Hi! This is a quick short story I wrote. I originally wrote it for another contest that had a word limit of 1000. All in all…this is a very simplified version because I didn’t have time to recover the longer version. Enjoy! Mom dumped a basket of laundry in my arms. “Fiona, hang these clothes please.” she said. I walked down the back steps barefoot. The hot bricks burned my feet and I ran into the grass to cool them down. It was one of the days where birds sing and flowers bloom. I liked those days. The sun was sweet as it peeked through the tangle of branches above me. Our big oak tree nearly blocked the sky from view when I looked up. However, not everything was so beautiful. Weeds were everywhere and the hedge in the back was overgrown, some of its branches touching the ground. My parents never had time to tidy it. “Hurry Fiona! This breeze won’t last forever!” my mom called through the open window. I started putting damp clothes on the line. The job went by quickly. I grabbed the last shirt from the basket and pinned it up. It fluttered in the breeze. My chores were done, I had nothing to do. I didn’t even have homework. I looked at the garden and made a sudden decision. Dumping the empty basket on the porch, I opened the garage and got out my dads old gardening gloves, a shovel and clippers. I kneeled down and got to work. I spent the rest of the day hacking away at the pesky weeds and branches. When my dad saw me sitting in the dirt he called, “What on earth are you doing?” “Weeding.” I answered causally. “Yes, I see that, but why?” I shrugged. “It seemed like the garden needed it.” By the end of the day it looked much better but without the weeds it seemed empty. I walked into the house dirty and exhausted. When my mom saw me she just sighed and pointed at the sink. That night, even in my dreams, I couldn’t stop picturing the garden overflowing with beautiful blossoms. The next day, I rushed to my dads room. “Dad! Can we buy flowers for our garden? Please?” I begged. He looked up. “Um, no. I’d rather spend money on something that lasts, Fiona. Flowers die. It’s a waste of money.” “What if I used my own money?” I asked, desperate. The garden had earned a place in my heart and I was determined not to leave it as it was. “I suppose so. It’s your money.” he said, shrugging as he turned back to his computer.
I said a hurried thank you and grabbed my wallet. The garden store was a few blocks away. The bell in the doorway tinkled as I entered. “Can I help you?” the lady behind the counter asked. “I need flowers for my garden.” I said, flipping through my wallet. “I only have $20.” She smiled. “I’m sure we can find something! We have a lovely selection of daisies!” she said. ___________________________________________________ The sky had turned dark gray while I was shopping. I was almost at our driveway when a clash of thunder cut through the air. I jumped. “Fiona! Get inside!” my mom called. “But…” my voice trailed off. “Fine.” I muttered. I pushed open our front door and placed the flower pots on the floor. My mom looked at me and shook her head. “Flowers stay outside.” she said. “No! They won’t survive! They’re only in plastic pots…they’ll get blown around everywhere!” I cried. It started to pour. “Put them outside!” my mom said, her voice rising. My eyes filled with tears as I carried the flowers outside. I gently placed them in the backyard. “You’ll plant them tomorrow. They’ll be fine, it's just rain.” I told myself when I was back inside. But as I looked out the window, something told me they wouldn’t make it. I went to my room, plopped down on my bed and sighed. I pictured the flowers, torn to pieces in the mud and thought about the money I had spent on them. A lump formed in my throat. I tried not to cry but it was impossible. A while later my mom came to check on me. When she saw me lying on my bed, she sat down next to me. “I’m sorry.” she said quietly. “You’ve spent so much time and money on making this garden nice for us and I didn’t even acknowledge it.” “You and dad have been so busy lately.” I said. “That’s why I decided to clean the garden in the first place, I needed something to do.” She gave me a sympathetic look. “I know sweetie. Things have been a bit crazy.” she said. I nodded. “But we need to make sure to spend time with you.” she added as she stood up. “I love you.” “Love you too.” I answered. A few minutes later my dad peeked in the door. “Hey Fifi,” he said. I rolled my eyes. He always used that nickname. “What’s up?” he asked. Rain pounded on my window. I shrugged and whispered “I had to leave the flowers outside.” My dad sighed. “Fiona, I’m so proud of you. You used your own money to buy those flowers to make our garden beautiful. I’m sorry I didn’t realize how important it was to you.” I glanced out the window and saw the flowers blowing in the fierce wind. The pots had fallen over and one was broken. I let out a sob. “They’re ruined daddy!” I cried. “I’ll pay for new ones,” he said. I jumped up and hugged him. “Thank you!” I exclaimed. He sat down and pulled me into his arms like he used to. The room fell silent. The only sound was the rain outside. After a while it got quieter. “I need to get back.” my dad said. He gave me one last squeeze before he left. I laid back and sighed contently. Everything turned out okay. Rain is good for flowers I thought. I sat listening to the rain gently tapping on the roof.
