Greenfields

Greenfields

I stood there silent and still, my sister’s hand squeezed mine tighter as the curtains closed around the coffin. Simon and Garfunkel’s Bridge Over Troubled Water filled the tiny chapel. As the song drew to a close my sister and I led the mourners from the chapel, outside were the flowers sent in memory of a great man. As we looked at the wreaths I thought about how we arrived at this sad day.

My father was only fifty-eight when he passed away. His mental and physical health had slowly deteriorated over the last few years, thanks to my bitch of a mother.

My father owned Greenfields, a wholesale nursery. That was how the business started out originally. Over the years he built a single storey shop that sold garden sundries, anything from a packet of seeds to hand tools. The cottage we lived in was just off to the side of the business. I was taking some old boxes out to the waste area when I saw my younger sister Claire sitting on a bench, she looked as if she was crying.

“Hey what’s up sis?”

“Oh God Richie I have just seen something and I don’t know what to do.” Claire always called me Richie, my given name was Richard. Sometimes my parents shortened it to Rich or Richie.

“What did you see? Tell me about it, maybe I can help.”

“It was Mum. I saw her coming out of the Riverside Hotel, she was with a man and they were kissing. She’s having an affair Richie! I need to tell Dad but I don’t know how.”

“No need to tell me Claire. I know all about it. Come indoors and we can talk there.” My father suggested as he surprised us both.

We sat around the kitchen table as my father said he was aware of my Mum’s cheating. He had known for three months.

“Three months! Why haven’t you done anything about it?”

“I have done something about it. Now all I am waiting for is your mother to tell me she wants a divorce, if she hasn’t asked before the end of the month I will tell her all I know and ask her to leave.”

“Why won’t you fight for her? She is your wife.” Claire asked.

“As she is my wife I shouldn’t have to fight for her. If she has chosen another man over me then so be it, I am damned if I will fight for someone who doesn’t love me. No, I am just waiting patiently for her to start things off.”

“Waiting for who to start things off?” My mother’s voice asked from the doorway.

“There you are dear. I was just explaining to the kids how I know about your affair with Simon Collins, they were asking why I hadn’t done anything as yet.”

Rather than looking deflated my mother just stared at Dad for a few seconds. “Well as you all seem to know I guess there is no point hiding it anymore.”

“You didn’t do much of a job hiding it anyway.” Dad quipped. “So what are your plans Maggie? Are you leaving me for him or will you break it off and beg me to forgive you?”

Mum stood defiantly and announced “I’m not breaking it off. I intend to leave you for Simon.”

“Don’t let me stop you then, your clothes are upstairs. You know where the suitcases are. Why waste time, you might as well pack and leave now.” Dad replied without looking at Mum.

“I’ll go when I am ready, Geoff. There are things to discuss first. You didn’t think I was just going to leave did you? There is this house and the business, I am entitled to half and I want it as part of the divorce.”

“The lawyers can deal with all of that. Now just go please Maggie.”

“But what about the children? They are coming with me when I go.”

“Sorry Mum but I am seventeen, I can make my own mind up, and I am certainly not leaving with you. Now I know what I know I don’t consider you to be my mother anymore.”

“Claire isn’t old enough. She will leave with me!”

Claire gasped. “Like hell I will. If you force me to go with you I will run away. I will be sixteen in a few weeks, at that time I will move back here anyway so why bother making me go with you.”

My mother stormed upstairs, we sat there in almost silence. Claire moved and she was sitting on my Dad’s lap hugging him and sobbing quietly, I was so pissed off I was too angry to cry. A short while later Mum came back downstairs.

“I’m leaving now. I’ll be back for the rest of my things in a few days. My lawyer will be in touch about the divorce.” My Dad just nodded and watched her walk out for the last time.

“Dad I can’t believe you are being so calm about all of this.” Claire stated.

“I have done my crying Claire. I did that when I first found out about your mother and Collins. Right now I am not upset, just angry.”

“But what about this house and the business? You heard her say she wants half of it.”

“Don’t you worry about it, either of you. What your mother wants and what she gets are two different matters. Now let’s get something to eat. Claire, would you get changed and give me a hand, Richie please go and padlock the main gate after your mother has left the premises.”

