Page 67 of Weekends with the Sunshine Gardening Society
Odette glances up at Ash, who looks more like a scared boy than a man about to become a father.
‘It’s not his decision to make, darling,’ Cynthia says firmly.
‘I think hospital is safer. But his mother said it’s better –’ Odette gasps and squeezes Cynthia’s hand.
‘Odette,’ says Cynthia. ‘The decisions made about a birth should be the business of the woman giving birth unless she needs medical intervention. These men have nothing to do with it.’
She glares at Pat, blaming him absolutely for what is happening, even though it was probably Ash’s doing in the first place.
‘Dettie,’ says Ash, moving into Odette’s line of sight, and Cynthia wants to growl at him for turning a perfectly lovely name into a charmless nickname.
‘Dettie,’ he repeats, crouching and putting his hand on Odette’s leg. ‘You told me that you want this. You said that if you told me you want to go to hospital that I should remind you that you don’t really.’
‘I’ve changed my mind!’ Odette says, her eyes flashing.
‘Yeah, but …’ Ash looks stricken and Cynthia now feels sympathy, because he is in quite a spot. But not too much sympathy because he doesn’t deserve it.
‘Let’s look at it this way,’ Cynthia says as evenly as she can. ‘Ash, you’re interested in the wellbeing of your child, yes?’
He hesitates then nods.
‘And I’m interested in the wellbeing ofmine,’ she goes on. ‘Your child isn’t here yet. Mine is. She says she’s changed her mind about hospital. If she’s angry at you later, you can blame me.’
Cynthia lets go of Odette’s hand and stands up. ‘We’re going,’ she says. ‘Patrick, Ash, take her under the armpits and get her up.’
Without waiting to see how they manage it, Cynthia heads for the open door and her car.
‘This is not about control, Pat,’ she mutters as he passes. ‘This is about our child being safe.’
‘I understand,’ he says, and she could swear his voice breaks.
When he turns to look at Cynthia after he’s helped Odette into the back seat, he puts his hands on her cheeks.
‘I understand,’ he repeats. ‘Because I’m scared too.’
Cynthia nods slowly. ‘Then you and Ash go together in your car. I don’t want Odette upset.’
She doesn’t wait to hear his response as she closes the back door. She gets in the front, starts the car and drives off, breaking the speed limit just a little as she tries to remember where the hospital is.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
Fora while there Kathy thought Michelle would try to join her for this morning’s gathering of the Sunshine Gardening Society. Her stay with Kathy has turned out to be a couple of weeks long already, which Kathy doesn’t mind at all because they’ve been getting on the way they always used to, chatting about everything. Obviously Kathy was chatting a lot about the gardening because Michelle said she wanted to meet these women her mother was spending weekends with, and find out why, exactly, Kathy was prepared to spend time making other people’s gardens beautiful while ignoring her own.
For that Kathy had no answer, but she promised to buy a couple of plants. Even if the property is a rental and she doesn’t know how long she’ll be there she could at least try to make it beautiful. As an act of self-respect – which she’s starting to think she may have. Or have rediscovered.
As Cynthia had told her when Kathy asked why she always turned up on weekends looking groomed when they’re all about to get dirty in a garden: ‘Taking care of myself is an act of respect for myself. If I don’t do it, no one will. Besides, you all have to look at me and I’d like to make the experience as pleasant as possible.’
In that moment Kathy was grateful that Cynthia hadn’t appraised her own lack of effort in the grooming department.The only time in her life she’s felt like doing herself up was when she was with Jemima – because each time they saw each other it felt like a celebration. When it’s just for her she’s never seen the point. Except, as Cynthia said, she doesn’t have to look at herself. Other people do. And she certainly has to look at her back garden.
At any rate, she’d managed to dissuade Michelle from joining them today, saying she’d need to be vetted by Shirl and Barb first, and sent her off to the Eumundi Market. Kathy hasn’t been but her co-workers rave about it, saying you can find all sorts of arts and crafts, and Michelle loves that stuff. Kathy has no idea where she gets it from, because she’s not artsy or craftsy herself. Mind you, Owen was handy at sewing on a button.
‘Morning, Lorraine,’ Kathy says as Lorraine arrives clutching a plastic shopping bag and tying a tracksuit top around her waist.
‘Pineapple,’ Lorraine says, holding up the bag. ‘I cut some up. In case anyone wants morning tea.’
The others murmur their thanks and arrange their tools in front of the council garden bed next to the river. It’s a nice spot to work; quite serene if you can ignore the dogs barking at each other as they pass by in the park and the boat motors chugging towards the ocean.
‘Cynthia’s not coming,’ Lorraine announces as she puts the bag in a shady spot. ‘Odette’s had her baby.’
