Wildflower

by Prudence MacLeod

  Three months passed and they had settled into a gentle routine. In truth they were much like an old married couple. In that time, Hazel worked hard at bringing the café more up scale. Lollie had been so thrilled with what Hazel had done with the café he had upped her percentage. With the extra money Hazel had added some bedroom furniture and bought herself a new digital camera. She bought herself some really nice clothes as well.

  Tommy had found that he enjoyed working more and studying less. He was able to apply himself more to each course and his marks were showing it. The extra money was going to pay down his previous student loans and that too made his load a bit lighter to carry. Hazel was bringing hers down as well and they agreed that this system was working quite nicely for them both. Neither spoke of the lack of dating, but it truly was on both their minds.

  Autumn was in the air one evening when Hazel left work full of excitement. “So what are we celebrating tonight?” asked Tommy when he saw the huge smile on her face as she climbed into the car.

  “Take a look at this,” gloated Hazel as she showed him her paycheque.

  “Wow, that’s some cheque.”

  “We had a great month,” exulted Hazel, fairly squirming in her seat with delight, “and Lollie has been paying me a percentage. With the extra from this one I finally have enough saved.”

  “Enough saved for what?” asked Tommy as he pulled out of the parking lot and headed for home.

  “Actually, I have a serious choice to make Tommy my lad. I really want to get your opinion on this one.”

  “So what are the options?” he asked, leaning into a turn.

  “Well, I can pay off the last of my student loans with this, or I can publish my book about the wildflowers. What do you think I should do?”

  “That’s an easy one,” he grinned as he pulled into the bank parking lot and turned to face her. “Publish the book.”

  “May I please have your reasoning Professor Reid?” Hazel asked with an arched eyebrow.

  “Elementary my dear Miss Fillmore, you have the book printed then we sell enough of them to get your money back so you can pay off the loans. This way you get to have your cake and eat it too.”

  “Do you really think I’ll be able to sell enough of the books to pay off my loan?” asked Hazel, not daring to believe it herself.

  “Yes I do sweetie,” he replied softly. “I promise I’ll help you sell them. We will go to all the book stores; we’ll set up a booth at the trade shows, flea markets etc. We’ll make it happen, you’ll see.”

  “God Tommy, that would be like a dream come true.”

  “So do it already. Go deposit your cheque then I’ll take you to dinner.”

  “Really? Dinner? Where?”

  “Wendy’s, now get a move on,” laughed Tommy, “I’m half starved and twice as mean.”

  “Yes sir, I heard that,” grinned Hazel as she leaped from the car and ran into the bank. Smiling as she made her deposit, she realized that a dream was about to happen for her. Hazel thanked the teller then returned to the car and her dinner date.

  As she reached the curb she stopped to let another car pass before crossing to her own. The dazzling blonde flashed Hazel a hundred watt smile as she drove past and disappeared into traffic.

  “Hazel come on,” called Tommy as Hazel just stood dumb struck on the curb, “what the heck are you waiting for?”

  Shaking it off, Hazel danced across the street to the car and got in. “Did you see her Tommy?” she asked as she fastened her seat belt.

  “See who?” he asked with a smirk. “You mean that movie star blonde who smiled at you and made you lose all your senses? Didn’t see a thing.”

  “Jerk,” laughed Hazel as she punched him affectionately on the arm. “That’s the second time I’ve seen her.”

  “Oh yeah? Where have you seen her before?”

  “Remember I told you about the way the girls at the hairdresser’s found out I am lesbian?”

  “Sure, I remember; it was another blonde that gave you away that time wasn’t it?”

  “Same woman,” murmured Hazel softly with a faraway look in her eye.

  “Are you sure? You only got a glimpse of her each time.”

  “As they said in the movie, there can be only one,” replied Hazel thoughtfully. “Tommy, it’s weird the way the sight of her makes me forget my own name. What do you think is going on?”