Dad never said much about the divorce to myself and Claire, we had to ask him and his answers were vague at the most, the only thing he did go into detail was about the house and the business. When Dad found out about Mum’s affair he saw a lawyer and created a trust that owned the house and the business, personally all Dad owned was his ten-year old car that was worth about five thousand pounds at the most. Mum and her lover ended up with half of nothing.

Once it was all over I carried on working for Dad, he showed me more about running the business. He included Claire as well as we had both been named Trustees. The business was safe even in the event of Dad passing away.

Dad put a brave face on in public but he was never the same again, it didn’t help that there was some bad blood between him and Simon Collins that went back several years. I think if Mum had left for anyone else it wouldn’t have affected him as much. When we went out if we saw them anywhere Mum would always try to let us know how well she was doing, Simon Collins was a rich man despite paying his wife a large sum of money in his divorce.

Eight years after the divorce Dad collapsed and died of a massive heart attack. For the first time in my life I felt lost and alone, I had Claire for comfort but she was just as upset as I was. When the news of Dad’s passing got out, a local newspaper wanted to do a story on him. They said it would be a fitting tribute to a much loved and respected local businessman. I agreed to the story providing they agreed to keep my mother’s name out of it, additionally Claire and I asked them not to print the date of the funeral.

******

This brings us back to the present day, we left the crematorium and headed for a local restaurant. Dad had been a close friend of the owner, he allowed us to hold the wake there. Many of dad’s business contacts and friends from the local Chamber of Commerce were present, it was a fitting send off for a good man who died too soon. Everyone knew I blamed my mother for his death, it didn’t take long for people to stop mentioning her in my presence.

Several weeks after the funeral I was standing in the yard, Claire and I had decided to alter the layout slightly. We both agreed it would be easier for customers to move around the nursery, this way we didn’t have to get rid of anything, just move it to a different location. My thoughts were broken by a voice behind me.

“Hello Richie.” I turned to see her and Collins standing together.

“What do you want?”

“Show the lady some respect, son. She is still your mother.”

“As far as I’m concerned my mother died the day she left here to be with you, you pile of shit!”

Collins stepped forward but my mother put her hand on his arm to stop him.

“Come on Collins. Do it. Throw a punch at me. You had better make it count though, if you miss I won’t and you can expect no mercy from me.”

“Richie, please stop this.” My mother pleaded. Claire had walked down from the house to join us.

Claire took hold of my arm. “What’s she doing here?” She asked.

“Don’t know Claire. I was just going to ask them to leave.

“We came here because Simon has a proposition for you both. Please let him speak before you ask us to leave.”

“Okay Collins. You can say whatever it is you have to say then leave.”

“Richie, may I call you Richie? I came here to offer you a business deal. I want to buy the business from you, not the house, just the business. I’m prepared to offer three million pounds in cash for the business and any debts it has, what do you think?”

“I think you’re mad! You took her from my Dad, now you want to buy his business as well. Sorry but you could have offered thirty million and the answer would still be NO! I wouldn’t sell this to you or her for any amount of money. Now you had your say and I have given you my answer, please leave and don’t come back.”

Claire held my arm as we watched them walk to their car and drive out of the car park. We never saw or heard from Mother or Collins after that day, someone said they moved away after he purchased another business elsewhere

Besides myself and Claire, the nursery had two other employees. Ron and Mary, both had worked there for as long as I could remember. Ron was a great guy and good at his job. Mary spent her time running the shop and advising customers on what product was best for their needs.

Claire spent most of her time doing administrative stuff, placing orders and similar stuff. She also made sure that Ron and Mary both got paid their salary on time. Neither of us had much of a social life as work kept us busy, as we learned it became easier and less tiring. We started a tradition of going out for a meal on our birthdays, we also went out on the anniversary of Dad’s passing. Apart from that I rarely went out socially, Claire had a few dates but she never seemed to keep the guys for too long.

Dad had been gone for nearly two years when Claire started dating Marcus, he was a salesman who called in on us regularly. The relationship seemed to be going places, in a strange way I was pleased for Claire. I wasn’t bothered about dating, I had a few dates that ended up with us in bed. I felt Claire should date, she was too pretty to spend her life alone.