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A Neighborly Encounter
The tea roses were stunning this year. Marion’s
favorites were the pale pink ones. She bent down to inhale the
fragrance and saw someone walking down the street. It was the
gentleman who had recently moved into the Victorian house on the
corner.
As he approached her, he patted his hair into
place. "Good morning, Ma’am."
Marion smiled. "Good morning." She couldn’t help
noticing his neat mustache and pleasant smile.
"Beautiful day."
"Yes it is."
He nodded and continued his walk. Marion picked a
bouquet of roses and went inside. She was already looking forward to
spending time among her roses the next day.
Early the next morning, she was in her rose
garden again. Her new neighbor stepped out of his front door and began
walking in her direction. She wondered if he had a family, where he
was from, and even if he was a Christian.
As he got closer, Marion could see he was dressed
very neatly in a white shirt and navy blue pants. His wing tip shoes
were polished to a high shine. She wished she was wearing something
besides her old pedal pushers and sleeveless blouse. He stopped at her
gate and spoke to her. "Hello."
Marion wasn’t even sure why, but she was pleased
he stopped. "Hello."
"I see you enjoy growing roses."
"Oh yes. I love all kinds of gardening. My roses
are extra nice this year. Don’t you think so?"
"Indeed I do. By the way, my name’s William
Smythe. I bought the Victorian home on the corner."
"Yes. Welcome to the neighborhood, Mr. Smythe.
I’m Marion Granger."
"Thank you. I garden a little bit myself. I
haven’t had much chance to start anything yet, but there’s a run down
garden in my back yard. Needs lots of work. I can’t wait to get
started on it. Of course, it will be time consuming. I’ve no one to
help me. My wife died three years ago."
"I’m so sorry, but I do understand. I’m a widow
myself. The garden was Mrs. Browne’s pride and joy. She and her
husband lived in your house for years. I always loved her house and
garden, but the house has been empty for a while."
"Yes, the house is a grand old lady. She just
needs a little attention."
They stood in silence for a moment. "Well, I’ll
be on my way. I walk every morning." He patted his chest. "Good for
the old ticker, you know."
Marion was sorry he was leaving. "Stop by again."
He smiled and walked on down the street.
When Marion woke the next morning, she didn’t put
on her old gardening clothes. Instead, she looked through her closet
and pulled out a pale blue sun dress. She took some extra time with
her hair and spoke to herself in the mirror. "Marion, why in the world
are you worrying about your appearance when all you’re going to do is
work in the rose garden? You’re hoping Mr. Smythe will stop by, aren’t
you?" She sighed and went out to her garden.
Right on cue, Mr. Smythe came walking down the
street. He raised a hand in greeting as he got close. "Good morning,
Mrs. Granger. How are the roses today?"
"Oh, hello. The roses are fine, but I think I
need to fertilize them."
Mr. Smythe examined a bush. "Yes, yes, I think
you’re right. Would you be interested in some home made organic
fertilizer? I mixed some up last night in hopes I would get to start
in my garden today. I found a lovely Mister Lincoln rose that needs a
little boost."
"Home made organic fertilizer? I’d like to try
it, but I don’t want to be a bother."
"Not at all. I’ll just go back to the house and
bring you some right now."
He headed back for his house, and Marion stood
watching after him. She was surprised at how much she enjoyed chatting
with him.
He returned in just a few minutes carrying a
glass jar. "Her you are, Mrs. Granger. Try this. It’s coffee grounds,
a little vinegar, and a few other things, all natural. It will make
your roses very happy. You don’t need much. One other thing you might
do before you fertilize them is pray."
"Pray?"
"Oh yes. I thoroughly believe in prayer, even for
every day things."
"I believe very strongly in prayer, too, and I
certainly will pray when I feed them. Thank you for the fertilizer."
"You’re welcome. I guess I’ll finish my walk."
Marion shook her head. "Couldn’t you stay for a
few minutes? I have some fresh lemonade.
I’ll bring it out here and we can sit on the lawn
chairs. I’d love to chat about roses with you. You seem quite
knowledgeable."
"As a matter of fact, I’d love some lemonade,
Mrs. Granger. Shall we pray over it first?"
"Of course." Marion retreated into the house to
get the lemonade, smiling all the way.
©2996 Betty Castleberry |