  “Beats me Hazel my love, you’ve never really been attracted to blondes before,” he mused as he turned into the restaurant parking lot. “Maybe one day you’ll get to meet her and find out.”

  “I certainly hope so Tommy,” she sighed as she opened the car door and stepped out. “I certainly do hope so.”

  “Well, if you are destined to meet, then just relax and wait for it to happen,” he grinned as he opened the restaurant door for her. “You grab a table and I’ll bring the feast.”

  “Ok, veggie only please,” replied Hazel as she headed to claim a table.

  “Yes ma’am, one giant veggie wrap coming right up.” He grinned as he took his place in line.

  Hazel smiled warmly as she watched him flirt gently with the young fellow at the counter. “No my dear Tommy Reid,” she thought, “I love you dearly, but you are poor husband material.” She was still smiling sweetly at him as he arrived with the food.

  Hubby

  Abby watched as her new neighbors and friends walked away. She lit the scented candle in the living room then turned back to her own kitchen. Smiling, she unpacked her cooler and loaded the few groceries she’d brought with her into the freshly cleaned refrigerator. She then pulled the table away from the wall a bit and set up her sleeping bag and air mattress. “Alright the bed’s made and so now to work.” She headed up the stairs tying her hair back in a pony tail.

  True to Wanda’s word, the bathroom was spotless and gleaming. There was even a fresh roll of paper on the holder. “Nice touch,” grinned Abby as she deposited the new package beside the throne. Smiling to herself, Abby strolled to the largest of the bedrooms.

  Whoever had done the renovations here had done a magnificent job. The room was spacious with a big bay window looking out over the water. The large closet was still full of the old woman’s clothes and some of her deceased husband’s; much of her jewelry and personal items were still in the bureau drawers as well. “What am I going to do with all this?” mused Abby, a small tear forming at the corner of her eye. “A woman’s whole life reduced to this, and not a single soul left to care one way or the other.”

  It seemed to Abby that the old house sighed in agreement. “Bride Murphy, since there are no others, will you allow me to honor your past and passing?” Abby asked aloud of the ghost of Bride Murphy. “I promise I will care for your home and hold your presence here sacred.” A smile sprang to her face as she heard the sudden song of a robin just outside the window. “So be it,” she sighed and began to poke through the room again.

  Finding an empty suitcase, Abby began to carefully pack all Bride’s clothes. Once she had everything packed and moved down to the spare room, she stripped the bed and carried all the linen to the top of the stairs and threw it down. Returning to the bedroom, Abby checked the mattress and frowned at the damp smell of it. “This will have to go. Ok, we do what we can today then we make a list.”

  Abby dragged all the furniture out of the room and spread it between the hallway and the other rooms. One small dresser made its way into the bathroom to hide behind the door. She tipped the mattress and foundation on their sides, took the bed frame apart then returned to the kitchen for a cup of tea and some paper, pen, and tape. “If I have a house and storage sheds full of furniture, I need to make a list of what I have available,” she mused softly as she made a sandwich to go with her tea.

  After finishing her light meal Abby made a quick inspection of the contents of the sheds, listing much of what was there, then went back to the house and did the same. Returning to the bedroom with her list, she tried to get an idea o
f just which pieces she wanted to have in there. By the time she had made her decision darkness was falling so she decided to have another light meal then call it a day and start over early in the morning. She ate her small meal at the table then went up for a hot bath.

  Abby turned up the heat a bit as she returned to her bed in the kitchen. The old house was exceptionally quiet and Abby could hear the lapping of the waves on the shore nearby. A little nervous her first night, Abby left a soft light on in the dining room. Her nervousness finally gave way to fatigue and she slept.

  Up and on the go again at first light, Abby went for a brisk walk along the beach then made herself a big breakfast. Well fortified, she returned to the bedroom with pen and paper. She now knew which pieces of furniture she wanted in there and soon she had decided on the colors as well. All those times she had helped her grandmother paint and wallpaper as a child were about to come in handy.

