Kimmie2:
Hello everyone! This story is based off of the myth called Pomona and Vertumnus. Ah, but it's not just any telling- I've written it a different way. It would help you you read the original myth before this, so you can see the differences.
Enjoy the story and please review!
The Garden Has Two
"Ah, sweet Pomona…" sighed a young man, hunched over pair of bushes with a tin watering pan in one hand and a pruner in the other. A cool wind blew through the nooks in his wicker hat and played with his curling brownie-colored hair. He closed his eyes and sucked in the crisp air, digging his olive-gloved hands into the moist earth.
"At it again, Vertumnus?" lilted an older woman, standing a few feet away on the main road. She was a tall, big-boned woman with a cheerful demeanor. Her knowing smile seemed to light up her dull magenta dress and even the fresh picked radishes in her handmade basket.
Vertumnus whipped his head around, staring at the woman with huge brown eyes. "Estrel!" He rose to his feet with all the grace of a newborn calf. Brushing off his olive trousers, he galloped over to her. "Don't keep me waiting!" He implored, "Did you see her today? Please tell me what you saw."
Estrel laughed, clutching her sides and dropping her radishes. "Alright, alright! I know that this is the highlight of your day: talking to an old lady about your love. Don't ask me why I keep doing this; you finish your gardening jobs too fast- it getter harder and harder to find you on my walk home."
"You seem to be complaining, young lady, but you sound just the opposite." He retorted, his lips curling into a knowing smile. "Tell me you enjoy our daily talks."
She smirked, raising an eyebrow, "Fine, I won't deny it. I'm a bit of a gabber, and no one seems interested in Pomona nowadays. About every man in town has proposed to her by now, all turned down. The women are sick with jealousy and annoyed by her anti-social personality. You know she never leaves her enclosed garden for any reason, therefore no one has actually seen her."
"Except for you." Vertumnus added, gleefully. "Not only are you the village gossip, but the village healer. The search for herbs takes you out to the edge of town, where Pomona is."
Estrel nodded. "Let's see…" She squished up her nose in concentration as she tried to recall what she saw earlier that day. Her eyes brightened and she beamed at him, "Yes! I did see her today. I got a pretty good look at her too. She was watering her new hibiscus bushes- they haven't grown tall enough to block my view of her."
"Great!" He exclaimed. Usually, the view into her garden was blocked from the tall plants she had surrounding the area- it was a lucky break that she was growing new plants.
"Well," She teased, "I got a good look at her. She's as beautiful as rumored."
"Please, "He begged breathlessly, "describe her. Tell me what she looks like."
"Of course!" smirked Estrel, "You're the only man who fell in love with her before hearing about her looks- it's the least I can do." She leaned close to him and he leaned in too; there was a strong feeling of anticipation in the air. "She's a small, delicate girl. Her skin is as smooth and white as ivory and her eyes are the color of warm honey. She has long, wavy chestnut brown hair that goes down to her waist. Truly a beauty."
Vertumnus seemed to slip into his own world with a goofy grin on his face. He fantasized about them both locked inside her garden, now that he could truly picture her, taking care of the plants in harmony. Estrel always had a way with words; she could paint a picture with them if such a feat were possible.
"Today might be a good day to see her, you know?" She directed, breaking up his daydream.
"Eh? Why is that?" He asked, puzzled.
"Well, the merchants are in town today. Pomona is a hard nut to crack, so you may need the help of a magical item. A disguise? Magic lamp? The merchant caravans we get are very worldly. In fact, I happened to see a merchant ride by who looked distinctly like an elf…"
"Oh no, I couldn't do that." Vertumnus sputtered, looking down at his leather boots. His cheeks turned pink from under his hat, "Sure, that would be the easy way to win over a woman. Offer her riches, sneak past her guard by posing as someone else. But… I want something more than that. I don't want to outwit her; I want her to accept me as myself: the town gardener."
"I see," Estrel giggled, watching the blushing man. She knew how hard it was for someone, a man nonetheless, to admit such a thing. Vertumnus was really in love. "I still think you should see her today though. I heard that Nhacreous, the blacksmith's narcissist son, is planning to propose to her again. The merchants should keep him busy with their gold mirrors." She rolled her eyes. "Now's your chance!"
He gulped, swallowing the last of his misgivings. This was perfect, and he had waited patiently for a chance to see her with no interruptions. He grabbed Estrel's hands in his and stared purposely into her eyes, "You're right, I must go now. I have to tell her how I feel." He smiled, and ran back to the bushes, gathering up his gardening tools and placing each item in his satchel. He walked briskly back to the road with his pack tucked underneath his shoulder.
"Ready to go already?" Estrel mused, looking at the young man with warm eyes. She had already grabbed her basket.
He beamed, "I was done a while ago. I just was nick picking the bushes until you arrived."
She nodded, smiling widely. "I wish you the best of luck, Vertumnus. I'll be sure to find you tomorrow afternoon to hear how it goes!"
"Of course," He replied, "How could I expect you to do anything else?" With that, he took off his hat and gave her a quick bow. Then, he headed up the hill in the opposite direction, to Pomona.
Estrel swung her basket as she continued on her way, sighed and said, "Being a gossip will only make the wait harder for me."
