"Willow's Tail" 15

The silver sport car hobbled over to the side of the road; the unexpected deflation of all four tires was a nasty deterrent but it would not delay them for long.

“Max.”

The driver’s deep voice called to the napping cat in the back seat.

Max lifted his furry, slumbering head from his paws and yawned; he pinpointed the four problem tires and before fully waking, flicked his ears in the general direction.

The tires were good as new.

“Thank you Max; I can always count on your efficiency.”

The driver’s grateful smile could be seen in the rear view mirror and Max accepted the gratitude with a sleepy meow then laid his head back down on his paws.

Max gauged the distance to the source of those deflated tires, he was prepared to send a message of his own for having disturbed his nap, but the distance was too great. He’d have to wait until the festival to offer that fair feline his calling card.

*

Morning sunshine filtered in through the slanted blinds decorating the kitchen walls with butterscotch stripes of light.

Martha set the platter of fluffy eggs next to the platter of crisp bacon on the breakfast table as Perfidia brought over a pitcher of fresh squeezed orange juice.

“I kept mulling over those clues last night Martha; are you positive it isn’t Percival behind these havocs? Do you think it could have been him in the car last night?”  

Martha turned from filling a large bowl with fresh cut fruit and shrugged.

“I’m fairly certain it’s not Percival but, until we get to the festival and learn the identity, my opinion can change and everyone is suspect.”

“And we’re still forced to see it through.”

“That appears to be the only way to end this,” Martha agreed bringing the bowl of fruit to the table.

“You said you'd show me the Orchid I’ll be entering.”

“I’ll show it to you right after breakfast.”

“Is it blue ribbon worthy?” Perfidia inquired with a smile; she was already imagining accepting the award.

“It is worthy but winning isn’t the reason I’ve decided to have you enter it Perfidia.”

“It isn’t? But why not, if it’s not to win then why bother entering at all; what else matters?”

Martha gave her a sympathetic look as she placed a heated tray of buttery scones down on the table.

“What mattered was the injustice done to you. Your Orchid shouldn’t have been taken from you Perfidia; it was unsportsmanlike even in the shadowed game they're playing with us.”

“So you’re stopping that play by giving me a sure thing.”

Perfidia was missing the point but Martha was intervening.

“I don’t know what they’d hoped to accomplish by taking your Orchid and that’s why I’m giving you back a winning chance, unless of course that was what they’d wanted all along,”’ Martha said with a perplexed look.

“True, they might have expected you'd fix it, but either way, I win the ribbon right?”

Martha wanted to advise her winning wasn’t a given and it shouldn’t be her sole focus but before she could, Roger walked into the kitchen.

“Ah, what a lovely blend of aromas this room is filled with, my head is spinning with delight and my stomach is gratefully rumbling. You’re a marvelous cook Martha.”

Martha smiled at the compliment.

“Thank you Roger, it’s nice to be appreciated,” she acknowledged as she poured him a cup of her Breakfast Tea blend.

“I appreciate you too,” Perfidia told her with a pout.

Martha nodded but her eyes appeared a little doubtful.

Perfidia frowned and took a bite of bacon.

“What are your plans today Roger?” Martha asked.

“Oh, I’ve some wonderful news on that front.” 

“What news?” Perfidia asked with little interest.

“I’m going home today.”

“Today, you’re leaving today?” Perfidia questioned, her interest now riveted.

“Yes, Gloria is coming to pick me up and drive me back home, isn’t that splendid? She said she misses me,” he said with a smile that was nearly wider than his face.

“But you have a few therapy sessions left and the start of the festival is still three days away.”

“Yes but I can do the remainder of my therapy back home and besides…she misses me.”

Perfidia was struck silent by Roger’s eyes, they’d never shone so bright. His love for Gloria bathed his expression with hope and highlighted his features in a flattering way she’d never noticed before.

Perfidia could not help but stare at him.

Martha wasn’t surprised by Roger’s transformed look; she’d known Roger was a good looking man under his lovelorn demeanor.

“I’m pleased for you Roger.”

“Well thank you Martha.”