  With her list in hand she tidied herself up and headed back into the city. She was expecting to spend a small fortune in gas for the first while until she got everything the way she wanted, but there really was no other way to do it. By noon Abby had her paint, brushes, rollers, wallpaper, drop sheets, etc. and was loading a month’s supply of groceries into the back of her vehicle. Abby suddenly felt that she was being watched. Just for a moment she paused, but looking all around she could see no one so she got in the car and headed for home.

  All the way back to Jamaica Point Abby had the nagging feeling that she had missed something important back in town. “Ah well,” she sighed as she reached her own driveway, “if it was that important I’m sure I’ll get another chance.”

  A few hours later Keith and Wanda Pike were walking along the beach chatting easily. Suddenly the door to Abby’s house banged open and a mattress slid down the steps to the ground. Abby wiped her forehead, and, smiling brightly, waved at them. “Cleaning house are you?” called Wanda as they walked up to her step.

  “Trying,” laughed Abby as she wiped the sweat from her forehead. “I am now regretting that I didn’t use that gym membership more often.”

  “Are you throwing this out Abby?”

  “That and more Keith, I have way too much furniture in this house and much of it has to go.”

  “Aren’t you going to try to sell it?”

  “Under different circumstances I might Wanda, but I really want to get this place ship shape as quickly as I can. I need to get squared away so I can work, and I want to have the rest taken care of before I start. Once I get to working I know everything else will get pushed to the back burner.”

  “Would you consider donating what you don’t want?”

  “Sure, what do you need?”

  “Not me love,” laughed Wanda, “our church. Sometimes folks are in need for one reason or another and we try to have a few things available, if you see what I mean.”

  “The church is welcome to whatever I don’t want,” replied Abby easily as she leaned against the doorjamb. “Do they have some way of picking it up or do I have to find a way to deliver it?”

  “I’ll take it away for you Abby,” smiled Keith. “Do you need any help in there?”

  “Sure do, come on in and I’ll put the kettle on.”

  As she led them inside Keith saw the box spring on the stairs. “Is that going out too?”

  “Yes sir, you have no idea what I went through to get it that far.”

  “Just leave it there for now Abby, after we have tea I’ll bring my truck and take it away for you.”

  “That would be absolutely wonderful Keith. Come on up and I’ll show you what I have in mind for the place.” She led the way upstairs where she showed them the empty room and the colors she was going to paint. Abby took them to each room and explained her intentions as she went. Each piece of furniture had a paper taped to it with its designated room written there. “Anything I don’t think I have a use for has no paper taped to it.”

  Abby also explained that she wanted to incorporate as much of Bride Murphy’s life as possible. “It seems to me that someone should recognize her contribution to the world. She had a lot of very beautiful clothes and I am thinking I might just get some of them altered to fit me.”

  “Now Bride would be thrilled to hear you say that,” laughed Wanda. “She always believed that a person should dress as well as she could afford. Bride used to say that being well dressed made you feel a lot better, and that made the days more enjoyable.”

  “I remember the first time I heard her say that,” mused Keith. “It was years ago and they had just moved in to the house. Bride came out dressed as though she was ready for church, but she was just hanging out the wash. My father observed that she was a bit over dressed for the task and she laughed at him. ‘I’ve just had a row with my sister,’ she said, ‘and this is my way of getting back at her. I feel so good dressed like this, and I am having such a wonderful time, it will surely drive her nuts when she finds out.’ It never did make any sense to me.”

  “It makes perfect sense to me Keith,” smiled Abby, “and I shall heed her advice well. I will get some of her nicer things taken in to fit me. Do you know a good seamstress Wanda?”

  “I’m a fair hand with a sewing machine myself Abby. I’d be glad to help you.”

  “Perfect,” laughed Abby as she led the way back to the kitchen. “I’ll put the things I want to keep aside in some of those old trunks, and when we’re bored to tears this winter we can take them out and play dress up.”

