Edge

Contemplating life, over the near death of plants

The garden centre is nearly empty, the plants are basking in the muted afternoon sun. Geoff and Felix, the last two people in the plant area, stand looking at the large plant pot at Geoff's feet.

Geoff is dressed in his garden centre uniform, his morning pressed collar is still turned over, his trousers starting to crease after a day’s work. His hair is showing his age in both colour and sparseness.

Felix, although younger than Geoff, clearly isn’t winning the battle with age. His uniform has never seen an iron in its life. His hair is still in the style he had in his twenties despite being a decade older.

Geoff is in charge of the oversized watering spray gun. Felix has yet to earn that role despite having worked at the garden centre for longer.

The plant in the pot by their feet has seen better days. It’s trying to survive but is now a an equal mix of green and brown. The plant is bone dry, and the gap between the plant’s soil ball and the pot is growing by the day.

"Well, it's definitely on the edge," Geoff breaks the silence.

"Yup," Felix agrees. "Do you think it will make it?"

"Dunno. All we can do is feed it, water it, see what happens," Geoff concludes.

Geoff aims the rose of the spray gun and drowns the plant in water. The plant floats to the top of its container, bobbing from edge to edge of the pot’s rim.

Geoff turns his attention to Felix. "How did it go last night?"

"Hmmm,” Felix replies absent mindedly as he studies the plant.

The plant slowly sinks back down as the water makes a steady stream out the bottom of the pot. Geoff makes a mental note to bring a bucket to sit it in tomorrow.

Geoff studies Felix. He had such high hopes for the kid, if only he’d give life more of a chance. "I take it not great?"

The water forms a stream in the dirt by their feet, all of the goodness running away from where it’s needed.

"I mean, it was ok." Felix kicks at the water on the ground, mixing the water and dry dirt, and mucking his clean boots up in the process. "We went out, we ate, had a drink in the bar, drove to her house, didn't scream at each other." The water has stopped coming out of the pot, and the stream is drying up.

"That's an improvement.” Geoff tries to sound encouraged, but he’s seen this pattern in Felix’s relationships before. It never seems to move on from this stalemate.

"I guess.” They walk onto the next plant.

"You still like her?", Geoff drowns the next plant.

"I guess." Felix steps back from this plant's flood.

"You seeing her next week?"

"Suppose."

They walk to the next batch of plants at the end of the row. Felix saunters past the last plant into the corner next to the fence.

Geoff keeps watering plants, "Keep at it, you'll get there. Feed, water, time attention."

Felix double checks who’s about, undoes his fly and starts pissing on the ground next to the plants Geoff is watering.

Geoff looks at him, then the yellow puddle forming, and raises his eyebrows. "Yeah, maybe not like that though."

Felix finishes and does his fly up.

Geoff finishes watering, walks to the tap on the fence, and turns the water off. He coils the hoses, and hangs it up on the hook on the fence. He looks at his watch. "Time to clock off."

The two men slowly meander towards the exit. "You here next week?”, Geoff enquires.

Felix stops by the exit. Geoff turns to look at him, Felix inhales and exhales in a deep sigh, and looks around at the empty garden centre. "Yeah, suppose so. Not much else to do."

"See you then,” Geoff replies with a nod. “Want me to clock you off?”

“Yeah, that’d be good,” Felix replies with the tiniest glimmer of appreciation.

Felix makes for the exit, Geoff heads to the shop counter inside.

And, like they have done so many other times, they go their separate ways, until next week.