After the Rain

Artwork by Harriet Viles

It was 4pm on a Sunday afternoon. Looking out of the window where I was sitting with a book half-opened and a mug on the floor with some coffee that had gone cold, I noticed the rain had eased. The window was fogged from my breath.  Peering up, I saw the grey clouds had cleared a little and bits of blue sky had appeared. 

Hooray! I thought to myself.  Finally, after days, the torrential rain had stopped. I had been on voluntary lockdown inside the house all week and had not been outside except to check the letter-box once a day.  Now I was eager to check on the condition of my Asian greens in the veggie patch, my pot plants — especially the roses and the fruit trees.  I love gardening and tending to the plants. I had neglected them since the rain.

Thinking of all the things I needed to do in the garden, I decided to step outside and take a walk among the plants.  At the veggie patch, I bent down for a closer inspection.  I noticed the stems of my Asian greens were discoloured and had gone soft.  Slugs had been feasting on the leaves — they looked like a lace tablecloth!  The leaves on the roses had black spots, so did the paw paw leaves and the unripe fruits. Blackspot meant a fungal attack and could spread very quickly.

My mind began to race.  What should I do? Where should I start?  I could feel a sort of panic rising.  I took a few deep breaths, let out a big sigh and got down to work.