Monday 16 February 2015

"Come and have a coffee with me?"

I was in the shopping centre when someone asked me this question. I had just pedalled a considerable distance. I was hot. I was tired. I knew the Senior Cat would be worried if I wasn't home soon. I nearly said no - but I didn't.
I like the person who asked me. I like her very much indeed but we rarely get a chance to talk. Both of us lead very busy lives.
So, I rang the Senior Cat. "Nothing wrong but I'll be a little longer. I'm going to have coffee with her."
He agreed it was a good thing.
And so we chatted about nothing in particular and I could see my friend relaxing a bit as we sipped ice cold coffee through straws. I am not particularly fond of coffee. I like perfume far more than I like the taste. I suggested she call in to get some peaches on her way home later in the day. She agreed eagerly and I felt I could repay her for the coffee she had insisted on buying for me.
When I arrived home I found the Senior Cat had a visitor. A friend had come to pick the figs. That needs a ladder. The Senior Cat cannot climb ladders. I cannot climb ladders. Friend can. The fig tree grew up of its own accord behind the garden shed - in the gap between the shed and the fence. It does remarkably well there.  Friend came down with a bucket load and took some home to make jam. What to do with the rest? I had already made some jam.
And so when my friend of the morning arrived for the peaches I gave her enough figs for a little jam as well because in the evening we picked the other figs on the smaller tree in the corner of the front garden - and they will be quite enough for the two of us.
And Computer-Geek arrived with the new laptop. He will come and set it up for me tomorrow. He went home with more peaches.
The Senior Cat sat down to his evening snack and purred, "Isn't it good to have the garden? We can give people things."
I have to agree.

2 comments:

jeanfromcornwall said...

Ah the glory of the fruit glut!
My Mum was amazed and thrilled when she was visiting one of the Australian cousins, and dinner demanded a lemon - so Barbara just went out to the garden and picked one. And peaches straight off the tree! The ones we have to buy, from southern Europe, are so often disappointing.

Janet O'Kane said...

They do say that gardeners are the most generous people on earth: if you admire something they have they give you a cutting, flowers or fruit. How lovely to be able to share your peaches and figs. That's one of the joys of keeping hens: people love to receive a box of eggs. I could never charge for them.