Green Thumb

                      

                                                                      

Green Thumb

     "I can't believe we finally got our house, baby!" Carla said.

  "Yea, only took us two years. I would have been happy with the first ten houses we looked at." I said.

   "Then we wouldn't have the money we do now to fix up the house, would we, honey?" she said.

   I guess she was right. And it is a nice spot. Dead end block. Only one other house down the road, so we have plenty of privacy and don't have to worry about random traffic. Which should cut down on noise, unless that's Metallica living in that house down the street. There's an open field and a pretty big private lake behind us. We own a small part of the field and lake, the city owns the rest.

   "You know you're always right, Carla." I said.

   "We been here a week and just now finished organizing everything. What you say about some drinks? I think we earned them tonight." She said.

   "Everything, huh? My study still looks like shit, but I say we drink it up. You know you're only going to drink half a glass of red wine like you always do."

   "Oh, shut up and get us something." She said wrinkling her nose at me.

   I had a few drinks. Carla only had her usual, half a glass of wine. She said she been getting sick from it lately. We sat in the study, putting books away for a while.

   "I'll be back. I’m going to take these boxes out to the fire pit so we can stretch out while we finish." I said.

   "Be careful, honey. The sun is setting and it’s about to be dark soon."

   "You still scared about those noises? I told you there must be a train nearby or some jets flying over." I said

   "Babe, this isn't a train or a jet. Low pulsating sound...... I can almost feel it sometimes at night." She said staring at me with worried eyes.

   "It'll be fine, Carla. I promise. We're just getting use to the sounds of the land. Nothing is going on."

   I leaned down and gave her a kiss and a hug. Got the boxes and headed toward the door.

   "I love you!" she said.

   "I know you do. I love you too." I said.

   Hands full with empty boxes, I make my way to the back of the house to the fire pit. The moon is out tonight! Darker than light now, the moon dominating the sky, I see something illuminating 20 feet from me in the field. I walk closer to it. Just the slightest green glow coming from the ground right by one of the few trees in the field. It’s a flower. This will be perfect for Carla. It was translucent and almost fleshy in appearance. I got closer, the flower gave off more light, I reach down, the flower brighter, and I touch it and feel the hair on my arm stand. I give it a quick yank and feel pressure in my head, a loud pop, and then a blinding flash of light.

   I opened my eyes. Slowly. They felt like I been punched. I glance at the moon and had to look away it was so bright. I look in my hand and notice the flower and my green thumb. It's still in one piece. I might have tripped and fell, but this will be worth it. I think Carla will love this odd little flower. I get on my feet and my legs are wobbly, I fall as soon as I stand. Deep breaths of the cold night air, I get my feet under me again and make it to the back door. It's locked. Fuck. I go around the side and see a strange car in my drive way. No wheels. No wheel-wells for any either. There must be jacks under it, but why is it in my damn drive way? The street has a metallic strip along both sides. Some kind of single guard rail for a train it looked like. Never noticed that before. I turn to open the front door, that’s when the front light came on.

   "Mom! He's here!" I heard shouting from inside. The door opened and there was a man around 50 years old.

   "Come in, Dad. I can't believe you're here! She's been telling me that you would come back!" He said.

   He gave me a strong hug, I pushed away. I look in the mirror in the hallway.

   "What the fuck is going on, Carla?!" I screamed. "I'm not your dad, asshole. I'm a 30 year old man."

   I went in the back room by the Study and there she was, Old, gray and on her death bed.

   "Carla?" I asked with tears blurring my vision.

   "I knew you would be back, baby. It's been over 50 years since you left that night. Look at you. You haven't aged one year." she said.

   "How can this be? I was just out there getting you this flower. I fell and was out for only a minute. You ever see anything like this flower since I been gone?"

   "No, But it's beautiful. Thank you, baby. I knew you would come back. I been fighting this cancer for years and it has the best of me. I been holding on just long enough to see you again. I think I'm ready now. Take care of the grandkids. Our son has three of them and they been waiting for you as well. I was pregnant when you left that night, though I didn't know till weeks later."

   "I love you"

   "I love you too" She said.

   Her eyes closed and she was gone. That flower never died. I never aged and my thumb never lost the green tint it got from that damn flower.

The End