Wednesday, August 21, 2019

WEP & For Max


Jeannie filled the red wheelbarrow with the fresh soil and trundled it over to the new garden around the maple tree. Another couple of trips ought to do it.

Max had always had a thing for red flowers, so she’d gone a little crazy with the colour.

Not only the wheelbarrow but her new gardening gloves and trowel set. And the flowers of course. Impatiens, peonies, mums, poppies, dahlias, and geraniums. All in beautiful red.

Such a happy colour. This entire area of the garden was going to be all about Max. 

After filling the new garden with soil, Jeannie brought out her kneepads and went about setting the plants in place. She should have bought new knee pads as well, but the raggedy green ones would have to do.

There was something soothing about gardening. Max had never understood it, although he liked the results.
“Your knees aren’t getting any younger, Jeannie.”
“What are you doing messing with that dirt again, Jeannie?”
“Why bother? You’ll just be down on your knees weeding again next week.”
“If you’re going to do it anyway, you know I like the red ones best.”

Jeannie smiled and tucked the dahlias gently into their new home. Different shades, different textures, different shapes. All in Max’s red.

The sun neared the horizon when Jeannie tossed all the empty flower containers into the wheelbarrow. No sense in leaving a mess. Max hated messes.

After tying up the garbage bag and putting it on the curb for pick up, Jeannie rinsed off her new trowels and hung them up on the cork board then headed back to check out her hard work.

In only a few months, the leaves of the maple tree would turn red and add to the drama of the scene. Max did love his drama.

As the sun rose higher in the sky, Jeannie leaned down and patted the soil.

“Sleep tight, Max. Sleep tight.”


***


This is my entry for the WEP & IWSG August Challenge. Hope you enjoyed!

How about you? Any gardeners out there? Anyone use a garden for nefarious purposes lately? 

53 comments:

Pat Garcia said...

Hi,

For some reason, I knew Jeannie was decorating Max's grave. it was her way of going through the valley a grief. A very touching story.

Shalom aleichem,
Pat G

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

She was either doing it to honor him or maybe...there was a sinister reason for it, as in his death!

Pearson Report said...

I have a spooky feeling this could continue as a real suspense story. Questions abound within my over-active imagination: What happened to Max? Was it at Jeannie's hand? Was she planting flowers on his grave? ooohhhh the possibilities

I really enjoyed the visuals - yes, red is a very happy colour indeed.

Elephant's Child said...

This gardener is smiling broadly. How nice of her to celebrate Max's death with the only bit of her gardening he appreciated. I am assuming he met his death at her hands and think non contributors and crtics should fertilize the flowers...

Olga Godim said...

Oh, I don't know. It might be a story about love and grief, or it might be a story about a murderer. I wonder what really happened to Max? Was she mourning him or celebrating his death with all that red? Questions, questions...
Well done!

Jemi Fraser said...

Thanks Pat - I wrote it with 2 intentional ways of reading it - you found the nice one! :)

Jemi Fraser said...

I do like including the sinister bits in my FF :)

Jemi Fraser said...

Thanks! Writing it with an ambiguous conclusion is always fun!

Jemi Fraser said...

LOL - yes! I think Jeannie's planted more things than flowers :)

Jemi Fraser said...

Thanks Olga!
I'm so glad the 2 possibilities came through! :)

cleemckenzie said...

You are one naughty writer, Jemi. What a great juxtaposition of sweet, diligent gardener and clever killer. She just had to have done him in with a flower pot to the head. Great.

Jemi Fraser said...

LOL - thanks! I love twisty endings! :)

Rebecca M. Douglass said...

I think I've been reading too many creepy stories about warped people. It never once occurred to me that this could be anything but a clandestine grave, the place where she'd stowed an inconvenient corpse... Nicely spun tale!

Kalpana said...

Sad and brave. I must say I agree with Rebecca - I did wonder where this was headed, whether she'd bumped off the beloved but maybe slightly annoying Max. Was she covering up the grave with the flower beds? Perhaps the body had never been found. well done.

Jemi Fraser said...

LOL - I'm glad you enjoyed :)

Jemi Fraser said...

I tried to keep it fairly ambiguous with some hints to her nefarious deed :)

Nick Wilford said...

That was some twist at the end - and opens up so many possibilities! At first I thought it was sweet and touching but is there a sinister edge - what's he doing in the garden?! Very well done.

