Page 17 of Sensing Selma
“I have a feeling your brother isn’t much of a reference when it comes to things like this.”
“You may be right.”
“So? What do you want to do with your life?”
“I was studying theology when my brother’s troubles took over.”
“Theology? Like religion?”
He nodded. “My ultimate goal was to become a pastor.”
I smiled. “Yes. Indeed. I could easily imagine you at the altar of a church. Gabriel Tillsbury is the pastor here. In fact, I am a member of a book club that meets at his church.”
“Perhaps you can introduce me to him some day.”
I nodded as I continued to look through the pots on the table, then spotted a small notebook. I picked it up and flipped through the pages.
“What’s that?”
I immediately recognized my father’s handwriting. “My father’s notes; seeds he wanted to buy; dates he wanted to plant by. Hmm. He spent an entire summer jotting down the temperatures and rainfall. I had no idea he was really this interested in the garden.”
A sudden thought came to me and instantly left me feeling sad. “Will your brother be tearing this down?”I asked.
“It’s hard to know what he really has in mind.” He headed to the door. “What about the garden shed?”
I sensed he didn’t want to talk about his brother’s plans and while I was tempted to press him for more information, I respected his desire to remain quiet on the matter.
We went to the garden shed and I pulled back the big double doors.
“That mower looks new,” he said. “You can get a good price on that.”
“I think that’s the only thing of value here. I mean, the rakes and shovels and hoes...there’s nothing really worth selling.”
He looked at me, his gaze intense.
“Did I say something wrong?”I said.
He shook his head. “On the contrary. I find that we’re very much alike.”
“How do you mean?”
“Quiet. Introspective. Pensive. Dare I say, introvert? Or, if you prefer, the reasonable and sensible member of the family.”
I laughed. “That is me in a nutshell.”
The sound of heavy raindrops falling on the tin roof suddenly drowned out our voices.
“Looks like we’re stuck here for a little while,” Brad said as he looked out to the sheets of water falling.
I smiled. There were worse places I could be stuck in. Or rather, worse people I could be stuck with.
The rain pounded on the roof with more and more intensity and as I stood beside Brad looking out, the garden was barely visible through the heavy rain.
“Do you think we should try and make a run for it?”he said after several minutes.
“I think you underestimate how far from the house we really are.”
He inhaled deeply and looked out at the rain. “You’re right. And besides, this is a pleasant and unexpected interlude. With my brother it’s always go, go, go, and while a part of me appreciates all the action, this...the sound of the rain on the roof, the smells that emanates from the ground...” He looked at me. “Being cloistered in a garden shed with someone who appreciates it all just as much as I do.”
