Varland Story - Chapter 15 - Grimmy

Soon, my love...Soon we shall be together.

Soon there'll be no more weeping.

You've been dismissed and made light of by your loved ones here...I shall cherish the sensitive spirit you are.

Your daughter cannot understand your thankless decades in the lab that made her garden possible but I was there.

Your grandchildren will remember you fondly...

But they may never know the times you went hungry...

So that they might not...I was there.

At last the time is here, Beloved.

I shall pluck you like a rose.

And hold you near for all eternity.

Varland Story - Chapter 14 - Zeline

Harald is asking questions about death. It's to be expected, nonetheless, I hope it doesn't become an obsession.

My Jiro is becoming quite the chef. Early on, the job with Hogan's was for the evening hours, so one or the other of us would always be at home to care for Harald. It turns out that Jiro has quite the gift for cooking. We are all fortunate beneficiaries; the other day he made grilled salmon. I've never had anything so delicious in my life.

Food and water are still quite scarce, of course. Fortunate as we are with Jiro's cooking talent, we're often hungry still.

We do our best to keep clean. Doogie tells us the day is near when safe running water will be available; I can barely dream of what that might be like.

The greenhouse plants are thriving. I can and do dream of green plants all about town in the air and sunlight.

Doogie's been named Surgeon of the Year in one of the medical journals, just after his thirtieth birthday, no less! Anyone else would become impossible over it, but he's still just Doogie.

Elizabeth is pregnant!

And so am I. Sacred Spleen now has a maternity unit that's the envy of the region and a boon to women throughout the valley. Yet, Harald was born at home, so quickly and easily that I doubt it's worth the commotion to pack up and go to hospital.

Clean running water is here! As seniour pregnant woman of the household, Elizabeth inaugurated our new shower. I'm right behind her!

Helmer is a fine healthy little carrot-top.

Bjarne arrived amid conniption fits from Mother, which didn't surprise me.

And from Doogie, which did. Who knew that a world renowned surgeon would come unglued over a cousin in labour? Perhaps next time I'll go to hospital just for the family's sake.

The lab has given me some seeds to plant at home! I'm beside myself about it, even having anxiety scenarios in which I'm forced into a Sophie's Choice between the seeds and my children!

Varland Story - Chapter 13 - Grimmy

Sometimes it really sucks being me! This one's today's assignment.


Poor sod deserves much better than what he's gotten. You'd never meet a nicer guy.

Worked his tochis off only to get booted out without so much as a gold watch...

Put up with this piece of work for over half a century.

But hey, it's not all bleak. You couldn't ask for a finer son...

And this dish is crazy about him...

And I'm supposed to take him out, on his great-nephew's birthday no less! Probably give the little pisher nightmares for years.

Oh well, at least he's probably had enough and ready to pack it in.

Oh great! He's pleading for his life. I hate when they do that.

And who knew his widow would be heartbroken? What's that all about?

She'd been waiting for this moment for years!

So what the hey? Time for a little pro bono work and throw in a twofer. Show some initiative, extra mile, value added, all that...Maybe even Reaper of the Month.

Varland Story - Chapter 12 - Zeline

Of course we're all in shock over losing Daddy.

I'm concerned about Mother. She's always been fragile and I'm afraid this could send her over the deep end altogether.

Anders is totally a rock. He's so kind to Mother, listening, comforting and always there for her.

This is a great relief to me. I can't always be there for her, much as I'd like to be, as I'm already stretched quite thin between a toddler and the lab.

Fortunately, Jiro is top drawer as a father as well as a husband.

As soon as Doogie added the M.D. to his name, he proposed to Elizabeth and they married immediately. I hope they have children immediately as well; it would be grand for Harald to have a playmate.

I saw my first live plant today! With the last promotion, I was granted access to the greenhouse and tasked with watering the seedlings. Given the scarcity of both seedlings and water, I'm honoured beyond belief!

I'm in a terrible quandary. I found Anders in Mother's room this morning. Far be it from me to dictate their morals, and farther be it from me to begrudge either of them any bit of happiness they can find, but, still, Heaven help us all if Hayley finds out!

She gets more difficult each day as it is. She's on board now about the importance of replanting, talking it up in her newspaper articles and acting like the whole project was her idea all along.

I admire her tremendously and her boosting the project in the newspaper is a good thing, since as soon as we have a robust lot of seedlings in the greenhouse, we'll be asking the citizens of Sunset Valley to transplant and nurture them. Is it hopelessly immature of me, then, to resent her telling everyone how she instilled the love of horticulture in me?

We can't seem to speak more than a few sentences to one another before the fur flies.

I apologize to her as necessary.

Mother and Anders are getting more flagrant with their affair. I'm so torn; is it truly none of my business and not my place to confront them, or is that merely a coward's rationale for avoiding an issue that could jeopardize our entire household?

I suppose I shall have to beg Mother to be a bit more discreet; I so do not look forward to that conversation!

Well, Mother and Hayley had a huge row this morning and we're all still here. It's probably too much to hope that the situation is resolved one way or the other. No one's saying what it was about, much less what was said to whom. Knowing Hayley, it could just as easily have been about whose turn it was to wash the dishes.