Pomona's garden was easy to spot, once Vertumnus made it to the edge of town, on a small hill. It was a little dome-shaped building, completely made out of glass. If a traveler spotted it from far away during a sunset, it would probably shine like a beacon of light. There were all sorts of tall plants planted outside around the dome and other plants covering the surrounding walls inside. As Vertumnus approached the dome, the strong smell of fresh daisies, daffodils and roses wafted through the air. Songbirds could be heard chirping from the lush surrounding forest. Already he felt warm and at peace, almost the same way he felt when he daydreamed about her. How many men had passed by before whom laid blind eye to the natural splendor of the place?
He approached the gold-lined door with his heart pounding in his ears. He knocked softly, believing that the glass would break under his knuckles. So soft, in fact, that he was afraid she didn't hear, since the door didn't open.
"Who's there?" murmured a soft, feminine voice from inside the dome. The glass didn't stifle her voice; he heard it quite clearly. He saw a large leafy bush near the door rustle, she had to be standing there, not wanting or bothering to show herself. The plants offered her such protection.
Suddenly nervous, knowing what he had to say but not how to say it, his breath caught in his throat and he struggled to reply. "I-I'm… my name is Vertumnus…" He took off his hat and held it in his hands, studying the small patterns with newfound interest. "… I wanted to t-tell you that I… I've had feelings for you for a long time. Ever since I first heard of you, I've always been curious and I… I also couldn't believe that there was someone other than myself that was so passionate about…well, you know. It made me happy. So I-"
"-Please stop." She snapped, "I know why you're here. You're proclaiming your love for me." Her voice dropped, "So has everyone else. I'm not interested in love. Please go away."
"W-wait!" He started, "I-"
"- my garden is all I care about." She stated. "I don't need a man to take me away from what I love to do. I'm fine on my own. There is no one for me." Her voice dripped with sadness and cold recognition.
"Is that what she thought? That a man in love would take her away from the plants she cared for?" It was understandable, to be sure, since most of the men he knew would probably have used her as a trophy wife or something worse. By the sound of her voice, Vertumnus knew that she truly believed what she told herself and that it was useless to try to convince her… with words. He let out a breath he didn't know he was holding, and called through the glass, "Alright, my lady, I'll leave. But hear me out first, please."
"Do as you wish," Pomona whispered. But she didn't step away from the bush she hid behind.
"You and I are so much alike, Pomona, that this has to be true love. I want you to know it, and I want you to believe me." He paused and pulled a small pouch from his pants, opening it wide enough for only him to see in. A knowing, clever smile spread across his face. He continued, "I will leave you a present right outside your door. Tomorrow morning, it will be ready, and I want you to take a look. If it does change your mind, you can find me in town tomorrow. Thank you, my lady." He put his hat back on his head and bowed. He watched the bush move again, and then knew that she had retreated back inside. Smiling to himself, he prepared his gift and walked back to town.
The temple in the middle of town needed its bushes trimmed and a new maple tree planted in the back. When the sun lit up the sky and the mother birds searched for food, Vertumnus was already kneeling in front before the temple bushes. He didn't want to think- he didn't want to hope… about Pomona and how his gift worked out. He purposely shook his head to toss away the buzzing thoughts, and tried to concentrate on the plants in front of him. He studied each leaf's veins while he fought each thought away, and pulled his hat down to cover his face in frustration.
"Are you Vertumnus?" asked a soft, yet familiar voice. The sound tickled his ear and he slowly turned around. There she was, his sweet Pomona, appearing before him like a dream. She bent down next to him, her wavy locks tumbling over her shoulders in a distracting way. Her honey eyes found it hard to look at his, but when they did, her fair cheeks would turn a rosy pink.
He nodded, and pretended to look away, knowing that she probably felt uncomfortable. He saw some townspeople start to gather, but even she seemed not to notice. "I knew you'd find me."
"I…I didn't know you gardened." She said, timidly. She quickly looked to the side, knowing that it was her fault for not inquiring further… or at least taking a peak and seeing his gardener's gear. When she glanced at him again, he gave her a warm smile. It seemed to help her. "I saw the flower you planted. It was nothing but a spare seed in your pocket, but in the morning there bloomed the most wonderful lily I had ever seen. I understand that that is the strength of your love for me." She picked at the frayed ends of her long dress, and smiled as she stared at its bright white hue, "And I believe it. The moment I saw the flower, my heart seemed to fill with a most wonderful feeling, almost comparable to how I feel around my plants. I felt the same when I came to find you." She shyly looked up at him when she finished speaking.
Moved beyond words, Vertumnus pulled off his gloves and grasped her small hands with his larger ones. His brown gaze caught hers and for a moment, they looked at each other in silence.
"You have such smooth hands," she giggled, breaking the silence, "for someone who works with plants all day." She clutched his hands tightly and wondered, "And to make that plant grow in one day? You were blessed with such talent."
"We both were," he grinned. He lifted her chin, "Pomona, I want to be with you, in your garden, taking care of your plants. I want there to be two gardeners. Would you like that?"
She smiled, her eyes moist, "Yes…yes. I would like that very much." She leaned into his arms, pressing her cheek into his earthy clothes and against his beating heart.
He wrapped his arms snug around her back, breathing in her sweet scent and hearing the cheers from the gathered crowd. He knew that Estrel was in the crowd; he could spot that magenta dress from miles away. "You have your gossip Estrel, and I have the girl I love; won by the strength of my own heart, not riches, disguise, or a magic lamp."