The garden 10 May 2015
May 6, 2015 prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less) write a story that is a snapshot of spring. I realize that some Rough Writers are riding into autumn, and I hope this isn’t a disadvantage to focus on a season we are not collectively sharing. We could think of it as “spring eternal.” Warm, renewing, new life, hope.
The garden 10 May 2015
This is the latest prompt from Charli Mills. The list – warm, renewing, new life…. and then hope. Not certainty. Just hope. A time of year to be wary of, to take the good bits and be ready to duck and dive around the rest. To enjoy the warmth on one’s neck but have a collar to turn up if the east wind blows.
the garden 10 May 2015
As a youngster, from 15 through to 23 this time of year was pretty much shit. The trees were budding, the grass turning green, layers of clothing being shed and the day bookended with daylight rather than gloom. And I was stuck indoors, revising. May bank holidays were some sort of sick joke – just another day on the wall chart that said 8.30 to 12.30 Maths; 1 to 4 French/Literature; 5 to 7 History; 8 to 12 Whatever I’d forgotten earlier.
the garden 10 May 2015
Going for a piss was a treat, a break from the dullest of routines. Slowly, methodically washing each finger and inspecting my nails, just to eek out the time away from my desk. My brain felt like both a French Goose’s liver and a used condom at the same time; my arse lost its contours; my back mimicked a pretzel.
The garden 10 May 2015
I actually told myself I enjoyed revising, because I knew it would pay dividends. And it did in many ways; as training for coping with unending hours of boredom it was the prefect preparation for both working as a lawyer and undertaking a long stretch in prison, whichever career path I finally decided to pursue.
The garden 10 May 2015
Why is this the most effective way to test the adolescent mind to determine his or her fitness for further education? Was I a better historian for sitting and learning by rote the principle achievements of David Lloyd George? Was I a better person? A better employee? At what point does a knowledge of Lloyd George’s 1909 People’s budget help me today? On quiz night? When my own children are put through exactly the same meat grinder as I went through? It helps my sense of self; it reinforces a certain arrogance I try and suppress that somehow my knowledge of Edwardian fiscal politics makes me somehow superior to others for whom the expression Edwardian fiscal politics has as much resonance as carburettor does for me.
The garden 10 May 2015
Why not examine in November, btw. It’s dark and depressing so living like a mole is the natural state. You have Christmas to look forward to. And then youth’s rising sap can be tapped alongside Nature’s at the right time of year rather than being forced to bubble away until the last exam and then explode rather unpleasantly.
The garden 10 May 2015
But I’m no longer hidebound to the tyranny of the British Education system. So why moan. The little darlings can suffer as we all did; it’s a rite of passage. If the new Tory government wanted to do something constructive about education it would restructure the school and university year. If it did then we might even accept Michael Gollum-in-a-suit Gove back as minister. Nah, that’s stupid.
The garden 10 may 2015 – the pond
So, after that little ramble over to the flash and Mary. Will she have some fresh hope, this happy spring time?
Renewal
Mary saw the gynaecologist. ‘I’m worried about your weight, Mrs North. It’s fluctuating a lot.’
Mary listened but stayed silent.
‘Are you sleeping alright?’
No, but she said nothing.
‘At your age, pregnancy is potentially more, erm, challenging. You need to take more care of yourself. Both of you.
Mary nodded. She thought about her list, where she had added ‘me’. She realised it should have been ‘us’.
She broke from her daydream. The picture was becoming clear.
He pointed. ‘Long legs.’
‘Like my father.’
‘Do you want to know the sex?’
‘It’s a boy, isn’t it?’
He nodded.
The garden 10 May 2015
So how many of you remembered she was pregnant? Here’s the link to refresh your memories…
And there’s always one sure fire way to tell when it’s spring, when it’s warm. When Vicky emerges from hibernation and begins here testing of the boundary fences. Given her head she’d walk back to Greece.
TanGental 
Love the flash. The silence then the thought of her list where one little pronoun changes everything, shows your readers something about what Mary is feeling/thinking.
Great pictures, all. And I absolutely love this: “A time of year to be wary of, to take the good bits and be ready to duck and dive around the rest. To enjoy the warmth on one’s neck but have a collar to turn up if the east wind blows.” It’s a truth about spring that is not often written about.
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Thanks Sarah. Hope Mom Day was good for you?
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It was wonderfully relaxing. 🙂 Thanks.
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I remembered Mary was pregnant do I get a prize!??? Lovely photos of your garden lovely sad hard luck tales of your revision… Loved the video of Vicky. Xxx
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Yes, of course, just like I take the cakes you offer weekly!
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🙂 that’s what I like to hear 🙂
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Who is Vicky? Is she your pet?
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Ah our tortoise who we inherited when some friends went to the US in 2000; they were going for three years… and are still there! Vicky is in her late 60s now but very sprightly once the sun is out.
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Spring is great in the garden, and yours is looking fabulous – and interesting to see the pond which we witnessed in its development. Well I had forgotten Mary was pregnant, I’m afraid, but that just makes me more annoyed with you as you should be protecting her from stress at this stage. But let’s hope with her this is going to lead to something better. A great take on the prompt.
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And you aren’t cruel to your characters?!! But you are right, she has been put through a lot. I think her husband needs to take her away for a break, maybe at half term.
