#39 The Cultivated Garden

She planted patches of Sweet Box and Snow Drops, because they would bloom all winter. Somebody gave her those with a couple of big rocks. People from the community donated lights. China fixed them, and strung them throughout the garden. Then she trimmed, but didn’t cut down, and cover up, the Grasses Cedars, and Red Dogwood. She cultivated the garden, used a mulch she got for free, and made shapes out of the stones she found. Someone on the internet gave her two Holly plants, and they produced beautiful, to look at, but not to eat, berries. She made the garden bigger so they could sit in it, and she used cut Silver Birch logs to make sculptures. It was breathtaking.

China sent pictures of the garden to Romeo, but she was careful not to send anything that wouldn’t grow in Montreal. She said she had a courtyard. He said he had one too, almost everyone did. She kept a list of the lies she told him by the computer, and reviewed it often, so she could keep track. Luckily, they were writing, so she always had time before pressing send. China told him today that she went to an art gallery and particularly enjoyed one display. She described it as Barbie Doll Art, because the artist used naked Barbie dolls to convey feelings. The viewer could decide who and what the feelings were. China decided that the hair-chopped off one was a little girl’s anger at the Barbie for being prettier than her mother. Romeo agreed, and added that the viewer learned about themselves. She loved making stuff up about her life.

Hildi still came every night at 7, after supper, but she was now bringing her homemade soup too. It wasn’t always vegetarian, but China just didn’t eat the meat. Finally, Hildi got the message that she was a vegetarian, so she picked the meat out, and put it back in the pot. When Hildi’s boyfriend died of a heart attack, China expected to see much more of her. She did. China allowed it for a week, then she employed the clock method to put her back on schedule. China took down the clock at 8.30, started winding it, then put it down in front of her so she could see the face, and could tell the time. Hildi got the message right away, and went back on schedule; 7 to 9 every night.

China didn’t mention the death, or even the friend. Instead, she said she was busy shopping for spring clothes on Saint-Catharine Street. She was still building her identity as a rich girl. She sent him a picture of a beautiful model, so she lied about her looks, and her age too. She knows he was in Italy because that’s where she sent it.

Romeo started sending Italian poetry to her. He said he read it all the time, but now it reminded him of her. He said it animated her picture, and breathed life into his love for her. She said she loved him too, and gave him the address of a hostel in Montreal. China phoned them to have the picture forwarded. They did, and he was very young and good-looking. She said she was rollerblading through Old Montreal when she stopped for some Poutine. It was french fries, curd cheese, and gravy, she said, a French dish. It was the only French dish knew of. It didn’t matter; he didn’t know anything about Canada. He went for it anyway.

She started having online sex with him. He initiated it by asking what she was wearing. At first, she wasn’t sure, so she asked him why, but when he came back with I’m naked, she knew for sure, and told him she was too. That really got him going, then he said he was touching himself and thinking of her, so she followed suit. Before long, she was completely naked. He described his penis, and the feeling of it in his hand. China imagined it was her. She writhed. Romeo said he was tasting her. He said she tasted like salted pomegrant. She liked that. It made her writhe more; she told him. She pressed, and jiggled her own button, but imagined it was him. She backed off to make it last longer. He described her as elegant, blond, and