Chapter Fourteen – Flowers

The next day they all rose later, there was no need to be up so early and they breakfasted together. Tanner was going to Porthaven on the wagon, taking all the root crops and the beans to market. He kept back a part of the produce but not much, other than about half the turnips which were winter cattle feed. A second trip at the end of the week would take the bagged barley to the railway sidings.

Pazu came from the barn to the scullery and washed. Next door in the kitchen the smells of cooking made his stomach rumble. His face dripping, eyes closed, he reached for his towel, he began to scrub his face and then felt something. He opened his eyes and looked at the towel, wrapped in it had been a flower, just one, a small yellow one on a curved stalk, it's bloom an egg shape a little like a miniature tulip. He looked at it for only a second before he knew. Inside him his heart did something he'd not felt it do since that morning on Laputa, it beat in a certain way that made him breathe faster and the air taste sweeter and the colours in the room become more vivid. He lifted the flower and sniffed it, the scent was very faint but very unusual, a sort of oatey, woody scent. He dried himself, put on his shirt and slipped the single stem through the top buttonhole of his waistcoat. Thinking this should be a moment to be whistling, he recalled the song Sheeta had sung when she had been bathing, so he whistled that. He could only recall a few bars of the tune but whistled them over a few times and found he liked them.

Still whistling he went into the kitchen and sat down.

"Well now, someone sounds happy," Morwen bustled around with pans and plates.
"I am happy. It's a lovely day. Where's Tan?"
"Walkin' them dogs. Back in a bit I should think. Ain't yer worried where someone else is though?"

There was a smile in her voice.

"Isn't Sheeta helping you?"
"Not this mornin', no. I give 'er the mornin' off. She's havin' a lie in."
"Oh."

but was up earlier to put that flower there?

"Eggs? Bacon? Sausage?"
"Oh, yes, please."
"Pass us yer plate then."

Pazu lifted his plate to give it to Morwen and stopped, holding it a few inches from the table. Under it was another flower, a little lilac one. It looked like the same kind.

"C'mon then, foods gittin' cold."

He gave her the plate and she loaded it up. He sat looking at the flower, not being able to think straight.

"Yer gonna move it or what?"

Morwen was next to him holding his breakfast.

"Uh."

Quickly he moved the flower and his breakfast was deposited in front of him.

"Yer'll be wantin' some water fer that, eh?"
"Hm, yes."

As though on cue, Morwen stood a small vase by his plate. In it was a little red flower, just one.

"Sorry, someone seems to have left a flower in there, 'ope yer don' mind, like."

She went back to the fire, humming to herself. Pazu added the lilac and yellow blooms to the vase. Morwen was singing now, she seemed in a good mood today. Pazu's heart still hadn't slowed down. The door opened and Tanner came in. He took off his boots and the kitchen was suddenly full of dogs, running around sniffing, smacking their tails against everything and clearly eager to sample Morwen's cooking.

"Get down with yer, you two. Yer'll eat the leftovers like usual so stop yer whinin'."
"Mornin' there lad. Sleep aright?"
"Yes. Yes, thank you."
"Just thought yer'd have a midnight stroll though, eh?"
"What?"
"Straw, from the barn, all up the stairs. Needed the bedpan and lost yer way did yer?"
"Uh…"
"Oh, an' I just looked in on the cows an' someone left this on yer bed. Think it must be fer you, lad."

Tanner popped a blue flower into the vase to join the other three.

"Can't think it were meant fer Bessie or Sally, they'd just eat it. So it must be yers. Breakfast then goodwife! I'm starvin'."

Morwen laid a huge plate of food in front of her husband. The usual ritual, thirty seconds silence with eyes closed, then he ate.

"Tuck in lad, it'll be gettin' cold."

Morwen brought her own plate to the table, poured tea from the big ceramic pot and sat.

"Isn't Sheeta going to eat?"
"Why is yer worried about Miss Sheeter? Yers not been concerned 'bout her this las' few days."
"Uh, well," and he pointed at the vase of flowers.
"And?" enquired Tanner.
"I thought?"
"Dunno what ye thought, lad, but I don' know where them flowers is from. Someone's been leavin' them about the place. Can' be yer girly, though, she's still in bed."

