He karate chops the air when a horde of flies attack him.
My handsome, endlessly patient city boy is gonna get so many kisses tonight.
I fill the watering can and set it down at Mum's feet.
She thanks me, but says she'll save it for later.
“Best to water these around dusk, love. It's too hot right now.”
We shade our eyes as the afternoon sun sears the land.
Cicadas are noisy buggers out here. Bigger than the ones on the coast.
Crows are more vocal too.
But the only sound I’m bracing for is my father.
And so far, not a peep.
Good. He can fuck off.
Your anger is more than justified,Sam told me last week.
But when you're ready to fully reclaim the power he took from you, it will be a gentle goodbye and a lack of attention that hurts him the most.
A life of anger will only hurt you, not him.
Choose to grow, or choose to harden.
And she’s right.
I don’t want to carry this darkness anymore.
I’m here to take back my power, gently but firmly.
I’m gonna start by loving my mum back to life, just like the plants she’s been tending. Resilience against the odds.
Nurturing and protecting every delicate shoot, guiding it until it thrives.
Despite the harsh conditions.
???
I kneel down to take a closer look.
She's clearly spent a lot of time in this garden.
It’s impressive, to say the least.
Tomatoes climb thin wooden stakes.
Silver beet leaves spread wide and glossy.
Clusters of herbs grow thick and green beside rows of beans and zucchini.
“Got the clippings from next door. No garden centre out this way, Amos.”
She leads us further down toward the fence.
