The Gardener
I saw her standing and tending to the flowers with a smile spread across her face.
Gardening was what she loved to do most and whenever she carried that giant watering can, the flowers bloomed like she was mother nature herself. Her touch seemed to bring everything to live.
Her brown skin radiated in the fading evening sun and her curly afro hair was packed forward with a scarf from behind.
Her favorite pinafore hung across one shoulder and had bits of dirt smeared around her knee level. Dirt she accumulated from her consistent bending to dig the ground.
"Don't worry I won't hurt you " she said as she stretched out her hands to me.
I hid behind the half burnt tree trunk to get a closer look at her. Her entire hands were covered in dirt and her nails looked unkept and too long for someone who used her hands all the time.
"What are you doing there all by yourself?" Mom's voice came from behind as she walked closer to me.
"I have told you to stay away from the part of the building, it's haunted with bad memories." She added as she pulled me by my left hand.
"What about her?" I asked pointing to the direction where she stood smiling at me.
"You're imagining things darling, there's no here. No one's been here since the fire." Mom said brushing some invincible dust off my hair and right shoulder.
"Let's get inside, it's getting cold." She added.
"Where did you get those?" Mom asked pointing at the fresh flowers I held.
"The gardener gave them to me" I replied.
"I've had enough of you, let's go inside" She replied with a frown and disbelief on her face.
I wished she believed me.