“What time will Gloria be here to pick you up?” Martha inquired, now filling Perfidia’s teacup and her own.

“This afternoon, so after breakfast I’ll gather my things together to be ready; I don’t want to keep her waiting when she arrives.”

“That’s lovely,” Perfidia mumbled without cheer. Of course, she was glad Roger was going home, now she wouldn’t have to trek him to those therapy sessions but, she wasn’t thrilled to have to see Gloria again.

"Yes it is," Roger said with gusto and another happy smile.

Perfida did her best to return it but the edges of her mouth kept turning down. She picked up her teacup and took a sip, using it to hide the frown.

 

The breakfast dishes were cleared and washed and Perfidia was drying them and handing them to Martha to store away, but her disposition was not as sunny as the day should warrant, it was rather glum at the prspect of having Gloria invade her day.

“Gloria isn’t your problem you know,” Martha told her kindly.

“Ha,” Perfidia snorted and snapped the dishtowel on the dish she’d just picked up to dry, “Have you not listened? Do you not remember what she did?”

“I heard your take on it, but did Jon say it was because of Gloria he was leaving?”

Perfidia gave her a pained look.

“He wasn’t talking to me at the time so I don’t know what she did to make him leave but one day he was gone, and Gloria was none the worse for it. She was happy and normal and didn’t care in the least that he’d left. So I know she didn’t love him and she must have broken his heart.”

“Are you sure she broke his heart?”

“I see no other reason Jon would have left; he loved where he lived and he had friends and family close by but then he dated her and…she made him leave by rejecting him.”

“Well, if that is what happened than I’d certainly understand your dislike.”

“Thank you,” Perfidia said feeling vindicated and picked up the next dish with a gentler touch.

 

Willow sat in the garden alert to any sound. She knew that interfering cat had left her neighborhood but she was still sensing it’s presence. 

She got up and walked through the beds of wild flowers; she was closing in on whatever it was that was annoying her. Then she saw it, something was shinning in the sunlight in the middle of the lavender patch.

She crouched low and slunk cautiously over to it.

 

“That’s the last dish,” Martha sighed and placed it in the cabinet.

“Yes, and now I can see my winning Orchid,” Perfidia’s eyes beamed like a child’s at Christmas because besting Gloria in the contest was as good as a gift under the tree.

“Come on then, follow me to the garden.”

“I’ve never seen any Orchids in your garden Martha.”

“It’s in a special place.”

“Oh that sounds very promising,” Perfidia smiled following her to the door.

Martha opened the back door for them to leave and found Willow sitting there with something shiny in here little mouth.

“What’s that?” Martha asked as Willow dropped it at her feet.

It appeared to be a tiny silver charm.

Martha bent down to pick it.

“What is it?” Perfidia asked leaning over her shoulder.

“It’s a charm with an engraved name."

“What’s the name?”

“Max.”

“Do we know a Max?” Perfidia asked, sure she’d had no acquaintances with that name.

Martha didn’t answer, feeling a chill from her past when she looked at the charm’s craftsmanship. Then she looked at Willow and asked, “Was this in the garden where Perfidia’s Orchid had been taken from?”

Willow gave an affirmative nod.

“Thank you Willow,” Martha said pocketing the charm; she’d be sure to return it to its owner, and she did not mean the cat!

Perfidia didn’t notice Martha’s darkened expression or her preoccupation as they entered the garden, she was focused on finding her prize Orchid so she'd know she would best Gloria in the contest.

“So where do you keep this 'Orchid of Perfection' Martha?”

“It's in the farthest corner of my garden.”

“Ah, that’s where you said you keep that rare reed.”

“Yes, and that reed guards the Orchid too.”

“Oh this sounds exciting.” Perfidia giggled and dreamed of how disappointed Gloria would be when she lost. Poor thing, she'd finally know how it felt to...lose something...you wanted.

They walked past the delphiniums, through the wildflowers, around the blueberry bushes and along the row of willow trees that lined the edge of Martha’s yard, and then Martha slipped under the thick crown of branches sweeping down to the ground of a tall, Weeping Willow tree.

