WARNING THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS SOME WEIRD STUFF. HAHAHA

The dirt clung to the roots with staying power. Penny shook, and then slapped the clump of weeds against the garden edge. "That a girl, you got it. Dumb Diddy Dee". Her cheek twitched as she hummed her little ditty and threw the unwanted plants into the wheelbarrow.

Yes, Sirée Penny loved gardening.

She stood up, put her hands on her hips and arched backwards. There was nothing better to cleanse the soul than a little bit of outside work. She looked up at the clear blue sky, closed her eyes and inhaled a big scoop of rays.

What a beautiful day. It just went to show what a little bit of patience could do. Why she'd only sprayed these weeds last weekend and waited for them to die so now her job was easy. If only mother were here to see it.

Penny grimaced. Mother would have yelled and ranted and raved about how the weeding needed to be done last weekend. Penny would have busted a gut tugging and digging to satisfy her. She sneered and dusted her hands. Yes, there'd have been no other way if mother was still alive.

She bent down and pulled again. One, two, three. "Easy, peasy, Lucy Locket." She threw the bunch towards the barrow and missed. "Oh dear... not to worry." Again, she pulled. "Helen Keller found a fella."

"Good morning."

"Oh!" Penny popped her head up and grinned sheepishly. "Hello, Joe. I didn't know you were there."

Joe Cartarney rested his elbows on the low brick fence and smiled down at Penny. "You sound happy."

"Yes." Penny laughed and lifted the brim of her straw hat with her dirt encrusted fingers. "It's a beautiful day and I love gardening. How about you?"

"Too old for that crap anymore, Penny. Besides the units don't have a garden. Not really. Just a bit of grass and a few shrubs. I pay a guy to come and tidy it up every now and then."

"Don't you miss it? Being out in the sun and working at something."

"Nope. Never was into outdoor activities. Always preferred closed door pastimes better."

Giving him a curious look Penny asked, "Do you play chess?"

Joe chuckled. This was going to be interesting. "Yeah, a bit of chess keeps an old fella's mind active. You could say it keeps me in tune with the young ones."

"Chess? Do university students like chess?" Penny tilted her head in thought. "I suppose they would. Intellectual types are into those kinds of things." She jiggled her head. "You know I really thought chess was going out of fashion."

"Nah... Penny." Joe smirked and shook his head. "Far from it. Some are pretty good at it actually. Especially the girls. Playing with them can take years off an old fellow like me. Only trouble is, the girls like to play for money."

"You play for money?" Penny gasped.

Joe scratched his head and grinned. He never usually looked at older women but Miss Macy sure had a nice arse and her naivety reminded him of his cousin. Maybe women never changed. Perhaps a part of them locked in at fourteen. He wondered if the Miss meant she was a virgin. Yeah. He wouldn't mind getting his fingers into some of that. "I don't play for money, Penny. Don't need it but the young ones are always looking for ways to make a buck or two."

Penny wiped her brow with the back of her hand. "Yes, couldn't we all use an extra buck or two?"

"Well, I better keep going." Joe thumbed in the direction he was heading and added, "To get the newspaper."

"It is a bit of a walk from your place." Penny dusted her hands again and said, "You have a nice day, Joe." She watched him hobble down the street. So, Joe Cartarney had money. She giggled, bent and pulled more weeds. "Old Joe moves slow." She jerked her head and flicked the weeds towards the barrow. Bingo, a hit.

Penny laughed again and altered her verse. "Old Joe is so slow." Her head jolted again. Yes, that worked better. Did he really think she was that stupid? The way he'd checked out her backside. Penny smirked and pulled another weed. She needed money and he had it. Not that she'd play the sort of chess he was referring to, to get it.

Patience, girl, patience.

I'm not sure what's going on with Miss Macy??

Photo - Pixastock.com