Pazu knew he was having his leg pulled, but he was too hungry. He shrugged and started to eat. He had almost finished and was on his second mug of tea when the world went dark and something soft and feather light covered his eyes. He put his hands up to his face and felt other hands, warm and small.

"Guess who?" she said

Pazu smiled so that as his cheek muscles moved, the hands lifted a little.

"Uh, the flower girl?"
"Good guess."

He lifted the hands from his face, turned his head.

There was an angel standing there.

She was wearing a dress, a green dress. A dark rich bottle green that made her reddish hair come alive. It reminded him of the blue one she'd worn the day they'd met. Her hair was loose but she had a straw hat on her head, a big floppy one with a wide brim that came down over her eyes. The hat had a ribbon that matched the dress. Pazu stood. All he could do was gawp at her. She grinned.

"Aren't you going to say good morning then?"
"Sheeta – what. What's all this?"

She rolled her eyes.

"And a very good morning to you too! Tanner, is he always this dopey in the morning?"
"Oh yes, can't get any sense out of him 'til lunchtime some days."

Pazu turned back to the table.

"Eh?" he said
"See what I mean. Complete rubbish he spouts. Day in day out, drives me mad 'e does, talkin' gibberish. An' he gets worse when you'd be aroun' Miss Sheeter. Dunno what's wrong wi' 'im. Pass the bread woman."
"What?" Pazu turned back to face her.
"Here." She held out a posey of wild flowers, thrust them at him, "Sorry, I couldn't find any forget-me-nots, someone seems to have already picked them all."

She continued to smile at him. He continued to do nothing, he was happy to. He would be happy standing there all day.

"Take them then. Don't you like them?"
"Sheeta. Uh… dress?"
"See?" Tanner mumbled through a mouthful of bread and egg, "complete waste of time talkin' to 'im."

Pazu suddenly woke up. He took the flowers. He still looked dumbstruck.

"Uh, thank you. Sheeta, thank you. They're lovely."
"No," she said, "thank you. You're very sweet. What you did was very kind."
"Ah – are you talking to me again?"
"I think so? Am I talking Tanner?"
"Sounds like it ter me. Yer'll 'ave ter teach that lad though. Ruddy dogs makes more sense some days."
"Where did the dress come from?" Pazu blurted out.
"An old one of Morwen's. I altered it. Do you like it?"
"Like it? It's amazing. You look…uh."
"Oh, fer 'eaven's sake, lad, spit it out. I's be wantin' me lunch soon."
"Tan!" Morwen scolded her husband
"Sheeta – you look. Lovely."
"Thank you," she took a pace back and spun round, "well, I'm ready, are you Tanner?"
"Hm, giz us a minute. Get Ono out."

He drained his tea mug, wiped his mouth on his sleeve and went to the door.

"Are you coming with us?" Pazu asked.
"Of course," she smiled, "you didn't think I was dressed like this to milk the cows did you?"
"So, you didn't mind?"
"What?"
"Me coming into your room last night."
"Not at all. I'd been expecting you for a while. What took you so long?"
"I, er…" Tanner was nearby, hitching Ono between the wagon shafts, "I'll tell you later." He indicated Tanner with his eyes.
"Oh, wait, I have something else for you."

She went back into the farmhouse and returned a minute later carrying a canvas knapsack.

"Here. Thank you."
"What for?"
"When you made the crutch for me. I made you this the next day. As a return gift. The day you moved the glider to the shed."
"Oh."
"Hm. But that night we argued, so I never gave it to you."
"I'm sorry. About that evening. I was a bit messed up."
"Well, I still don't understand what was going on but I prefer talking to you than not talking, so let's forget it, hm?"
"No, when I can understand it properly I'll tell you. I want to."
"Don't worry about it. Come on, it's a lovely day."
"Thanks."
"Now what?"
"The knapsack, it'll be very useful."

She made no reply but jumped up onto the back of the wagon, turned and held her hand out to help him up. He took it and she pulled him. He was surprised at her strength and pushed off with his leg too hard so that he overbalanced and came forward too fast. He fell against her and she toppled back onto the sacks of carrots and potatoes. They both burst out laughing and quickly sat up.

"Yo up!" Tanner called to Ono.

The wagon lurched and began to move and this time she over balanced and fell on him. This time the laughter from among the vegetable sacks didn't stop until they had reached the end of the lane and turned into the wagon road leading to Porthaven.

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8 – 9 March 2007

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