Good days

5.2 Linda West

Spring 1996, Willow Creek Botanical Garden

The neighbourhood in which Linda lived, had an open garden in the park with all sorts of fruit and flower cultures for educational purposes. Ocasionally Linda and some of the local neighbours helped out the gardeners with their work, and now in Spring there was a lot of it to do.

Even Delilah came sometimes over from Oasis Springs, to relax while doing the gardening.

She checked one the plants carefully. Even if it was still only May, the strawberries grew wild on it. And they were huge! 

"Look at these!", Linda said excited.

"It seems the new fertilizer you were working on, does it's job!", Delilah was amazed, too.

Linda had snuck out some of it from the research center, to try it out in a natural environment.

"You really have a green thumb", Delilah laughed.

"It's just chemistry, after all!", Linda said humbly, but she was proud of helping to develop the formula for it. Even if that had meant to work with Dr. Majbouri.

The sun was setting already, and the others were sitting on the big table outside and chatting. Linda didn't had noticed that the day had almost passed already.

She went over to the open grill kitchen to mix some ice tea, while one of the gardeners ranted about her colleagues leaving all the work to her and taking a vacation instead. 

"I'm so glad you all help with the garden! Alone I'd never be able to take care of so many plants!", Melanie exclaimed.

The chattering voices blurred in the background, when her thoughts started to wander around again. The fertilizer worked well on earthen plants, obviously, but the sprigs she studied for her doctorate, weren't like any she ever saw. And they didn't respond to it at all.

"I'll have to recheck their build again", she thought. "I need to get access to the super microscope, maybe then I can figure out their sequences in time."

She knew this wouldn't be easy, because the microscope was booked in advance by many other, more important scientists far ahead... She would have to stick to checking cell reactions for a while.

The laughter of the others pulled her back to the garden. How long has she been standing there, reminiscenting?

"I made some ice tea", she said, "anyone wants?"

"I'll pass...", Moira, one of the locals said, "I have to go home to feed my kids!"

She had a bunch, from what Linda recalled. 

Moira said good bye, and then the others resumed their chattering.

"Soon we can harvest most of the fruit!", Melanie said excited. "The Mayor of Windenburg is planning a festival and sell them there! Would you like to help out?"

They all agreed.

This would be a lot of fun!