Escape to the garden

My co-teacher is a bitch, and I was told pretty much up front today that she had made a statement about me that could have cost me my job. Had the principal believed it. It sort of blew up in her face, which should make me feel pretty damn good, but it doesn't. I was crushed- I'd been trying so hard to be nice to her this year and her ice queen crap has been so hard to swallow. I feel like there is no one I can trust in my school. The only solace is that next year I will be here part-time, and can spend the rest of the time at the other library.

Going to work every morning leaves a stone in my stomach, even though it's the end of the year. I had hoped to end it on a warmer note. So anyway, I had had enough of looking at her when the kids went to gym. I went to my car and drove to my garden. It's a fun little escape- setting the combination to the padlock, dragging the gate open across the weeds that haven't been yanked yet. Checking on the peppers, tomatoes, eggplants, cucumbers, squash, and onions. I pulled out weeds. I ripped them out with a wicked feeling that I wish I could apply elsewhere. It's fun to yank them up by the roots, especially when they make a "ggggrrrriiiiiipppp" sound. I kneeled down to study the first pepper flower I've ever seen. I watched the blackbird hop around, listened to the cops arrest a few teen-agers down across the road. I dragged the heavy hose across the garden to my plot in my wedge sandals. I turned it on, making a shimmering water arc that splittered all over my veggies. The hose was leaky and dribbled all over my toes, making the gold nail polish gleam. If only the polish looked so pretty dry. I shook the hose up and down, watching the water make waves and rainbows. Once my veggies were wet and soaked, I dragged this heavy, dirty hose over to the rose bushes and drenched them, as well.

I drove back to my well manicured, de-frizzed co-teacher with unkempt hair, dirty feet and fingernails. I wonder if she added that to the list of reasons why she is superior to me.