 Perfidia wondered where she was going?

“Follow me Perfidia.”

Perfidia heard her call out but she sounded farther away then she could be; the end of Martha’s garden was just a few feet past the tree she’d stepped under.

“I am,” Perfidia called back as she stepped under the willow’s flowing branches. When she looked for Martha, her eyes went cartoon wide at what she saw.

“Where are we?” She asked mistifed.

‘My meadow,” Martha said with little fanfare.

“How is this here? I mean it’s not here from out there.”

“No it isn’t and that’s because this meadow is too rare for…out there.” Martha gestured to the area beyond the willow tree’s curtain of greenery.

“I’m impressed Martha.”

“Thank you and I admit it is impressive; it isn’t part of my home’s garden, it’s a place all its own.”

“So it was a doorway we walked through under that tree?”

Martha didn’t elaborate on what it was.

“It took quite a long time to bring this to what you see here, and Willow was most helpful.”

“Willow huh?” Perfidia’s eyes grew pensive as she looked back at the gently moving branches of the willow tree, “I don’t suppose that’s how you came to name her is it?”

“Oh no, Willow chose her own name but she does have an affinity with the Willow tree.”

As if hearing herself being talked about, Willow sauntered through the branches and Perfidia gave her a thoughtful look..

“I never though I’d care to have a feline companion but maybe a Willow of my own-”

“Oh I'm sorry Perfidia but that isn’t something you can decide.”

“It isn’t?” Perfidia questioned over Willow's laughter. Perfidia had come to recognize that sound and also she could see her little cat shoulders were shaking.

Perfidia gave the cat an annoyed look as Martha explained the reason.

“No, you don’t pick a feline companion…they pick you.”

“I see,” Perfidia nodded, but she really didn’t. Why did the cat get to pick? Why couldn’t the human decide? Not that she cared. Who’d want some bothersome cat hanging around all the time, certainly not her.

“Well it doesn’t matter, I’m better off solo,” she said giving Willow a haughty look, “so show me around this marvel Martha…ha! Martha’s Marvel that’s what you should call this place.”

Martha gave her a withering look.

“Do you want to see your Orchid?”

“Yes, I can’t wait.”

They walked past those rare reeds that had cancelled out the stink weed and then through a colorful pallet of exotic plants.

Perfidia stopped to look at them. She was awed by the beauty of the flowers and she’d be hard pressed to identify any of them, but they were all breathtaking.

“We’re here,” Martha said stopping by a small sunroom.

“It’s in there?”

“It is.”

Perfidia opened the door and stepped into the small space and had to blink several times at what she assumed to be a mirage.

“Martha that is the most beautiful and rarest Orchid I’ve ever seen.”

“It is rare. It’s taken me nearly a decade to perfect its color. I started with the Coelogyne Pandurata and over time was able to enhance the dark lip of the plant into the color of the petals too.

“It’s entirely black. I’ve never seen a black Orchid.”

Martha smiled as Perfidia continued to be astounded.

 “I mean there isn’t the usual blue hue or purple or red, it’s just black.”

“Yes, it is. It's pure black.”

“Martha this is an amazing Orchid…but...I’m afraid to take this to the festival. I wouldn’t want to see it compromised out of this sunroom. It might be too vulnerable, it could wither and die.

“You don’t have to worry about that Perfidia. It's time tested and sturdy; it will flourish anywhere.”

“I don’t know what to say. This is a sure winner but you should be the one to enter it.”

“No, you need to place the orchid in the show, remember the challenge.”

Perfidia continued to stare at the impossibly beautiful Orchid and nodded.

“I’d be honored to enter this Orchid.”

 “We’ll pack it gently when we leave in three days but until then it's safe here.”

 

They walked back through the meadow to the willow tree's unseen doorway.

Perfidia followed Willow back under the swaying branches to the other side and Martha stopped before leaving and drew the silver charm from her pocket.

Her eyes narrowed tracing its familiar scroll work and her hand closed into a fist over the shinning, silver circle.

This was going to be a festival to remember and the inevitable showdown might even produce some fireworks.