My Garden (DROPPED)

My Garden

With arms and legs sprawled, I could have made the perfect snow angel. But it was in the middle of spring and I was in my garden. My mind was not at all bothered by the dirt beneath me or how upset Mum was going to be when I got back in to the house after seeing the mess I have made of my new white dress. I laid there, staring up the sky with a big smile on my face. I just could not wait until the garden was in full bloom. I started counting in my head, “Not too long now” I told myself. I supported my head with my hands and took in a lung full of fresh air. Nothing beats the smell of nature. I decided to roll in the soft dirt for a little while longer before going in for tea.

When I stepped into the house, I heard a loud gasp coming from the kitchen. I knew without a doubt that that came from Mum and I was in a heap of trouble. I shut my eyes tight and waited for Mum to deliver some sort of punishment unto me. I waited but nothing happened. I slowly peeked through one of my eyes and saw Mum standing in front of me with her lips pursed and arms crossed tightly under her bosoms. I looked at Mum’s feet and mumbled an apology. She sighed and patted my head. I looked up, surprised. She knelt and smiled, “Now, now Stella. No one wants to be friends with a dirty little girl.” I rubbed at my face with the back of my hand hoping that I could clean it but more dirt was smeared across my cheeks and chin. Mum laughed and took my hand, leading me to the bathroom. She made me clean myself before I could get any tea or scones.

Like any other night, I stared out my window looking at the garden below. Everything was normal until I saw something shiny or do I say sparkling, hovering just above the plot for Limoniums. Pressing my face against the cold glass window, I tried to see if the shiny, sparkling thing was truly real. I squinted and rubbed my eyes and it was still there. I got out of bed slowly and crept downstairs to the back door. When I opened the door, there was no more shiny, sparkling thing but a boy was standing on the Limoniums. How dare he stepped on my Limoniums, those were my favorites. When I first got it at the market place, the woman who sold it to me asked if I knew what the Limonium flowers mean. I shook my head and she said, "It comes from the Greek word leumon which means meadow. The flowers represents Sympathy, Remembrance and Lasting Beauty."I looked at him a realized that he only had on a white shirt, brown pants and suspenders. His hair was cut short, just above his ears but the front covered most of his eyes.

“Oi, you there!” I whispered as quietly as I can but loud enough so he could hear me.

The boy spun around.

“Don’t be stepping on those Limoniums or it won’t bloom!”

He cocked his head to the side and looked really puzzled. I started to wave my hands and mouthed out the word ‘Go away’ but he waved back instead. I made walking movements with my fingers but he still did not get it. At last, I went out of the house, in my pajamas and barefooted to the garden. I immediately pulled him away from the plot and frowned at him. I could not stay angry at him for long because it was really cold outside and it was harder to frown than it was to shiver. I rubbed my arms and tried frowning at him again. Unexpectedly, he got closer and hugged me. I pushed away on reflex. My breath was becoming shallow and I felt my throat tightening. And then I felt the first trickle of tear escaping my eye. He looked at me then. He held out a hand and waited for me respond. When I did not, he stepped forward and pulled me against his body. He was warm and snuggly even though he was out there longer. He was taller than I was so my head was buried in his chest. Being in his embrace made me feel so comfortable I might have fallen asleep in his arms because I woke up to Mum’s panicked voice. I was still sleepy so all I heard was, “What in the world … Why was she outside?”