Pat Hatt said...

I got the more sinister vibe on this one. Just the way she was taking such care and patting the dirt, making sure her work is complete.

L.G. Keltner said...

I love how you wrote this with two very satisfying possible readings. A story of love and loss is always wonderful. However, I'm feeling in a sinister mood today, so that's how I read it. Wonderfully done!

Beth Camp said...

As I'm an OTA (older than average) writer, your story immediately connected with my feelings about love and loss, so evocative with the images of those red flowers and the narrator's strong feelings about Max. I also liked how you brought Max to life (!!!!) with dialogue.

Sally said...

A sad tale, poignant and emotional - whether sinister or not.

Jemi Fraser said...

Thanks Nick! Glad I could toy with those emotions a bit! :)

Jemi Fraser said...

Yay - wasn't sure at first if it would be too subtle. :)

Jemi Fraser said...

Thanks LG! I wanted those 2 slants to the story - glad it turned out!

Jemi Fraser said...

Thanks Sally! I wanted it to be a subtle sinister twist at the end - so I'm glad it worked!

Jemi Fraser said...

Thanks Beth - Love OTA as an acronym - may have to use that one!! :)

Ornery Owl of Naughty Netherworld Press and Readers Roost said...

Maybe it's wicked of me, but I do think Max was asking for it. He was an awful nit-picker.

dolorah said...

Not sure Max was ready to die and be buried in her new garden. Loved the subtleties and innuendo.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Jemi - well told and yes ... it could be for love, but I suspect she was fed up with him ... and so the earth covered him up - I think I might look on red in a different way now - take care - cheers Hilary

Bernadette said...

Something tells me that something bad happened to Matt...

Jemi Fraser said...

Yes he was!! It's definitely not just you :)
I tried for dialogue that could be taken 2 ways

Jemi Fraser said...

Thanks Donna - it was fun to write - I hoped it wasn't too subtle :)

Jemi Fraser said...

LOL - enjoy the red - Jeannie certainly will!

Jemi Fraser said...

I think you're right! :)

Cindi said...

I don't think Max will be complaining or critisizing anymore! Good for her! Well done!

Toi Thomas said...

This is a fun little mystery.
Did she or didn't she? Is this garden an homage or a cover-up?
Nicely done.

Powdered Toast Man said...

Was Max murdered?!?!?!

new follower.

Denise Covey said...

Hey Jemi. I know I commented, but where has it gone? I'm doing a second read through for the shortlist and noting comments, then, argh, none from moi.

I remember saying that you were deliberately toying with us - you foreshadowed that Jeannie was giving Max a satirical send off. You don't usually bury loved ones in the garden. I saw the sinister side. But I'm happy to be proven wrong LOL.

Now let's see if this comment is still here when i return.

Roland Clarke said...

My detective is coming to ask Jeannie a few pointed questions - about her tragic loss. I loved the double implication. I'd err on the side of grief, but RIP - Rationally Investigate Procedures.

Jemi Fraser said...

LOL - yep! Max's complaining days are done!

Jemi Fraser said...

Thank you!

Jemi Fraser said...

Thank Toi - ambiguous is fun - but tough!

Jemi Fraser said...

I'll never tell! :)
Thanks for the follow!

Jemi Fraser said...

This comment arrived and stayed! Gotta love when things disappear into the ether!
Don't think Jeannie is telling!

Jemi Fraser said...

LOL - love the RIP!
I think Jeannie better prepare some answers! :)

Edix said...

Fitting tribute to the dearly departed Max! I always enjoy subtle but creepy. Nice job

Jemi Fraser said...

Thanks Edix - it was a fun one to write! :)

Christopher Scott Author said...

A tragic tale interwoven with how someone can use gardening as a cathartic device for mourning a loss. Well done.

Jemi Fraser said...

Thanks Christopher - it was fun to try a few twists with this one :)

Nilanjana Bose said...

I loved the slightly unsettling ambiguity of this red flower orgy. I've a feeling she is not so much grieving as gloating...superbly done!

Anstice Brown said...

I like how this can be interpreted either as a sweet memorial for Max or as something much more sinister. Since Max 'loved his drama', I'm going with the latter. My flash was on similar lines and in fact, your piece could follow on from it quite well!

Jemi Fraser said...

Thanks Nilanjana! I was sure a fun one to write :)

Jemi Fraser said...

I agree - our pieces make a good tag-team!