Page 86 of Weekends with the Sunshine Gardening Society
That reminds Lorraine that she’s been promising Simon she’ll take him there. He went when he was younger but he can’t remember it and he keeps seeing it on postcards. That gives her an idea.
‘Maybe I should bring my Simon over one day?’ she says. ‘There’s a bit of an age difference but Simon’s great with other kids.’
Going by the look on Elizabeth’s face, this is not a suggestion she’s wild about. ‘Oh,’ she says. ‘Well, yes. Perhaps.’
Then she smiles. ‘I’m still getting used to Charlie’s life carrying on as normal while mine …’ She shrugs.
‘The Sunshine Gardening Society isn’t normal?’ Lorraine says archly.
Elizabeth laughs. ‘I guess you are now.’
As the three of them approach Kathy and Shirl, Lorraine and Kathy exchange a conspiratorial smile, and Lorraine almost bursts out laughing, thinking about their random sighting at the market.
‘I saw that,’ Shirl says briskly. ‘What’s going on?’
‘Nothing!’ Lorraine squeaks. ‘Where am I today?’
Glancing around the garden it’s clear that the best of the blooms is over. Most of the colour has gone and, not for the first time, Lorraine considers that there’s not much rhyme or reason to their gardening caper. You grow things, they look great for a few days, then they don’t for the rest of the year. Or they do, but it’s different. So maybe that’s the reason. A person has to learn to appreciate the ways in which any given plant looks nice and then there’s always something to enjoy.
Shirl looks smug, which isn’t her usual expression. ‘We’re planting,’ she says.
‘Planting what?’ Cynthia asks, then her eyes widen. ‘No!’
‘Yes.’ Shirl’s smugness intensifies.
‘What?’ Lorraine asks.
‘Natives,’ says Cynthia.
Lorraine looks at Elizabeth, who shrugs. ‘I didn’t see a reason not to. As Shirl says, they’re good for the garden and the birds and the insects. And she’s suggested some plants that will work with what’s already here.’
‘And Jon won’t mind?’
It’s out of Lorraine’s mouth before she realises how wrong it sounds. Except she thinks of Jon as being like Charlie inCharlie’s Angels– he sets the task but they never see him. He’s an idea of a man, yet also an actual man. Except not, of course, because he’s dead. It wouldn’t make sense to anyone but her, which is why she should have kept it to herself – except Elizabeth looks kind of relieved, like Lorraine has said out loud what she already thinks about.
‘He liked beauty,’ she says. ‘So I think he would approve. Shirl and Barb have a plan for how it can work.’
Lorraine glances around. ‘WhereisBarb?’
‘Not here.’ Shirl waves a hand dismissively. ‘Some event she had to go to in Brisbane. She took her big pink crystal so who knows what she’s getting up to.’
Lorraine and Kathy catch each other’s eye and grin.
‘Right – that’s it,’ Shirl says. ‘What is it?’
‘Nothing,’ Lorraine says quickly. ‘What’s her big pink crystal?’
‘This big triangle of pink rock she keeps in her house. Something about love. Now, tell me.’ Shirl’s hands go to her hips and her eyes narrow.
It’s not really appropriate for Lorraine to say anything – they’ve never been a gossipy bunch, mainly because they’re too busy working – except she doesn’t know if she can keep it in forever.
‘We saw Barb,’ Kathy says, saving her from having to make a decision. ‘At Eumundi Market.’
‘Oh yeah?’ Shirl squints. ‘I think I know where this is going.’
Cynthia and Elizabeth look bewildered and Lorraine feels momentarily proud that she at least kept her mouth shut around them. It’s not like she picked up the phone and blurted out the news.
‘Where is it going?’ Cynthia says.
