#13 China Cat (Sage)

The Zen Garden helped. She was obsessive compulsive about the painting; it relieved stress, so she did it in the garden, during the day, when he wasn’t around. He used to have to take care of the garden, but not now, as he had her, so she painted in the garden. He never went in it anymore, and he wouldn’t go get anything, so she used pots from the garage. China repaired, painted, and planted in them with stuff she found. She rooted the geraniums and saved the seeds of the Marigolds and the Rose of Sharon. If it rained off any of her painting, she just painted it again. She was patient, and only too happy to do it again. She painted on the deck, walkway, bridge, bench, and the bottom part of the wall where he couldn’t see. From the road, with all the flowers, it looked appealing, and all the neighbours commented. They thought he did it, and he didn’t deny it, as far be it from him to not accept a compliment. He never mentioned that he was married, and she was ugly anyway. That’s why he never let her out; to save her from the embarrassment of other people seeing her. He knew about the seeds and the rooting, but it didn’t cost him a dime, so he didn’t care. Over-all, he was happy.

One of her projects was Bonsai. She used trees she found in the garden when she was weeding. She was making a whole Canadian forest. Dan gave her access to the garage, so she cleaned, and organized it, being careful not to scratch the two other two black cars. He must have tried the Bonsai, and failed, because she found broken trays, and dead things in the garage. She was used to things dying, because of someone else. She brought the Bonsai out for sunlight during the day, worked on them, and brought them in at night, so the trays didn’t freeze. He understood a bit about Bonsai, and he thought they were attractive, so he cleared a spot for them, but he had trouble communicating that to her, as he wasn’t against it. She set them to rest mostly by the pond where they could see the fish too. Although, she always waited until she finished cleaning to go outside, set down the Bonsai, work on them, and paint, she always waited until the fish were done eating to start. No one should have their meal alone. When they were inside, and when she was carrying them out, she checked them, so she pretty much knew how much time they would take. As she snipped and raked, she knew she was cultivating wisdom, and the rest of the seven grandfather teachings were pretty much in her life, but she was still having trouble with bravery and truth.

Another of China’s projects was meditation. She found a book on it, and incorporated smudging with the four medicines. She grew the medicines in her garden from seeds she found in a medicine pouch which was attached to The Seven Grandfathers book. It had a note that taught about the seeds, the plants they would grow into, and what they were used for. It also had a Rose Quartz rock in it, which the note said was for love, and beads on the outside. She said she found it in the garden, which was true, because that’s where she opened the box, and he didn’t want the dirty thing, so she slipped it over her neck. She always kept it where he couldn’t see it, so he wouldn’t take it away from her, like he did the ring. Now she grew Sweet Grass, Tobacco, Sage, and he already had a Cedar Tree, besides the Marigold, and the Rose of Sharon. She trimmed, weeded’ tilled, and watered before she ever meditated but sometimes, she had hours before she had to cook. She took to calling God Creator, but never in front of Dan, and she called it prayer, not meditation, or he would find a way to take it away. Otherwise, he didn’t get between her and ‘God.’ There were animals to depict each one of the Seven Grandfathers teaching, and Medicine Wheels, and Dreamcatchers, so added them to her repertoire of things she painted. She also painted the feathers she found, but kept them outside, under the deck. The garden provided.