A Short and Final Note from Me

Ben called up some of his old builder friends and a week later we gave the cabin a Lily-style makeover. Which means we gave it just enough of an improvement to keep it looking like itself (only a little bit better) and stop it from getting condemned. Turns out, the big problem was a few beams of rotting wood along the side facing the lake. It took a whole day to replace those. And seal up the seams to keep the moisture out. And clear out some of the clutter and clean out the dust and grime on the floor and scrub away the mould from the walls. Now it’s all ready for when Ben and his dad move in next week. But before that happens, we have to dig up what’s left of the marijuana plants growing rampant throughout the garden. In their place, I want to plant the twenty-six lily bulbs Todd helped me pick out from his family’s garden centre. According to Todd, this is the perfect time of year to plant them.

And, also according to Todd, ashes make the best fertilizer. Who’d have thought?

My dad and Emma and Ben and Todd and Mr. Swartz were all with me when I did it. Even General MacArthur insisted on being there for the moment. I’m sort of happy she was. Once we finished fixing the cabin up, she was quick to surrender the battle and call off her crazy condemning scheme. Which makes me really hope this distance thing is already starting to work. Got all my digits crossed on this one.

The old me never would have cried in front of so many people. But I couldn’t help letting out a few tears as I emptied Aunt Su’s pomegranate jar over the lily bulbs and turned the soil over with a trowel. I know with all my heart that this is the right spot for Aunt Su to rest. When the lilies sprout up next spring, there’ll be yellow, red, white, pink, orange … and, of course, purple. All of them helping to keep her garden alive, just like the black-eyed Susans that’ll be pushing up beside them. And just like the Susans, my lilies will grow up strong, proud … and, yup, a little bit wild.

Huh.

Maybe, just maybe, I’m not a total oxymoron after all.