a walk in the sunshine

Ms Jayne Goody knew exactly what to do about the strawberries. She stood at the garden gate fussily adjusting her hat in the midday sun and admiring the garden, product of so many hours of work. Then spurred by the promise of great return for a small amount of work she opened the gate and stepped through. Ms. Goody strode briskly through the garden ignoring the radishes, cucumbers, and tomatoes to stop at the first mound of delicious ripe red berries. Taking her pruning shears from her apron she gently grabbed the first plant at the base and cut it off even to the ground. She repeated this action 20 more times until the garden was a killing field of once proud fruit. Then she stood returning her pruners to her pocket and brushing the dirt from her knees.
“Lavina Adams should learn not to gossip, after all whose business is it if a woman of a certain age wishes to entertain a few gentlemen callers”, she mumbled to herself straightening her hat once more. Then with a certainty that time is fleeting she turned and hurried towards downtown so as not to miss the opening of Wednesday ladies meeting at the civic club.
Lavina Adams brushed a stray crumb off her pleated skirt as she reached for another cucumber sandwich, they could have been better, the cucumber was overripe and missing that crisp snap she enjoyed in her mouth. She grew much better in her own garden and indeed had won many blue ribbons at the county fair, but things were just too tight this year to waste food on this lot of prissy old biddies. Even now here came that awful Jayne Goody.
“That woman is the scandal of Greentown, lights on at her house at all hours, playing that jazz music so loud you can hear it the minute you set foot on her porch to set her straight about a few things.” She smiled; a thin tight line, showing no teeth, and removing the color from her already pale lips, a smile she reserved for harlots like Jayne.
The meeting dragged on interminably, prolonged by an extended argument over the theme for decorating the square, in honor of Independence Day. In the end Hester Marshal won out with her plan for an homage to John Paul Jones and Battle of Flamborough Head. Really it was going to take a lot of red carnations to recreate that many dead British, but there was no way that Hallsville could be allowed to outdo them this year.
Jayne Goody and Levina Adams headed for their respective homes wrapped in their private thoughts. Jayne was concerned with what might be needed to prepare for tonight’s gentlemen callers and Levina wondered if she had set the timer for the hydroponic pump in the basement correctly. After all times are hard and a woman has to make a living doesn’t she?