Vera hired a young man to weed the garden.
Her husband watched him for five minutes, then took over to show him the right way. By lunchtime, the beds were clear and the young man had barely touched a tool.
Vera paid him anyway.
Her husband asked what she was paying for….
Vera had been asking her husband, Colin, to weed the front garden since March.
In June, he told her the ground was still not quite right.
Right for what? she asked.
Good work.
On Saturday morning, a young man arrived carrying new gardening gloves. Vera showed him the flower beds.
Colin watched through the window.
He’s holding that fork wrong.
Vera said he could go and tell him.
Colin went outside.
The young man listened carefully. Then he pulled at a weed and left the root in the soil.
Colin took the fork.
Watch.
He loosened the ground, lifted the whole weed and shook the soil back into the bed.
Like that.
The young man said he had never seen anybody do it so neatly.
Colin showed him another.
Then a third.
When Vera brought tea, her husband had cleared half the bed. The young man held the empty weed bucket.
Is he learning? Vera asked.
Slowly, said Colin.
The young man apologised. He asked whether the bed by the gate needed the same care.
Colin said of course it did. Different plants did not mean different standards.
He went to show him.
By noon, both beds were tidy. The path had been swept. Colin had also explained why the roses needed trimming, then fetched his own garden shears to make the point.
Vera brought out two glasses of lemonade.
The young man praised the finished garden.
Colin said there was a lot to learn.
Vera paid the young man.
Her husband put down his glass.
Hang on. I did nearly all of that.
I know, she said.
Then why are you paying him?
For doing what I asked.
Colin pointed at the spotless gloves.
He hardly used those.
The young man took them off. He looked rather relieved.
Vera said he had done a very good morning’s work.
Colin asked whether he was coming back.
The young man looked at Vera.
She nodded.
Colin folded his arms.
Well, next week he can show me what he’s learned.
Vera took the money from her purse and counted out his next payment.
He isn’t a gardener. He’s learning how to fit your curtain rail.
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