You only tell parsley croutons apart by the shop tags, and youve only ever seen berries in jam! muttered the offended neighbour, Mrs. Margaret.
Victoria and William had driven out to their country cottage for the first time. Theyd bought it in the autumn, and now, with the leaves turning, they decided to put everything in order. The house was lovely, even in winter, but the garden and the rest of the grounds needed a great deal of work.
The overgrown orchard had to be turned into a pictureperfect haven. A new gardenspa had already been ordered; it would arrive and be installed within a week, they only had to decide where to place it.
At the same time they planned a clothesdrying shed beside the spa, a woodstore, and a pergola. Their children promised to visit and help with everything.
Its quiet here, perfect for a whole years retirement, Victoria said.
Ive inspected the cellar; only the front door needs replacing, William added.
Ive looked over the back veranda. Remember our talk about a pergola? It isnt needed. On the veranda we have a large round table and a set of antique chairs.
Well simply restore those chairs; theyll last another hundred years. From there well have a view over the garden, sip tea and enjoy the scenery. The garden gate also needs a new door it feels as if someone has been in the house recently.
Absolutely, the door comes first. Well do all the work in the rear yard, out of sight from the road, and itll look beautiful. In front of the house well plant a lawn and flower beds.
The flowers are already there, theyre perennials; we just have to decide where each should go. Some may need to be moved, but well leave that for next summer.
A week later the spa was delivered and the children arrived. The landscaping began in earnest. The neighbour popped over to introduce herself; her grandchildren were constantly running around the cottage.
Do you have grandchildren? she asked.
Yes, theyll be coming soon.
Why such a high fence? In our block we never bothered with a fence at all.
No fence? What was there before? We just tore down the old one; it had collapsed. It didnt matter to you, but we like things tidy. Dont worry, we didnt take any extra metres of land. The fence sits exactly on the property line.
No gate? We always had a way in.
You mean a gate between our plots? No, thats not part of the plan. Access is only from the road.
What about the children, yours and ours? I see youve cut down the apple trees, and the kids used to love crawling over them.
We didnt cut them down, only pruned and cleared them, then planted new ones. Let your grandchildren crawl over your own apple trees.
Everythings new with you. Why plant hedges along our fence?
Just for a touch of beauty.
Mrs. Margaret left, but soon returned with more questions. Her grandchildren continued to race across Victoria and Williams garden until the new gate was finally installed.
Youve settled in well, the neighbour said again. Will you be living here through winter?
Time will tell.
Why close the gate? The children used to play ball right in front of the house, safe and level. The road is busy, and here its safer.
My garden beds are busy enough, unlike yours. You only tell parsley croutons apart by the shop tags, and youve only ever seen berries in jam. You should befriend me.
We closed the gate to keep prying eyes away and so your grandchildren dont become permanent residents. Two days ago they let our chickens loose; we still havent found any of them.
You keep chickens? So you really intend to stay?
We already are.
At the end of August they celebrated Williams birthday. The children, the grandchildren, the whole family gathered on the veranda. Men grilled meat, women prepared salads, and the table was laid out with fine china.
Here we are, dropping by to say neighbourly hello, as they say. We always come early, no invitation needed. Were neighbours, after all. The kids know everything from the morning.
Youre preparing, the guests have arrived, so its a party. Lets sit together; the children will have more fun. Its about time we became friends.
So we didnt invite you? This is a family celebration, just our immediate family. Our relationship is neighbourly, not familial.
Perhaps one day it will be. The children will grow up. Maybe well even become relatives, the neighbour laughed.
She kept rearranging the conversation, never quite leaving. Her grandchildren were everywhere, shaking apple and pear trees, climbing onto the spa roofthankfully they didnt fall. Later they discovered a pile of stones set around the outbuilding. Some of the kids started tossing the stones into an inflatable pool. No one noticed at first; when the water splashed, the children shrieked with delight.
Autumn is almost here, time to pack away the pool, Mrs. Margaret said. The kids have had fun.
You should get home!
We havent even sat down yet; the children are hungry. Lets all gather at the table!
The celebration was a little disrupted, but another one lay ahead. A week later the children returned for the 35th wedding anniversary of Victoria and William. Someone had locked the gate, which turned out to be their youngest, a sevenyearold grandson.
A soft knock on the gate echoed through the yard. The whole family pretended nothing was wrong while the scent of roast and fresh herbs filled the air and a chill settled over the garden.
When will you be back in town? someone asked.
Well think about it. Autumn is coming, well harvest, and then well see. The apple crop this year is outstanding. We love everything here except for the neighbour, but she isnt a real obstacle. Weve learned how to cope with her.
Everyone laughed together.
The guests eventually left, and Victoria and William remained, facing an autumn that would turn to winter. They would give it a try; and if it didnt work out, they could always return to their flat in the city.
Mrs. Margaret eventually drove away. It turned out her grandchildren needed to be at school, her daughter was overwhelmed, and the grandmother would help. Victoria and William sighed with relief. God bless us with such troublesome neighbours, William muttered.
And so, as the leaves fell and the garden settled into quiet, they realised that patience, a little humour, and a willingness to mend fencesboth literal and metaphoricalare the true foundations of a peaceful life.
