The Flower Moon
Mary had a few more calls she planned to make, but when she checked the clock, she saw that it was almost time to go meet the girls.
"Kelly," she asked, spinning around in her desk chair, "Do you think you could call and see where we are at with Terri's loan application? I am supposed to ride home with the girls and I need to get going."
"Sure," Kelly replied, "What about the thing with Breanna?"
"That can wait until Monday."
Mary had not expected that she would be able to hire a full time assistant for at least five years after she opened Winslow Business Consulting in the little office above the Post Office. But she had done well enough that after only three years, she had been able to offer a position to Kelly Martin. Kelly had been her first friend in Maine, but more than that, while working together at the bank, Mary had come to admire her sharp mind, her work ethic, and most of all, her people skills. It had not been easy to convince her to leave a good, reliable job to join in a risky new venture, but when the economy took a downturn and the layoffs began, Kelly decided to take a chance. It had turned out to be a great decision for both of them.
Mary put on her sweater and draped her bag over her shoulder.
"See you tomorrow," she said as she left the office.
"Looking forward to it," Kelly said with a broad smile.
Mary went down the stairs and fetched her bike from it's hiding place behind the rhododendrons that lined the side of the building. It was a beautiful spring day. She hoped the weather would hold for the weekend. She climbed on the bike and peddled hard on the uphill slope of Main Street, turning into the school driveway just as the dismissal bell rang. Within seconds, children began pouring through the doors. She slowed, hopped down off her bike and walked it over to the rack near the playground. As she watched the children boarding the bus or bustling toward their parent's waiting cars, she thought back to another time when she had watched the children leaving school, after she had lost her first pregnancy. That seemed so long ago.
The stream of children was beginning to taper when Hannah and Bonita came through the doors. They still did nearly everything together, but they were beginning to develop into more distinct individuals, in appearance and personality. Mary wondered when Bonita had gotten several inches taller than Hannah.
The girls spotted Mary and ran to her. She squatted down and gave them each a hug and a kiss.
"How was school today, babies?" she asked.
Bonita just shrugged, but Hannah launched into a long description of the day's lessons. Mary helped them each don their helmets while her daughter explained to her how fractions work.
As they mounted their bikes, Bonita asked "Can we go to Dairy Queen?"
"No, honey, we need to get home. And besides, that place has only been open a month and you've been there, what? Ten times?"
"Because we like it!" Hannah said.
"If we ride our bikes on Monday, maybe. But tonight, you and me and Papa are going out for supper, so no ice cream."
"Can Nita come with us?"
"Not this time, sweetie."
"Good," Nita said, "I want to play with Moosie."
They started to peddle across the parking lot. Mary smiled "You guys like your puppies?"
"I love Buster!" Hannah said.
"But I miss Fang," Bonita pouted.
"Well, honey, Fang was an old dog even when he first came to live with us."
"Mama Jen said Fang and Angus were chasing each other over the Rainbow Bridge, but I don't believe her."
"Oh? Why not?"
"Angus was too fat to chase Fang."
Mary was happy that the girls loved their new basset hound puppies so much, but she had been annoyed that Alvin had gotten them without consulting her, or Jen and Danni, for that matter. Still, if after all this time, her biggest complaint about him was his tendency to surprise people with gifts and favors, she supposed she had it pretty good.
They rode down the hill toward town, then turned on to Grove Street. When they reached the cemetery, both girls began to peddle furiously, eager to get past it as quickly as possible. Mary thought of Bonnie as she passed by the rusting iron gate. I couldn't train him either, honey, she thought with a wry smile.
The pavement ended and the road took a downward curve through a small stand of woods.
"Keep to the side, girls," Mary called. She liked biking with the girls down the back roads. There was seldom much traffic, but she still worried. It's funny, she thought, but until I became a mother I didn't really understand the concept of worrying.
Meadows lined the road, displaying the first blooms of lupine. In a few weeks, they would be awash in pink and magenta. There was a new house going up near the corner of Puddledock Road. The girls waved and smiled at the workmen, who waved back, but Mary felt a flash of resentment. I think I am turning into one of those old time Mainers who hates any change, she thought.
The girls reached the stop sign at Puddledock Corners and waited for Mary to pull even with them. When she gave the go ahead, they turned toward home. A flock of turkeys were milling in the road. They scattered as the bikes approached, but one ran down the center of the road and Bonita nearly collided with it. The turkey flapped its wings and awkwardly flew a dozen yards into the meadow. Hannah and Bonita laughed at the sight of it.
"Until I moved here, I didn't know turkeys could fly," Mary told them.
"Well, they aren't very good at it," Bonita said.
"They don't like to fly because it's embarrassing," Hannah added, starting both girls laughing.
When they reached the old Perkins farm they saw Yusef's wife, Jamilla, hanging clothes on a line in the yard. She waved at them as they approached.
"Girls! Come!" she called.
Bonita and Hannah rode to her and Mary followed.
"Were you good in school today? Did you study well your lessons?"
They assured her that they had been very good. She looked up at Mary, who smiled and nodded.
"Well then, please wait right here." She disappeared into her apartment in the old stable and came back a minute later with three small dark nuggets wrapped in paper.
"Good students get rewards. I just made halwa this morning."
She handed out the treats. "Say thank you, babies," Mary said. She bit into the sweet confection. It tasted of sugar and nutmeg and cardamom.
"Oh. So good, Jamilla, thank you."
"You are welcome. And thank you for inviting us to your celebration tomorrow."
"Well, we are very pleased to have you," Mary replied. She turned to the girls. "Alright, babies, let's get going. Papa is waiting for us."
***
Alvin and Yusef sat on the porch steps, drinking lemonade. They had just finished stacking firewood for the next day's bonfire.
"I have received a letter from my brother in Somalia," Yusef said.
"Well, that's good," Alvin replied, "I know you been worried."
"Yes, but he says conditions have improved. He shrugged. "But they have before and peace did not last."
"Any word on whether or not they can get out?"
"Perhaps someday, not now." He looked around the farm. "Alvin, I look and I see these fields and all the trees. I think there are more trees on this one farm than in all of Somalia."
He chuckled and shook his head. "I hope, my friend, that you know what a lucky man you are, that you know how much treasure you possess."
Alvin considered Yusef's words. "I didn't always think so. My Dad died young and that pretty much dashed my dreams. Then my wife died, and I was brought pretty low. But I had my girls and they kept me going. Then I met Mary, and Hannah come along, and my babies had their own babies..."
"And you understood, you are one of the luckiest men alive."
"Yeah," Alvin chuckled, "but that's what Lou Gehrig said, too."
"And who is this Mister Gehrig?"
"Gotta teach you about baseball, Yusef," Alvin laughed.
"No, no, no," Yusef shook his head, "I can not make sense of it. Football for me." He poked his finger into Alvin's shoulder. "Round football."
"Here comes some of my treasure now." Alvin watched as Hannah came furiously peddling up the driveway. By the time Mary and Bonita turned in, she had already reached the dooryard. She skidded to a stop, kicking up gravel, dropped her bike and ran toward the house. Alvin raised his hands to welcome her, but she bounded up the steps and rushed past him into the house.
