A Bride For Us

Apples

Struggling to her tired feet, Lily readjusted the string of her bonnet and wiped the sweat that so stubbornly clung to her forehead. She arched her back and flexed her arm muscles, exhausted. Having a small, luxury vegetable garden in New York and dealing with a family sized vegetable garden, were two completely different things all together. She would have very much loved to quit but she didn't think Ray would be too pleased with the news. Certainly, neither would Milly who now had both her hands buried in the soil as the angry, yellow sun above, shone down on both their heads.

Lily turned from Milly as her gaze traveled the land all around her. It seemed like a deserted land covered in mostly weeds. Other than the patch of land Ray had cleared for their garden, everything else seemed covered in shrubs.

She tilted her head back and lifted her hand to her forehead, in an attempt to see further down the land. From where she stood, she barely saw anything other than more shrubs and larger grasses that seemed to shield a bigger portion of the land.

“Milly!” She called, her gaze never shifting from its attempt at scanning the land.

“Is it time to go inside yet?”

Lily shook her head, tearing her eyes off of the land and turning to Milly who maintained her kneeling position. Her dirty doll, Louisa, was seated beside her, covered in mud. Her dress, a frilly, old, pink dress, that Lily had labored only three days ago to wash, was now completely covered in mud. Lily would have been upset but considering the fact that Milly had been the only child amongst all the other children, who had offered to help with the garden, all she felt was gratitude towards the four year old.

“No, darling.” She said, holding her hand out to Milly who immediately sprang to her feet, grabbing her doll with one hand and taking captive of Lily's hand with the other. “I think it's best if we find out what is on the other side of the farm. There seem to be lots of shrub and grasses covering the majority part but perhaps if we go further, we might find something useful. Surely, these grasses can't all be weeds!”

Milly nodded, excitement reflecting in her eyes but just as quickly, her excitement was replaced with hesitation.

“What's the matter, darling?” Lily frowned.

Milly shook her head and pointed. “Papa doesn't want us going far.”

“Perhaps.” Lily nodded. “Your papa worries about your safety and he is right to do so. But, you do not have to worry, I'm with you and I'm a grown up.”

Milly grinned then. “And monsters are afraid of grown ups.” She bobbed her head, bouncing on her heels.

Lily giggled and allowed herself to be pulled away from the garden.

Hand in hand, they made their way down the grassy slope and further away from the house. As they explored the land, Lily couldn't help but wonder at its desertion. It was supposed to be a farm! Yet, the soil seemed to have been left fallow for many months, perhaps even over a year or two. There was no sign of crops being grown and a land which she was positive was capable of producing wagon loads of crops, was left to produce shrubs and grasses.

The further they went, the more the grasses seemed to grow in height and soon enough, Milly was fully covered by the grass. Lily leaned down and picked Milly up in her arms, alarmed that the child weighed next to nothing.

“Did your papa ever grow crops?” Lily asked, scanning her environment. What sort of man was Raymond?! Why would any man subject his children to hunger when he had a land he could work on?

Milly shrugged and Lily sighed. What was she thinking asking a four year old who probably wouldn't remember if such a time existed?

As time progressed, Lily felt her body weaken and Milly's weight become too heavy for her tired body. Yet, she couldn't bring herself to stop exploring such a fertile land left to lay fallow.