Spring

The dirt is cool around my fingertip on this semi-warm spring day as I make a small hole in the dirt. I drop a Zinnia seed into the hole where it’ll wait for the warmth of the sun and water to help it sprout. Up on the abandoned railroad that runs just outside my little village I can see the whole town; it makes me feel pretty powerful. Down on the ground I have no purpose, let alone power. Down on the ground I’m just the little mute girl who eats in the back corner of the cafeteria and sits in the back of the classroom, shrinking down into her desk to avoid attention. 

Seeds wait in little holes like the one I just made all over a small area just before the rail takes a sharp turn, disappearing behind a cluster of trees. With the land covered in little seeds about an inch deep in the ground, I could be finished. I dreaded the thought of returning home, with the kids who would still be out playing. Whenever they see me, they use the chance to make fun of me. Vilma, my long-haired German shepherd, and Sammie, my three-legged pup jump to their feet when I get up, wagging their tails ferociously. I leap up and together we start running through the tall forests of weeds outside of my gardened area. I chase the two pups through the thistles as they bark and pant and sprint around the railroad tracks. We all come to a halt, panting. Sammie’s sweet brown eyes watch over me with love, while Vilma cuddles against my side, her furry body cozy in the slight breeze of the day. 

From down below I hear the mothers calling their children to supper. I know my own mother will be on our porch calling my name impatiently, over and over again. I take my shoulder bag filled to the brim with seed packets and water, then Sammie, Vilma, and I trot down the tracks back to town for supper.

Summer 

I brush past the tall Zinnias and the laden tomato plants. Lemon cucumber plants crawl up the trellises. That sense of power returns to me as I dart in and out of the rows of plants. Vilma and Sammie are playing behind me, nearly missing various plants. I pluck a ripe cherry tomato off the plant and bite the top off, then I squeeze all the juice and seeds into my mouth. I cut a Zinnia from its stem with my fingernails and arranged it in my nest of my short red hair. I had brushed it this morning, but it was so curly and messy that it was almost impossible to make it look like I had. Summer in our little town is always unbearably hot, so most people prefer to stay inside their air-conditioned homes. Today was starting to feel like one of the hottest ones yet. 

After wandering around my garden wonderland some more I sat on the ground by the track and unloaded my lunch. There was a tuna salad sandwich, a plum, and leftover ma's delicious peaches and cream pie. In Between throwing treats for the pups to catch, I gobbled down my lunch. Then savored every last bite of my peaches and cream pie. 

Just like we do every day to finish off the day, the pups and I run our hearts out around the garden and the forest-like weedy areas. They love to run across the ground as fast as they can, barking and panting. When Sammie runs like this, she looks just like she’s smiling. Vilma prefers to just smile with her eyes. Down below I can hear the mothers calling their children back home to supper. I grab my things and we start heading back home. 

Autumn 

Today each of my shoulders carried big bags full of containers for harvesting the yummy things my garden has produced. I got to work right away because it had taken me longer to get here than it usually does, due to Vilma and Sammie having a need to sniff every little thing. I twisted the lemon cucumbers off their stems, plucked the cherry tomatoes from their clusters, and collected the ground cherries from the ground. We took a short break for lunch then continued to harvest. 

By the end of the day, we were all sprawled out on the ground too tired even to run around like we always do. 

I’d put the flowers in a bag with the blossoms up, the cherry tomatoes and ground cherries went into the containers I'd brought, and the cucumbers, squashes, and pumpkins went into another bag. 

School was back in session, and I was back to sitting in the back of the classroom and avoiding the other girls and boys as much as I could. I was powerless down there, but up here I had something to do, a reason to be here. I wasn’t just the weird mute girl. I smiled to myself at that. Before I knew it, it was time to head down.

Winter 

Snow crunches under my feet as I trudge down the railroad tracks. Behind me the pups delicately set their feet down on top of the fluffy snow only to fall through the top layer anyway. Ma insisted that if I go out, I be properly dressed for the weather. So here I am with a pair of too big snow pants complete with suspenders, a big scarf covering my neck and mouth, a hat that I have to keep pushing out of my eyes, and a massive puffy jacket. 

When we get to our garden the snow has covered it all, leaving no trace. There are no footprints here, not even rabbit tracks. I wish it would be spring already so I could have my garden back and have something to do. 

I haven’t come up here very often lately because there is no reason to. No plants to water and take care of. This garden has given me something I didn't know I had in me.  A self-confidence knowing that I am good for something and that I am capable of doing something useful. As well as helping those plants, I helped myself. I found myself.

Down below, voices rise up to my ears. I hear the mothers calling their children back home for supper.