Flowers

The car pulled down the small lane and stopped. The driver let the
engine idle in park for a minute or two before shutting it off. Minutes
passed before the driver's side door opened. Sneakers followed by jeans
stuck out the door followed by a grunt and the rest of a person. The
slightly overweight middle age woman let out a sigh as she stepped out
into the warm air of late spring. Temporarily blinded by the bright
sunshine she stood for a moment to let her eyes adjust. The sky above
was a deep blue. Perfect day for gardening she thought to herself as
she opened the back door and pulled out the tray's of plants. Placing
them on the roof of the car she bent down and disappeared once again
into the back seat of the car. This time she emerged with a hand shovel
and clothe gloves. Holding the plants in one hand and the tools in the
other she began the descent down the hill. The grass, wet with dew,
made the going treacherous. Should have parked farther down she
grumbled.
The chirping of birds and the buzz of insects annoyed her. Silence, the
complete and total lack of sound would have suited her mood better. She
glanced at the plot to the right then back to hers. The other was a
riot of color as if every flower in a florists was planted there. Hers
looked pale and scraggly. She knelt down and began to dig. Turning the
dirt over again though it seemed futile. Once the plants were in it
still looked sad. She stood and began wandering around the other plots.
Spots filled with flowers alternated with neglected weed filled areas.
Green grass filled the spaces in between. Standing in front of statues,
flowers, and handmade cards full of hearts, her mind fled back to days
of old. Accusations of ineptitude echoed in the peaceful air. Like a
movie playing over and over again in her head as she walked. Why had
she thought now would be any different?
The water spigot seemed to reach out and trip her. She looked back down
the hill not remembering the walk up. Well might as well water her sad
looking flowers. Water sprayed everywhere except into the container.
Finally it filled and she headed back down the hill. It only took a
moment to water her small garden. The flowers seemed to perk up.
Sitting in the grass she stared out over the field of granite stones.
What an unfair place this was. So many young with flowers beds over
them. It wasn't fair. Suddenly the only thing that mattered was not the
flowers but that she had come.