The Spanish Gardener Page #2

Thank you, senora.

Thank you for thinking of him.

What is your name?

Jos.

Jos Santero, senor.

And you are an expert gardener.

I can dig and hoe,

care for the soil, prune and plant.

But I am not so expert.

- I understood you had experience.

For three years I worked

in the Montaro vineyards.

But there is little work in the hills now.

Have you references?

Please?

A letter from an employer

to testify to your work.

We don't bother

about such things here, senor.

But if you care to ask

Diego Borgano of Montara,

I think he'll speak well of me.

I shall expect you

to work hard, you know.

The pay is 250 pesetas a week.

Do you agree?

I don't quarrel, senor.

Very good.

Be here at eight in the morning.

Thank you.

Father!

Will you help me to make a swing?

I'm afraid not, Nicholas.

It won't take it very long.

- I know, but I've got my work to do.

Remind me about it at the weekend.

Now you run along and play, and I'll

read to you later when you're in bed.

Well?

- I start tomorrow.

Oh, I knew you'd get it.

- How?

The senor could see at once

that you were a good gardener.

He'd have no doubt it all.

- Not everyone thinks as you do.

Well you got the job, didn't you?

What did he say?

What's he like?

Tall.

Deep lines.

He spoke little.

- But you liked him.

I think he may be difficult to please.

But the pay is good.

Better than I hoped.

Enough for us to save?

- If we try.

Thank you.

What have you been writing all afternoon?

- An essay. On Napoleon.

You must be very clever.

- I only wrote a page.

Anyone that writes a page

on Napoleon must be very clever.

Why don't you sit in the sunshine?

- I have to keep out of the sun.

Have you finished your work?

- Yes.

Would you like to come

help me for a little?

Yes, please!

Why not take your jacket off?

Just for a while, eh?

There.

Now, then, do this.

We'll do some digging.

A little at first eh?

What's your name?

- Nicholas.

Mine's Jos.

Silence.

Do you think they'll grow?

- I'm sure, if you plant them well.

Do I?

I like doing it.

Nicholas!

- Father! You're early.

What are you doing?

- They're seedlings. I'm planting them.

But where is your shirt?

And why are you not wearing a hat?

I don't need them.

- Indeed you do.

You must put them on at once.

Or else you must come in.

May I stay, now?

Well, not too long.

I don't want you to get tired.

I won't.

Ah, they've arrived at last.

That's excellent.

Shall I unpack for the senor?

Thank you, Garcia. That's something

that I shall very much enjoy doing myself.

All my personal treasures

are in these boxes.

My pictures, books, manuscripts.

And china.

I've missed them.

Will you ask my son to come in.

I wish to speak to him.

Yes, senor.

Father, Garcia says that...

- Look, Nicholas, they've arrived at last.

All our friends.

Isn't it nice to see them again?

Yes, but Garcia says I've got to come in.

But don't you want to help?

I've got to finish what I'm doing.

I have to water the plants.

Have to?

I employ a gardener to work in the garden.

Yes, but it's my job.

Jos gave it to me.

"Yes-But", "Yes-But."

What's happened to your vocabulary?

Is it possible you prefer working

in the garden to helping me?

Couldn't I help you later, father?

The seedlings will die

if I don't water them.

Oh, very well, Nicholas.

I had been looking forward to doing

this together but it doesn't matter.

I can manage by myself.

- I won't be long.

Garcia.

- Senor?

Is my son in the habit of

working in the garden?

Indeed, every day, senor.

As soon as he's finished his lessons.

He seems to have become very

friendly with the gardener.

Friendly?

Oh yes, they're, they're

continually together, senor.

Indeed?

Father? Father?

Can I go to the pelota?

Pelota?

- Yes.

It's a kind of game they play here.

All the towns in the Costa

Brava are in the league.

Calda, they are the champions,

are meeting San Jorge today.

You are a very knowledgeable young man.

Where does this game take place?

At the frontn. And it's at four o'clock.

Do let's go?

Well, you go and have your rest now.

And we'll see.

- All right.

Thank you, Father.

It will be starting in a moment.

Do you see those two walls?

That one's the frontis,

and that one's the pareo de rebote.

Do you understand the game?

- Yes.

Now you see, now you see why we came.

He's seen us, he's waving.

Jos! Jos!

- Nicholas!

Come on, San Jorge!

Come on, Jos!

We must win.

Come on, Jos! Come on, San Jorge!

Is there anything wrong, Father?

Nothing, except that I

have a splitting headache.

Father.

- Nicholas.

I came to say goodnight.

But you know I always come

to say goodnight to you.

I thought you were angry with me.

Even if I were, Nicholas,

I wouldn't neglect you.

You know that.

You were angry, Father.

Not angry, Nicholas, but disappointed.

Is it because you didn't like the game?

It wasn't the game you

took me to see, was it?

That was a pretence.

It was deceitful.

I wanted it to be a surprise for you.

I thought you'd be proud of him.

Whatever you've thought, Nicolas,

doesn't alter the fact

that you were deceitful.

I'm sorry, Father, I didn't mean to be.

Nicholas.

You and I are alone now,

since your mother left us.

There are times when it isn't easy.

But I've never wavered in

my devotion to your care.

I ask little in return, Nicholas.

But the knowledge of your love.

- I do love you.

I do.

Do you?

This afternoon, I wondered.

It hurt me deeply that my son could

be so thoughtless of my feelings.

I never want to hurt you.

I know you don't.

In future we must be more

careful not to hurt each other.

Yes Father.

I will.

This is quite like old times.

We used to come here

often when the Tenneys...

The garden is looking wonderful, sir.

That's because of Jos.

- Of course.

Do you know he's the

pelota champion here?

He's quite a person in San Jorge.

- Indeed.

It's, it's never struck

me before, Mrs. Burton,

but San Jorge must be

a very dull place for a woman.

Dull? No it isn't,

there are lots of things to do.

Sailing, and swimming...

- And the local movies.

We started a club for the local children.

Ping-pong and that sort of thing.

I make ice cream.

- I try to teach them cricket.

We wondered if perhaps

Nicholas might like to come along.

I, I'm afraid my son is delicate.

It rather rules that out

What a pity, the Tenney children did.

You know, they used to run wild up here.

I kept expecting one of them

to jump out from behind one of the bushes.

Could you get me

another sandwich please, Nicholas.

Jos!

Come over here!

Did you get some big ones?

Can I have a look?

Let's see, let's see them, Jos!

How many did you catch?

Pardon senor.

But I bring you a small gift.

What a lovely present.

Where did you catch them, Jos?

In the place you told me about?

The mill-pond?

- No, Nicco, the deep water higher up.

Nicco?

It's my name for him, senor.

I think you'll enjoy them.

I'm sorry, I never eat freshwater fish

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