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Absolutely adore Vicky, Geoff. And great flash, btw.
With blessings,
Dani
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Thanks Dani. I’m amazed how quickly she disappears. Our neighbours know us mostly as the tortoise people.
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Good analogy 🙂
Loved it!
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Things are looking hopeful for Mary indeed. I enjoyed this flash.
I also liked your description of spring, especially the sentences Sarah pointed out.
Where does Vicky hibernate? She lives in your yard?
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She does hibernate. We bring her in gradually in October and when she stops moving we put her in straw in a box in the garage. Works fine.
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It would almost be worth putting up with your winter to have your spring garden which looks delightful. I could lose myself there with Vicky any day listening to the birds and enjoying the colour and greenery. Love the list and pronoun in your flash. I have to admit I missed she was pregnant but have now caught up.
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Thanks Irene; when your wanderlust drives you north and west there’s a place here to sit and watch…
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You have to be careful saying that to Australians. They take you up on it. 🙂
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That’s what I expected!
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I had forgotten Mary was pregnant, but I hadn’t forgotten your pond. It looks a lot better now than I remember seeing it. And your spring garden is magnificent. I always think of London blocks as tiny, but yours is definitely not so.
Poor Mary. I’d rather thought she was too old to be pregnant, but maybe I have forgotten or misread that too. I might need to take a refresher on her story. Dear thing, what a complicated life she leads.
I like your description of spring – feeling the warmth on your neck while having a collar to turn up if the east wind blows; like taking a pack-a-mac, just in case . . .
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Spring is in like a lamb, or is that March? Mary is old but not too old; one of the complications but I think my readership might kill me if I complicate her pregnancy too much…
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That’s right. Don’t you dare go killing her off. Surely she has to suffer a bit more at your hands before she is released! 🙂
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Fraid so; while Charli has the stamina to prompt I remain Mary’s evil camp commandant!
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Now that you mention it, I do remember something about Mary being pregnant but good timing to remind us now, perfect in fact for Charli’s prompt. But I am worried about her state of mind and where this will all go…
Your garden photos are beautiful, love the special effects, very dazzling. Perfectly spring-like post this Geoff, lovely 🙂
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Thanks Sheri; it is looking good just now. May/June and then Late August September are the best times here. How’s things?
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Same here Geoff, everything just coming into their best. Your garden is so beautiful though. Thanks for asking, my brother is recovering and a trip to Jersey with my mum which was planned ages ago went ahead, so just returned from that late Monday, hence my ongoing absence and barely hanging in there with the blogging!! We were there for Liberation Day, it was absolutely amazing. I will blog about it as soon as I can. All this gallavanting around has to stop, ha! BTW, I caught news of a blogging event coming up on Dylan’s reblog from Sacha and saw your name mentioned. I’m thinking of going but haven’t signed up yet…
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Oh do! Yes Sacha is organising and I’m defo going. I would love to meet up. The liberation day sounds great. The Textiliste and I holidayed there as poor students back in 1980 and saw the caves where the slave labour worked – Russian I think. We both read a book ‘Jersey under the jackboot’ which was fascinating and grim in equal measure. While logic says the Channel islands couldn’t be defended the human and psychological price was huge. Its understandable why the CI feel independent given that history.
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It sounds great fun, hope I can swing it, yes, would be great to meet up!
Yes, the Jersey War Tunnels were incredible. The slaves were from Russia, the Ukraine, Poland and Spain. Reading all the personal stories of the islanders’ and slaves’ experiences while under occupation was sobering to say the least. Yet, humourous at times and wonderfully touching too. I had no idea, and a huge price to pay on their psyche, definitely. Yet the place today brims with joy. A very humbling experience. I want to read that book, saw a copy of it at the Tunnels. I am totally fascinated now. Bet you and The Textiliste had a great time, poor or not 🙂
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We did. We lived on cherry tomatoes strawberries and jersey cream. We could get away with it back then! Lived in this awful yellow polythene, nylon tent. Meant when the sun hit it it sweated so badly you had to get up and out. Very healthy dawn to dusk life style.
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How delicious 🙂 I brought back some of those, including plenty of Jersey Royals, wonderful!
Oh gosh, yes, those dreaded tents! The first time we went camping with kids (when my eldest son was 4 years old) we borrowed his father’s old boy scout tent, bright orange, which leaked, of course, and don’t even mention the condensation!!! Good times…
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Waking up in a scout tent was always a risky business what with the other boys and the rain and sweat. At times very embarrassing…
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Lovely garden, Geoff, especially the pond. I wonder who built that? 🙂 Must of been some very clever man who put all that together.
What a delight to see Vicky as well, and hear the birds singing. Boy, can she move fast. Were there some lettuce leaves on the horizon, or was she making a break for it?
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She’s determined to get out. We even had the fences rebuilt five years ago to limit her bids; it’s like living in tortoise colditz now!
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I can feel Mary rebounding in this piece…the realization of “us” is potent. New life can give hope and hope can take any dreary thoughts and elevate the thinker above them.
Loved every one of your photos. It somehow kept your words buoyant. I could linger in your garden a long time. What’s with Vicky wanting to escape it? Silly tortoise. Doesn’t she realize she has a paradise? The grand-pond is growing up, looking good!
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Dear Vicky; always seeking her freedom!
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