The gardener and me

 So his name is..... well let's just say it starts with the letter A.

I first met him when my daughter moved into her new premises and A was the gardener.

Short, of slight build and a million watt smile is how I would describe him. I would also add - rather talkative and a tad boastful of his accomplishments on the gardening front.  Also very simple .

My son in law and daughter seemed wonderstruck after he explained as to what he had  planned for their garden.

I didn't need any further persuasion and without so much as a little digging into his ' previous work experience' I appointed him too.

To be fair, my daughter and son in law's garden is pretty good.

You can read those last two words together or separately. 

Our little garden is another story. 

It's green; it's clean; and quite tidy.

However here is where my story takes a tiny bend.

Bear with me folks. If you've read till here then you must read on.

A digs when in the mood.

A plants when in the mood

A tends to the garden six days a week

But I don't believe A is a Gardner.

I am laying it bare for you to be the better judge.

If he is a Gardner- then I am an astronout.

He has a large blower with which he keeps the place clean. He spends about 7 minutes from the time he enters till he leaves. 

He hates my brother in law and probably gets irritated when told that he is not doing a good job.

My wife interacts with him more than me. She gives him fruit, biscuits and sweets etc as he looks malnourished. 

My interactions are only to pay him his salary and tell him occasionally that the garden does not look up to the mark. 

Mind you , he doesn't switch off the blower when I talk to him so I doubt he hears what I am saying because while I am speaking he is smiling and nodding.

When I go to pay him , he first pretends not to see me . Then when he does , he makes a sign to say ' put it on the garden table'.

I have threatened all and sundry that I will get rid of him , but that day has not come. A leads a charmed life I guess.

This morning he nearly lost his job.

I saw him entering, so went out to ask him why he hadn't brought the new plants I had asked him to.

I did this before he put on that noisy blower. 

He pointed to some miniscule plants and I almost exploded.

I then reminded him about what I wanted- the same plants he had bought for my daughter. He promised to do so.

Then came the icing on the cake.

He moved towards the tap.  

I couldn't fathom what he was doing .

(It has raised heavily for most of the night)

A connected the pipe and began watering the plants. 

I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

I walked out to confront him.

However I didn't have the heart to tell him he was being foolish and just stood transfixed as he watered every plant .

He gave them an extra dousing to prove to me he was doing his job .

Poor plants.

Poor me

God bless A!

Confetti and you

 Have you ever had the opportunity to throw or sprinkle  confetti on anyone ? 

If you have, you would have noticed the following- :

It's unadulterated fun

You're usually smiling 

It's easy 

It costs you nothing 

When others see you doing it ,they often join in, and try to out do you.

The receivers smile and giggle

They feel you are there for them 

They feel loved and appreciated.

It's the same when you shower people 

With kindness! 

Try it

You won't regret it

And then there is the dopamine effect thrown in for good measure!

A win win situation all round .

MG

The Queen of hearts

 I heard it somewhere 

Or maybe the universe

Planted it in my mind

To use it as unsolicited advice.

It goes something like this...

Sing

And don't let them win.

Dance-  like your Cinderella. 

And even if you loose your glass slipper

At the stroke of midnight 

Or shoe was it ...

Keep running ......

And don't let the prince find you 

Till you really want him to.

Remember 

The handsomeness will fade 

And when he finally does find you 

And that slipper fits like a glove 

Make sure he treats you

Like the princess you are.

Not a duchess

Not a marchioness 

More like a queen

Cos that's what you were born to be.

The Queen of hearts 

Sip your coffee silently

 Sip your coffee silently

And savour the moment.

It won't return .

Turn your life upside down

If you must 

Or inside out

If that's what you prefer.

But

Don't sit morose

And fade away

In your prison of gold 

That you've been placed in.

Stop being so gloomy.

A bright new day beckons.

It's there for the asking- 

Yours for the taking. 

So reach out 

And claim what's rightfully yours

Wake up and smell the roses

And put the ennui aside

It's just not you 

Start living the life you know

You deserve 

And don't leave it

For too late either.

For all you know,

It's not gold 

In the first place! 

And even if it is- 

You can't take it with you.

