Remembering Me

Chapter 8: Backyard Sanctuary/Plant Warfare

I made it home before Mom and Dad today, so I started supper after putting my school books away. I chopped up some fresh veggies and put them on the stove to steam. I made pasta and sauce and then set the dining room table. I had time before they got home, so I made tea and walked out to the backyard.

We only had a little in our small backyard. A Dragon Lady Holly and a Blue Prince Holly were in the back corner of the yard. Dad had planted these as hedge plants when I was just a baby. They have beautiful dark green leaves, giving us shade and privacy from our neighbors. Those prickly leaves are excellent at preventing our nosy neighbors from peeking in our backyard.

A blackthorn is on the other side of the backyard, located near the back gate. It has small dark berries (Dad calls them sloes) that are tart. He collects them occasionally to make a syrup he adds to gin for special occasions. It tastes amazing. Though, I would have to find out since they will only share with me once I'm of age to drink! I must be careful because it has large spikes on its dark, almost black bark. They are sharp, so it could be a painful experience if you don't know to be careful when entering the backyard. The thorns can break off under the skin and turn septic. Our family always uses caution near the shrub for this reason, and we warn any visitors we have to our home. For obvious reasons, we monitor anyone in our backyard closely!

In between the Holly shrubs and the blackthorn are blackberry plants. They provided delicious tart fruit for our family from midsummer to fall. I grabbed a few and placed them in the basket I had brought outside, along with my tea mug, to collect the berries for dessert. I had to be careful doing this because these plants had sharp prickles on them, too.

Once I had collected enough blackberries, I continued to the small herb garden my father and I tended to. We had parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, basil, oregano, and mint. I cut a bit of parsley for the pasta dish I'd made and put it in the basket, too. Maintaining them was a lot of work, but doing so gave me that "father-daughter" time with my dad. There was a different side to my overbearing and protective dad when he was in this element. I treasured that time with him, too. He's so busy and stressed with his job at the local sheriff's office that this garden gives him much-needed peace, too.

I sipped my tea and sat on the wooden bench near the herb garden. I thought about River and how he gently touched my face and told me my eyes were beautiful. I wasn't expecting that, nor did I know he knew who I was. Raven must have mentioned to me when planning who they would invite to the bonfire. That made sense.

I gathered my basket and empty mug and headed back into the house. Mom and Dad would be home any time now, and I needed to wash off the berries and parsley to put them on the table, too. As I finished doing that, I heard the front door close and their tired voices.

Dad said grace for us, and we had a nice, quiet dinner. I cleared off the table and washed up the dishes afterward; Mom helped to dry and put them away. We chatted briefly, and then I headed upstairs to do my homework. I had some reading to do for my geography class. We learned about UNESCO and its role in preserving the world's cultural heritage and protecting the environment. It had been a fascinating lecture, and I was excited to do my assigned readings to learn even more.

I thought about how Vince had teased me for not joining them at lunch today. I smiled. It was cute. I wish I felt some attraction to either Tristan or Vince. Both were very good-looking and interesting, but the more I got to know them, the more of a "big brother" vibe I got, which suited me fine. I didn't want a serious relationship right now, and as much as I was drooling over River earlier, my head said that chasing him would only bring heartbreak and misery. I liked Raven, too, and didn't want to take a chance of ruining our friendship. I remembered the bonfire when I returned my books to my school bag. I grabbed my notebook because I knew Mom would want to ensure adults were there to supervise, especially if I asked to stay over.

I headed back down the stairs to find my parents sitting in the living room, quietly chatting. I told them about the bonfire and how Raven invited me to stay with her & Willow. Mom asked for the notebook and went to call Raven's mom. Dad turned on the television for us to watch a comedy until she got back. We laughed at the antics when Mom returned with a sparkle in her eyes and a bright smile. I could tell she liked Raven's mom, too, and she was happy that I'd made some good friends quickly. Dad agreed to the bonfire and stayed over after Mom confirmed that the adults would be there to supervise and that it wouldn't be a huge party. Yay!