the pathway, and starts of plants everywhere. I guessed that he got the bricks at a work site since they were broken. It had an old park bench. I wasn't sure how he'd gotten that, but he'd set it near the edge of the house, and put a trellis over it.

Roses were everywhere. And between the roses were herbs. I read some of the signs. "Chocolate mint" was next to a serrated edged plant. There were several large bricks sunk beside it. English Thyme was weaved in between the bricks. Sprigs of two different kind of chives lined in soft sprays. The lavender and the garden sage were amazing. In small pots were bright red angry chili peppers. It reminded me somewhat of an English garden and at the same time staring at one of his buildings. It had that distinct William-ness to it. I had no idea he liked gardening.

Even though it was small and I could still smell the unsettled manure, I could still imagine what this garden would be like next year. When everything crept into place. It would be beautiful. And if he was thinking bilaterally, he was thinking of raising the value of the house.

He'd also wound a climber around the bottom of the bench which I didn't recognize. I read the tag. It said "Chocolate vine."

I sat on the bench and stared at the surroundings. It would be nice to sit here next year and the years after.

A car pulled into the drive. I recognized it immediately and yelled to William that his parents were here. He told me something about it last week, but I'd forgotten the date.

William's parents were... well... very British. They enjoyed America, but had stayed British. William had been vague about why they came. He said something about the class system and sometimes would joke that it was also because of the dental system in Britain.

His father was tall and shook my hand vigorously. I was a bit surprised because I'd expected them to hate my guts after taking William off the market. I wasn't the best financial catch and we had no prospects for giving them grandchildren. William shuffled in the living room. He looked like a mouse trying to scurry into its hole.

She smiled at me in a British way that gave me a sense that I would gain magical powers to fly on a broomstick over the landscape of Cambridge. "So very nice to meet you."

William was hiding somewhere behind the veil of the piano. I glared at him. He had to take responsibility for his parents. He stiffened a little at my glare and hung his head.