  After they had tea Keith came with his truck and hauled away two loads of furniture Abby did not want. There was still a lot of extra left, but Abby wasn’t quite sure of what she wanted to keep and what to dispose of as yet, so they decided to let it go at that for the time being. Abby started her painting that day and several days later Keith drove her into the city with his truck where she bought a new bed for her room. Once it was set up, he helped her carry the rest of the bedroom furniture back and put it into place. Wanda came to inspect and was amazed as she looked into a lady’s boudoir from several centuries past.

  Thrilled with their praise for her decorating efforts, Abby asked them to help her empty out the second large bedroom. Some of the furniture went down to the living room, some into the bathroom and some into Abby’s bedroom. This room would be ready within a few days and Abby was pleased with her progress. That night she slept in her new bed, made up with bed linen that she had dried on the outside clothesline that very day.

  Luxuriating in the feel and sweet scent of the freshly laundered sheets, Abby allowed her fingers to caress her body and release her tension for the first time since before she’d gotten pregnant. Allowing the afterglow to carry her gently into sleep, Abby dreamed she was walking along the beach beside a tall dark haired woman. There was such a feeling of loving warmth between them, and Abby smiled in her sleep.

  Assuming she’d dreamt of Bride Murphy, Abby recounted her dream to Wanda over tea the next day. “Oh dear no Abby,” laughed Wanda. “I have no idea who you were dreaming of, but it surely wasn’t Bride Murphy. Bride was fair like you and perhaps just a bit shorter. No dear, that could not have been Bride.” Puzzled, Abby shrugged it off and returned to her favorite subject these days, home decorating. Later that day Harry’s cheque arrived in the mail. Abby was shocked to see the amount. She called him that evening, but all he would say was that she had earned it. When she cashed the cheque she realized that all her renovations and upgrades on the house had just been paid for by her former employer. Better yet, he had another contract for her. Life was good.

  Autumn was in the air and Abby was beginning to slow down and take it a bit easier. She’d finished painting the whole house with Keith’s help and she now had the place furnished to her liking. She had opted for a new couch and chair, albeit of a much older style. She’d kept the piano, and, after it was thoroughly dried out, she’d had it restrung and tuned. Her plan was to take lessons through the winter.

  Abby still had a wealth of old things to
go through, but the bulk of it all had been cleared away and the house felt quite homey now. Many of the old dressers were now in the basement acting as catchalls and room dividers. All the old drapes and other odds and sods had been donated and dutifully carted away. The fireplace had been blocked up and a brand new air tight wood stove stood there now, anxiously awaiting the first really cold day as an excuse for a fire. Old Mr. Murphy’s study had been transformed into her office and all that remained was to relax and enjoy. Abby planned to do just that.

  Singing softly to herself as she finished cleaning up her dishes, Abby decided to dress up a bit before going to Pike’s Cove to collect the mail. She had a fresh proposal to mail priority post and she decided to look like a business woman when she did. Dressed in a fresh navy blue suit and matching heels, her hair pulled back in a bun, Abby was almost intimidating as she stepped into the small general store and post office. What she heard stole away her smile and brought a frown of annoyance to her exquisite face.

  “Come on, you guys need a dog, you know you do,” begged a child’s voice.

  “Not that dog b’y,” came Alfred Barnes response. The Barnes Brothers had done a few odd jobs for Abby over the summer and had come to worship her. Like puppies, they lit up at her praise and cowered at her displeasure. They were about to incur her displeasure again.

  “But you gotta take him,” begged the child. “Someone’s got to take him or Dad’s going to shoot him. Come on Freddie, you know you need a dog.”

  “That dog’s way too ugly b’y,” laughed Alfred. “Better to shoot him.” There was a general round of laughter from the others present at that comment.

  “If we shoot things for being ugly, then you’re in far more danger than that dog Alfred Barnes.”

  Alfred spun around as though he’d been stung by a wasp, cringing away from that cold voice. One look at her and he moved even farther away. “Teasing a child, Alfred, shame on you, that was quite unworthy, even of you.”