136 Orange Tree
Being at home and working to finish the house renovation slowly but consistently was starting to pay off, and even if Body was exhausted, Spirit was lifted at the progress and inspirational choices of colour and furniture.
Brain did not want to spend on furniture but it was necessary within reason for selling this house after all they might be prepared to see the potential of a living space with a temporary mismatched and older furniture but others might not ( a mattress on the floor or a lack of privacy without proper curtains is not everyone’s cup of tea). Brain rationalised that some expenditure on furniture and finishing need to make the house appear as a home even though they were not viewing it as such. Besides they could always sell the furniture if need be seeing as they had no idea whether a sale of the house was possible or where they would be going. Another home? another city? another country? Anything was possible and Brain grew to like that train of thought.
“Can we at least make sure our next ‘place’ requires less work physical work?” Body suggested”coz I am done with this heavy stuff. I don’r mind a little painting or cleaning up, or even a place with a simpler renovation that we can afford to pay another to do. Like say ‘a bathroom’ to replace. Not full structural work from scratch like this anymore, replacing rooves and rebuidling walls.”
“I agree” sighed Soul “but we must stick to that direction. No more inspirational ideas please Spirit about seeing potential in a run down, little house. Let’s keep it simple. Somewhere easier for Body.”
“I see it” called Spirit “then we can have more time to place our inspiration elsewhere.”
“I think that’s called ‘retirement’ ” laughed Brain.
“Let’s hope so” sighed Soul.
“But I feel I need to call a warning” called Spirit “it’s a good direction to head for where ever we go geographically but, and it is a but, there are still unsolved issues regarding bad spirits around us. For what purpose they are with us is unknown,I feel it in our aura even though we keep them at bay with meditation and prayer, it’s a hard call. I feel like I am being pushed and pulled by unknown forces and you know that’s true Brain. You have had strange intrusive thoughts that come from nowhere, and Heart has felt estranged foreign emotions that don’t belong to Heart, and Body has had weird sensations and unexplained illness’s that are not part of her medical history and unknown by doctors.”
“I agree” sighed Soul “it makes out path unfocused and we have been distracted from it.”
“Hmmm” was Brain’s response “not sure about that. But I agree about some strange thoughts. They don’s appear to be mine.”
“Exactly” called Spirit “I call it out and you should too Brain.”
Brain went quiet for sometime, whilst Body carried on making her coffee. She reached out for the sugar bowl and her fingers did not land on it. So she turned her eyes to give it attention. It was not where she had left it, which was perculiar. Brain instantly received de ja vu. “Hang on haven’t we been through this misplaced sugar bowl before?”
“Yes” Body replied “and it doesn’t matter how many times I always return it to the same place, it gets lost to my fingers. No matter, no big deal” Body replied as she carried on. She was thirsty and needed her coffee break. Today was a beautiful sunny day, not too hot and the garden was now looking good. She would sit outside and have her coffee with the birds. She could hear them calling even through the new double glazed windows. In fact, they were extremely loud.
The coffee made, she went and sat in the garden to admire her work. Yes she had made it as appealing as possible to any new owner of the house. The terrace would need tiling, but that could ne their own personal choice, but at least the space had been defined. It was possible to see its potential.
The birds interrupted Body’s musings, they weren’t the usual sweet calls. They were caws from the field at the bottom of the garden from crows sitting in the tall eucalyptus trees. As Body’s eyes located exactly in which tree and on which branch, sitting there cawing and watching her it would appear. They all took flight together.
“There’s five I counted them” the Little Red Haired Girl said excitedly “five big black ones look see” as she pointed to the sky’ “How come they don’t bump into each other when they fly?”
“I’m not sure child” Body answered.
“As long as they don’t steal anything, they can be around us.”
“What do you mean child? Birds don’t steal.”
“Yes they do, those Pies do Nana told me.”
“Pies?” Brain asked.
“Them black and white Pies you can count in a song.”
“I’m lost” admitted Brain.
“One for sorrow two for joy” she started.
“I know it ” cried Heart “she means Magpies.”
“It’s what I said” the Little Red Haired Girl replied “Nana says they steal. I lost a gold ring in Nana’s garden, on the stone path, and we looked and looked for it for ages. It was a special gold ring that Daddy let me chose for my birthday.”
“It won’t have been gold. Not for a small child” Brain stated.
“It was too! Daddy said it was. We looked for ages and I got upset coz we couldn’t find it. Nana said Pies like shiny things and had stealed it.”
“Stolen” Brain corrected.
“What a shame” cried Heart “did Daddy buy you another one?”
“He said he would. But Nana said it had been stealed and that was the end of it.”
“Oh dear. Nevermind. Perhaps we can treat ourselves to another one when we have finished all this work here. Would that be good?”
“Yes but the path wasn’t” the child answered.
“Pleas explain this to me someone” Brain spluttered.
“The path. Nana’s garden path silly!” the child exclaimed. “I could never walk down it the same without looking.”
“Looking. Looking at what?” called Spirit.
“To the Lilac tree. The path went to the Lilac tree and every time I went down the path to play I looked for it. Looked for my gold ring. It spoilt it. The pies spoilt it.”
“Didn’t you enjoy Playing in Nana’s garden? I thought you liked it there?” cried Heart.
“I did, but I had to look at the tree not at the path otherwise it would have spoilt it and then I would run out of playtime, and before Bob, Nana would call me in.”
“Bob?” called Spirit.
“Bob’s your Uncle Grandad said.”
Spirit laughed till it hit the ceiling which at the this point in time was the Orange tree they were sitting under. It promptly shook an orange down onto the childs head. “Ouch that hurt” as Body put it’s hands to its head and then bent to tretrieve the orange from the terrace. “Oooh thats’s a good one, can we have it to eat?” the Little Red Haired Girl asked.
“I think it’s perfect for lunchtime” Body replied “we can have it after our cheese and crackers, and maybe even a glass of wine.”
“Perfect” called Spirit “life’s good.”
“It is” Big voice confirmed.
© 2025 Jennifer Harris. Free And Alive 555
