Character

Her name is Carmel. I met her first when she came to help her husband to erect my green house. I noticed her strong arms as she lifted and carried more than he did. Her height enabled her to reach the panes of glass in the roof.  She was dressed for the job in baggy trousers and a too large pullover. At first I mistook her for a workman.

I took a tray of tea and cakes and I joined them for their tea break. Carmel continually let her hair down to her shoulders then wound it up again and tied it into a bun. 

She invited me to see her house. I say house but it was as big as a manoir or a Breton chateau.  Three stories high with huge out buildings, sitting in five thousand square metres of land it felt like an estate.

I followed her around in the long grass and viewed the three circles of young  willow, which she informed me would be where she would teach tai chi, meditation and reiki. 

Her vegetable garden was set out like a giant wheel. Each partition of the wheel was "a no dig bed" for vegetables. She liked to be self sufficient and I could hear the newly installed poultry which would supply eggs. As we walked back to the house past fruit trees Carmel filled bags of peaches and apricots which she gave to me.

We went into the house where she put the kettle on. Then she took me up three flights of stairs to her studio. The studio was full of her paintings. Some were finished and hung on the wall, others were stacked against the wall.  Perched on the two huge easels were obviously works in progress.

On the way back to the kitchen Carmel pointed out a half modelled bust. "I am doing that for Michelle, but I am waiting for her to come for another sitting."

As we drank our tea and ate the homemade cake Carmel said," So you have a french group on Monday afternoons. I would like to join. Is that possible? My French isn't bad as I was married to a French man. Now I am married to Dan. He doesn't speak French so I need to refresh mine."

"That would be great," I said.

"I could bring you some willow whips and while I'm there I will help you with your veg patch. "

"Oh before you go," she said, " come upstairs and see the lounge."

It was on the first floor and was lined with shelves full of books. "This is where I like to read".

Such a variety of books were there. Gardening books, self help books, autobiographies, biographies, novels and books on Buddhism.

When I arrived home and checked Carmel's Facebook page I read that she was indeed a Buddhist.