A House on Eden

10. Reprieve

The next day after work I opened the basement door and walked down the narrow wooden steps. The basement was a vast space, running underneath the downstairs bedrooms, the living room and the kitchen. The floor was naked concrete, swept free from dust. There was a round hole cut out in it for the sump pump.

I stood at the bottom of the steps looking around the empty space. There were naked light bulbs hanging on frayed wires from the beams. There were empty wine bottles arranged in single file on the shelf by the window. There were empty planter pots on the floor, stacked according to their size. In the corner stood the lawn mower.

It looked battered from its many rounds across the lawn and in places the green paint had worn off. I grabbed hold of the handle on the rope and pulled. The lawn mower shuddered, belched, puffed out blue smoke and fell silent.

I pulled again and it roared to life, blowing leaves across the floor. I turned it off and tested its weight. I knew immediately I couldn't carry it up the steps to the kitchen. I was a lone woman who did not need a man who needed a man.

"I need your help, Kev," I said on the phone.

"Anything," he said. "Are you back at your house? I didn't see you today."

"I'm back," I said, "and I have this huge lawn of tall grass and a mower I can't lift out of the basement."

"No worries," he said. "Be there in fifteen."

I was sitting on the porch when he drove up in his black pickup truck. "Wine?" I said and poured him a glass.

"How is Bruce?" He said, taking the chair beside me.

"He is on his first day back at work today," I said. "They have him pushing papers."

"That's better than pushing you," he said.

"Very funny," I smiled.

After emptying his glass, he brought up the lawnmower and set it out on the lawn. "It's a monster, Jess," he said out of breath. "Are you sure it works?"

"Started on the second pull," I said. "There's nothing wrong with it."

"If you like," he smiled, "I'll mow your lawn for you."

"Sweet but no thanks," I said. "It's my house and I want to care for it."

"Do you mind if I watch then?" He said.

"That's fine," I said, "but there's nothing to see."

"If you're wearing a tank top and shorts, I beg to differ," he smiled.

"I don't have a tank top," I smiled. "Help yourself to more wine."

I started with the front lawn, beginning with the edges and circling to the center. The sky above me was a soft blue; small wisps of clouds were drifting through it. The leaves of the large trees in front of the house were changing color, catching the late afternoon sun with their leaves. I was perspiring, my arm muscles were aching, and I felt a deep sense of fulfillment.

I finished in front and started on the back. The lawn sloped up toward the trees, showing patches of earth. Near the woods I found brambles hung heavy with blackberries. I tasted one and it was sweet, delicious. I saw mushrooms like little hats congregating on the ground beneath the tree roots, surrounded by a sea of green moss. I was in paradise.

"That only took you 45 minutes," Kevin smiled when I had silenced the lawnmower and parked it by the porch steps. "Where are you going to keep that thing?"

"I hadn't thought about that," I said. "Not in the basement, that's for sure."

"Park it out back," he said. "Put some tarp over it so the rain doesn't get to it."

"Thanks," I said.

"Have you eaten yet?" He said.

"No," I said.

"Why is it that every time I see you, you haven't eaten?" He teased. Want me to order in?"

"Sure," I smiled. "Chinese."

We ate on the porch, watching the sun go down. The garden was bathed in a soft orange light. A white stork swooped down on the pond, its long beak open. Then it rushed back into the sky. It had happened in mere seconds.

"I can't believe they deliver here," he said between mouthfuls. "This place of yours is in the backwoods."

"The mall is right down the road," I said. "It only looks like the backwoods because this location is hidden by the tall trees."

"You seem happy here, Jess," he smiled. "You did the right thing buying this house. This house is going to take care of you."

"That's what Marjory said," I smiled.

"Marjory?" He said.

"The owner," I said.

After Kevin left, Bruce called.

"You're still not home," he said. His voice sounded irritated. "Are you back at that damn house? Did you up and leave me again?"

"Yes," I said.

There was a long silence.

"It ain't fair to fight a man when he's down," he said. "I'll let you be for now but once my arm is healed I'll be at your door breaking it down with both fists. And what about my damn cruiser?"

"I'll have it towed to the station," I said.

"I thought things were alright again, Jess," he said. "I told you I was sorry."

That was just about that one time," I said. "There were other times."

"Well, I'm sorry about them too," he said.

"Not good enough," I said and disconnected the call.

That night the walls curved around me, the floor rose close, carrying me like a child. I fell into a deep sleep.

The next day after work I called the towing company. I stood on the porch watching as the cruiser was lifted onto the empty truck bed, its headlights blind, its blue light silent. The gentle evening surrounded the house, the trees rustled in the breeze, the orange sun sunk low behind the trees. Max was standing against the white picket fence, his eyes seeking mine, his tail wagging.