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110 :: Morgan's garden
Madison was sitting at the table when Naomi came down the next morning. Drinking coffee. Reading her Skroll. She raised the cup to Naomi. A question. Naomi nodded. She sat while Madison got her coffee. She worked out her sentence.
I make garden. (Naomi)
Oh of course. Shall we take our coffees out. I will show you what we have. (Madison)
The tide was in that morning. Water lapped at the jetty across the car park from the front door. The road deded at the house. After the car part were the sheds. Then a small orchard. Fife trees. Then a vegetable patch. Then a field with a picnic table on the edge of the estuary.
So. This is what we have. This is Morgan’s garden. She will be out soon. I have to go to work. Morgan will tell you what she is potting. Through here are the fruit trees. Apple. Apple. Apple. Pear. Pear. And this is the vegetables. Ah. There is Morgan. I did not hear her get up.(Madison)
They watched Morgan walk towards them.
Hi Em. Up early. (Madison)
Yes. It is a good morning. (Morgan)
Is it not. I was just showing Naomi the garden. She asked about it. Can I leave her with you. (Madison)
Sure. You off. (Morgan)
Yeah. Got to go. (Madison)
Have a great day. (Morgan)
Bye. (Naomi)
This is my favourite time of the day. The night has slipped away and the chaos has not yet woken. (Morgan)
Garden. (Naomi)
Of course. But how will we talk. I do not even know what language you speak. (Morgan)
I learn English. (Naomi)
Of course. We can learn the names of all the plants today. (Morgan)
Let me open my Skroll. Can you tell me about your experience gardening in your language. Then after we will learn the English names for our veg. (Morgan)
Yes. My father grow vegetables. Always. His garden smaller than this. In the morning he water. After work he weed. I help him after school. I do my jobs. He say grow the vegetables that grow. If it does not grow do not plant it again. One year I wanted carrots. He never planted carrots. He say they did not grow. I maybe seven. Maybe eight. He say this is my patch. I turn the soil. He show me. I sow the seeds. Sprinkle in a row. I water. I weed. I take our some because there too many. But nothing. Little bad skinny carrot. He say see. This is how we learn. We now plant cabbage. (Naomi)
My father bought this house but he never lived here. He lived in Argentina. We did not know abbott the house until he died. We lived in London. Madison and I. Sold our flat and moved here before the wall. Madison still works as a translator. Not much work because of Skrolls. All the others work. Not today. Only Madison works on Saturdays. A private tutor. (Morgan)
Was he nice man. (Norgan)
Who. Our father. Mum always said nice things about him. She told us stories of his adventures. Probably made them up. Father left when we were five. My sister was a baby. He met mum in London forty five years ago. No forty six years ago. He was a student. Mum was a librarian. She was ten years older than him. Would not expect him to die first. Sorry. LIsten to me rabbitting on. (Morgan)
You no have to tell story. (Naomi)
It is okay. He was in his second year when they met. He sent home to argentina when he finished his studies. Mum went to nan’s home and had us. Maidstone. He came back a year later to live with us. Two years. Our sister is three years younger. Mum said he had to go back because he could make more money there. She said he would come back one day. I guess he made money. This is a nice house. He did not come back. I think he had another family in Argentina. (Morgan)
Is sister here. (Naomi)
Our younger sister. No. She lives in Maidstone. Madison will visit her today after her lessons. Two nephews. Lovely boys. (Morgan)
I have sister. (Naomi)
In London. (Morgan)
No. Tianjin. She no talk to me. She cross I came here. She say aupair is bad karma. She right. Bad bad karma. (Naomi)
You will be okay here. Learn English. Make new friends. We are good people. (Morgan)
Thank you. (Naomi)
Now shall we start naming the veggies. (Morgan)
They named the vegetable plants in English. Naomi repeated the naked. Morgan showed her pictures of small shoots on her Skroll. She asked her to plant out the lettuce. Naomi knew how.
111 :: Patrick's flirt is wasted
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