No one would have believed it by the look of him, but Al had a fairly efficient garden growing in his flat. He never particularly worried about the place looking ‘presentable’ because he rarely ever had company and if he did, they didn’t care much, either. Truth be told he’d grown up with a BEAUTIFUL garden that his mum tended while he was at school, and it had been her pride and joy. She grew her own vegetables and they always tasted better than anything they could’ve bought from a Tesco, the dirigible plums were always in season, and when he was six she even grew a pumpkin that was nearly as tall as him.
Al did not have such a masterful green thumb.
So even now, four years after his mother’s untimely death, Al still found himself frequenting Tilden Toots’ shop and asking the lad questions. Truth be told, he was GLAD. Tilden was a rare person in this world - unabashedly kind and patient, understanding and caring all while never forcing someone out of their comfort zone. The days after his mum died all Al had to say was that he felt like chrysanthemums.
Today was considerably less wighted when he entered Tilden’s shop, carrying a pot with a pathetic looking plant that had just two days ago been in perfect health. Even Al had to laugh at how sad it was. “I, uh... Killed my flitterbloom.”
@flowertilden