Hey! I heard you bought a house, my cousin Emily exclaimed, practically glowing with excitement.
Yes, we did, I replied, smiling, though I knew the truth was less glamorous. But its a total wreck. We need to renovate everything. Its going to take a lot of work and quite a bit of money.
Get the repairs done quickly, then we’ll have everyone round for a barbecue, Emily said, picturing it all. A garden, lush grass, a swing set, beds full of veg and fruit trees It sounds magical! I honestly cant wait to visit.
Why wait? I nudged, raising my eyebrows. Come over this weekend! We’ll haul out rubbish, strip old wallpaper, and theres plenty to do in the garden. The trees need pruning. You could help us out we really need it. And after all the work, we can fire up the barbecue
My passionate plea seemed to settle her restless excitement, and after a moment she said, Oh, actually, my brother and I already have plans this weekend.
No worries, I reassured her. Come next weekend, then. Well have work for the next few years at least. Itll be fun to roll up our sleeves together, then relax with a barbecue afterwards. It’ll be lovely.
Do me a favour, though, I continued. If you do come, dont forget to pick up some meat for the barbecue. Were short on cash right now we poured all our savings into the house.
And in the spring, I went on, my voice full of hope, you can help us dig the garden, plant something in the beds, and well tend it together. Then, imagine eating our own vegetables straight from the ground. Isnt that wonderful?
At that, Emilys brightness faded. Her expression grew distant. She mumbled goodbye, saying she had errands to run, and then hung up abruptly.
I hope she understood whats ahead. There will always be more work to do spreading fertiliser, digging the garden, mowing the lawn, and countless other tasks. Its never-ending, but maybe, just maybe, shell find the beauty in all of it.
