Róisín (little rose)

*A story from Roses Childhood*

It was spring. Rose and Lavender were out walking in the woods with their mother, (Ylang Ylang wasn't born then). Rose was ten years old and Lavender was about five at the time. Rose's Mother often took them with her on her walks. Sometimes they would find mushrooms (in September) and sometimes they took some bluebells home to set on the table. In fact on this particular day, Rose had lain across her forearm a thick bunch of bluebells. She held them together with her right hand as she carefully picked her way over the broken stone stile while she followed behind her mother and younger sister. The ground on the other side of the wall was very muddy and wet and there were huge holes which had been made by cattle hooves. Most of the stones from the broken stile had fallen and were large enough to poke out of the mud. It wasn't difficult to step from stone to stone.
All of a sudden Rose's mothers foot slipped off one of the rocks, and quickly got sucked into the deep mud. Rose's mother (whose name is also Lavender, so for the sake of the story I shall call the mother Lavender M and her younger daughter Lavender D) Lavender M manged to maintain her balance even though one foot was on the stone and one foot was sunk in the mud.
Rose froze for only a split second before letting go of the bluebells to jump to her mothers aid. The blue bells fell un-noticed onto the ground.
Rose took a couple of short hops on to the dry ground at the side and leaned forward and allowed her mother to grab her hand for balance while she freed her foot from the mud. Lavender M pulled very hard and in the next instant out came her stockinged foot with no shoe. Lavender D started to cry. Lavender M looked at her younger daughter sternly and she was quiet.
With Rose's help Lavender M was able to balance on one foot and lean down to pull her shoe out of the mud with her hand.

Once the hullabaloo was over, Rose turned and saw the bunch of bluebells all scattered on the mud. She went back and was able to rescue all but three of the bluebells. Lavender M cleaned up her shoe on the grass and they carried on home for tea.


The Bluebells smelled divine on the table that evening and Lavender M remarked on the beautiful fragrance as she set the table for Mr Gardens arrival home from work.