Visit to Sally's
Granddad said to Grandma that he would go and see Sally at her Bungalow, and as Grandma was busy she just nodded as she would , Granddad gave her a kiss on her cheek and walked down his garden, the little gate swung open, the fragrance of the meadow made him feel rested and he could hear things in his mind that were soft as if the grasses and flowers were talking to him.
Just over the little stone bridge he paused, the bridge had been replaced with a stone one Granddad just accepted the change, he then turned into Sally's front garden. The roses sent out a colour and perfume he would only have dreamed of as he walked up to the little door.
The door seemed to know he was there as it opened as he arrived, so in he went calling out as he crossed the doorway. "Hello"
A lovely small lady wearing a tie round apron walked over to him, and with a lovely smile said, "cup of tea two sugars, I love making tea" she went on to say. “Everyone has their tea with two sugars.”
"You must be Sally" he replied, "I have heard so much about you and your garden from Sadie"
Sally had forgotten that they had only just met, and introduced herself to him,
She told him of the times before, when she lived in a terraced house that had nothing, an outside toilet and no garden, and how her whole life, although she made do with the things she had, she always wanted a Bungalow with a beautiful garden. "Now" she said, "I have this beautiful Bungalow and my own garden where I can grow all the lovely things, and all my friends and family can visit." "Let me show you my garden"
Sally took Granddad outside and the garden there seemed to drown all things, into a bowl of love and warmth. Sally's flowers drew close, to become as a part of his thinking, with the perfumes of the olden days where Dog roses adorned the hedgerow, "Have you noticed that all my favourite flowers are out at the same time it's lovely and they are pretty, pretty" All Sally's favourite flowers, all blooming at the same time that is how things are here" Sally said. There were Snowdrops in amongst the red Roses, where their delicate little flowers drooped as if bowing to the roses. Sally asked me if I had noticed that all the flowers no matter when they flowered were in their perfection all at the same time. I thought that to say, in perfection, was a little strange to come from someone so down to earth.
Sally's voice came through my thoughts and whispered "There is perfection when I think that way", "Sadie taught me these things, she taught me to think talk and many other things since I came here, there is nothing more I need at this time"
"I have all my friends come to visit and they love the flowers and a cup of tea with me it's lovely.
I enjoy doing this I don't want to go toddling off doing other things".
We returned inside but the longing to be in the garden persisted.
Sally made me a cup of tea with two sugars also gave me a lovely piece of her cake. "I make everything" she said," you can't buy anything here you just have to make them, you just think them and there they are as you would have made them, it's so lovely, that's one thing why I don't want to go anywhere else it's so lovely here.
When Sally's family come to see her, her best flowers are the Daffodils and Snowdrops they all grow amongst the Roses and the Gladiolas "It's lovely they all grow together pretty, pretty" She said in a singing voice.
"Before I had seen a picture, where someone had painted gardens and they were so beautiful, all colours and they seemed so different to what we had, just like yours so pretty, but yours is much better" Grandad said.
"Only here you get these colours" Sally told him
"I will come and visit you again if I may Sally" Grandad said and Grandma will love to see your Bungalow and garden. Then we can have a cup of tea and some cake, and talk of more things.
"My Mother would have loved to come and see you and this garden" Grandad said. "She has already been she loves it here" Sally told him Grandad just accepted that this was so.
"There are so many people that visit me as I have said, there is so much to catch up on, the lady that use to look after me when I was sick.
Her Mother has already been to see me, but I use to visit our lady, as Sadie did to you, but that was when there was a gathering, she use to know me by me singing "Daisy, Daisy" Sally sang out.
She use to help me lots and lots, she was my nurse but was also my friend. She looked after me, she was nice and we would talk and lots of things"
Granddad didn't want to leave Sally's Bungalow but knew that it was time to go. "I will let you get on with your jobs Sally" he said and excused himself with thanks and love for this lovely lady, the little door opened and his garden once again captured his steps as he walked up to his house, as Grandma called him for Tea.
