Cutie Patootie

2. Death to Asparagus

Elbows deep in soil, I reached my hand into the soil in search of the deep roots of this freaking asparagus plant. It refuses to give and I yanked more and more ferociously until it gave way, coming away in my hands, making me land on my ass from the force. Triumphant, I grinned, using the back of my arm to wipe my blonde tendrils of hair away from my sweaty forehead. It's freaking hot right now and I'm working my ass off.

"Something on your mind, Miranda?" Lu Lu, my favorite person on the farm asked. I looked up from my place in the dirt, seeing her dressed in her regular attire of work pants with a dark shirt tucked in and an apron. Her dark skin gleams against the sunlight and her graying hair is pulled into a loose bun, her brown eyes warm.

Smiling, I said, "Maybe." I stood up from my place in the dirt, not even taking a look at my dirt covered hands and arms. In my first pair of Garden Girl Collection Overalls with Neeve Ella Leather Weatherproof boots, I feel confident and ready to take on all of my problems. My blonde hair is in two french braids, yet with my layers, some strands come loose every now and then.

"Don't get sassy with me, child," she reprimanded, her voice tough and solid.

My expression soured and I changed my approach. "I'm alright, Lu Lu." I headed for the farming shed so that I could rinse my hands and arms in the water basin. Dad hates when I rinse off with a water hose for whatever reason. I see it as putting the dirt back where it belongs.

"You only come and pull plants from their roots when you're stressing out. You're too young to be stressed, Miranda."

I snorted, amused. Older people always think younger people have nothing to worry about. But try having a good start to a junior year when one of your best friends has been marked a negative. Then try to think on how to change it before the biggest party of the year at your boyfriend's house. Yeah, stressful. "I'm fine, promise. I am just thinking about what to wear to the biggest party of the year, that's all."

"Clothing has never been a challenge for you."

She's completely right. Clothing comes more natural to me than breathing or blinking. "Can't a girl just pull roots for pleasure? I'm imagining my future ex is the root and I yanked him from his life source." In the farm shed, I reached for the water basin, rinsing my arms from the dirt that stain them.

Lu Lu's lip twitched and she chuckled, a deep and affectionate chuckle. "You're just a pain in the ass, don't you know that?"

I laughed. "Yes, I know." Arms clean, I reached for a towel, drying off. Lu Lu tugged on one of my braids and I turned to face her, smiling. Lu Lu has worked on my father's farm since I can remember running around here at four years old. She has eight other children of her own and they are all successful in life. Two are lawyers, one is a doctor, one is a famous football player, one is a fashion designer, two are professors, and the last one is someone I actually know the name of: Khadijah.

Khadijah is my sister Kasey's publicist and she's big time. She's probably in her mid-forties, making Lu Lu either in her late sixties or early seventies. Either way, Lu Lu is amazing and so is Khadijah. The entire family is sweet. I went to Lu Lu's for Thanksgiving one year and they are all so family-oriented and loving. I think it would be cool to have a big family. All I have is a family of four that is getting bigger with Kasey's marriage to Justin.

"Don't let the world get you down, Miranda. Always rise above," Lu Lu reminded me.

With a grin, I said, "You know what I always say, Lu Lu." Lu Lu smiled, saying it with me, "I always come out on top."

Satisfied with my dreary mood being subsided, Lu Lu patted me on the shoulder and then headed back out to the farm. I asked her a thousand times why she doesn't just retire and start watching Maury and Family Feud at home with tea and finger sandwiches. She told me she likes feeding people organic food and she could never be satisfied sitting on her ass doing nothing. I hope I'm like her when I get older.