I had company

 I have noticed that when I am alone, I think of things I've never thought of before . I think back - I think of the present - and I think of the foreseeable future , and I feel it's therapeutic. 

For this reason I enjoy my walks, especially on weekends, when there is no pressure, and things are calm and unhurried.

This morning was no different.

I live in a rather peaceful neighbourhood, where everyone minds their own business , and that's exactly how I prefer it to be.

Weekend mornings are quiet and unhurried,  and my world couldn't be better.

Back to this morning's walk.

I was ready by six, and was soon walking at a good pace, under the thick green foliage . The freshly watered grass gave off a fresh, invigorating scent. I love it.

Headphones on. The Mavericks it was .

Then without warning I had company. Oh no - not now.

I ducked, in vain. 

I knew i had been spotted and getting away wouldn't be easy.

She has accompanied me on walks on at least two occasions, prior to today.

If she accompanied me without hassling me, it would be fine.

But unfortunately , she always has other, rather irritating plans- devious at times.

So it's my face, my neck ,my eyelids - and soon she is all over me. 

Affection ? I wouldn't say so. 

Being a pest ? More like it. To the nth degree.

I have even caught myself saying ' enough' and ' get lost', but she will have none of it . 

I finally began running, hoping I would get away from her unwanted affection. 

I succeeded .

Flies are irritating.  I detest them.

Premonitions and me

 Do you believe in premonitions? 

Ever encountered one ?

I did this morning.

Thankfully it came to pass but only partly - if not some of you would be in mourning. 

Ok that's not exactly correct.

More than some would be in mourning!

Ok so this is how things transpired - lend me your ears.

I went to have a hair cut at my favourite saloon. 

It's nothing fancy - like me.

The chappie who usually cuts my hair was busy. Another pretty nondescript guy made eye contact and pointed to a chair. 

I was a trifle embarrassed to say no, although looking back, that would not have been a bad decision. 

So I sat down, was wrapped in a 'swaddling cape' and there began my sorrow.

The guy seemed a trifle rough, in a hurry and rather distracted.

( Maybe he was contemplating the India Pakistan cricket match ) .

While I gave him some very general and basic  instructions he kept glancing out through  the glass door .

The ' cutting'  began with a number 4 pair of clippers. 

Let me cut to the chase .

While he was using the razor to do the cleaning up exercise near my year and behind my neck a strange thought came over me.

What if his hand slipped and he sliced my ear or neck!

As hurriedly as it entered,  I put it out of my mind!

Hair cut over a few minutes later and he asked me if I needed a shave .

The lazy me nodded in the affirmative. 

I was lathered up and the thought returned.

What if his blade slipped when he was shaving my neck- this time the front! 

It would all  be over in the blink of an eye.

Believe it or not  - a minute or so later his hand slipped or something happened and I he nicked me-  no not on my neck, but on my chin.

It bled and he wiped. It bled some more, and he wiped it with wet tissue. It continued and he used talcum powder. 

It refused to stop, and he then used some ointment. 

Finally after about 5 minutes, it stopped bleeding and he completed the shave.

No - the blood was not pouring or spurting out or anything so drastic ( or dramatic) but it did bleed.

I didn't panic as it was an accident . He didn't panic either, nor did he apologise. 

Probably he nicks people regularly , and it's become normal. 

Am home now. The match is on. The chin is fine.

No more shaves at the barber for me.

So much hate

 So much uncertainty 

So many wars

So much hate

Such unimaginable torture.

Thousands being killed

And those being forced to do the killing 

Often don't know why.

Senseless butchery of the innocents.....

So much greed

And hatred

And bitterness.

Women raped

Babies killed

The old and infirm decapitated 

And men tortured.

All this while large groups 

Of the supposedly intelligent 

sit and debate

As to who is right

And who is wrong

And never come up

With any concrete answers or solutions.

When will this ignorant world learn

That war and genocide 

Has never been the answer ?

It isn't today

It will not be tomorrow 

Not in the foreseeable future.

This madness 

This utter insanity must stop 

By whatever means possible 

By whoever can make it happen

Lest we consume ourselves 

"If you bite and devour each other

Watch out

Or you will be destroyed by each other"

MG