A Job besides a Job

The sun was strong. Shining brightly in the blue sky, only disturbed by the occasional cloud. It shone through the leaves of the trees that surrounded the sizeable Greenhouse and had them shine in fresh yellow and green tones. Slight hues of red and yellow told Anya that Autumn wasn’t far off now, but for now the weather was still warm and comfortable.

She swiftly turned around, careful to balance the big pot in her left arm, to lock up the Greenhouse for today. A click and a clack inside the lock and she could hear another small clack as the locking mechanism slipped into place.

Hoisting up the big terracotta pot slightly, Anya headed on her way to the local Subway Station just a few minutes away.
Crowds were starting to form as she got closer to the Stairs leading below the City. Ivy hung off the rails and decorated the dark marble walls and stairs and out of habit she let the fingers of her free hand slide along the heart shaped leaves of the old ivy plant.
From afar Anya could already hear the voice of the announcer carried over the chatter of the surrounding crowds. 

“Please beware of the incoming train” “Train 247 delayed by 5 minutes” “Train 396 will depart shortly”
The usual announcements she could hear every morning and every evening when she started her commute to and from work. It was all so regular.

Anya headed to one of the first platforms and got into the train that was waiting there already. 

From inside the subway train Anya watched the busy happenings outside as she waited for the train to depart. People were moving along the platforms, the light danced as it shone through from the glass that was let into the pavement above and hitting their faces and hair as they passed by. Some fused civilians seemed to glisten and sparkle in these strong midday rays of sunlight, others seemed to almost absorb the light into pure black.
Wings, Horns, Claws, Fur, just alike to what Anya herself had, passed by the windows and Anya almost hadn’t noticed the rumbling beneath her seat as the train turned it’s engines back on and headed towards it’s next destination.
It was a smaller district she was headed to. Almost outside of the city, but still part of Grovehart and it’s public transportation system.

“Next stop: - District. Please be careful when exiting the train.”

She got up from her small seat and headed towards the door, holding onto one of the bars to brace for when the train would brake and come to a halt.

As soon as the hydraulic huffed and the metal doors slid open, Anya took a large step and set foot on the grey pavement of the platform. Her walk would only be a short one. The customer lived relatively close to this Station.

She walked a few streets. Past many gardens, catching herself judging a few of them on their quality and planning, when she finally arrived at it.
It was a small stacked stone wall that separated the property from the gravel path. It hadn’t been a street anymore for a bit already.
Anya bent down a little to open the small wooden gate and walk the path up to the small cottage. It didn’t feel like Grovehart anymore, even if this was still technically part of it. The street was lined with old architecture and relatively large front yards instead of public parks and city owned green spaces. 

At the end of the stone path, embedded into surrounding flower beds, an old wooden door greeted her and a little copper sign of it told her the name of the inhabitants.
She closed her left hand to a loose fist and knocked on the door a few times.
Quiet footsteps approached the door and a little, elderly lady opened and smiled at Anya.
“Ah there you are!”
Anya returned the friendly smile and stepped away from the door to let the Customer through.
“Mind showing me where you’d like me to plant the Buddleja? Then I’ll return tomorrow with my tools and get the job done for you”

“Sure dear, give me a second to grab my shoes and I’ll come right out!”
The little lady scuttled off towards a small shoe rack further along the corridor and quickly slipped into some slippers that had definitely seen better days, before returning to the door and leading Anya along a second, smaller stone path further towards the back of the house.
After passing many bushes and one or two small trees, they arrived in the main garden and the lady walked over towards a large empty patch inside a flowerbed.
“Right here, if it’s possible. If you’d have something to plant underneath it too, that’d be great too. The space feels so empty… I’d just like a little more green in here again, yeah?”
Anya hummed and nodded. “I’ll definitely see what I can do about the additional plants. I should have a few options I could bring for you to choose from that could look well underneath the Buddleja… For now, do you have a safe place I could leave the Buddleja in overnight?”
The old woman led Anya to a small, but comfortable terrace that connected directly to the house and motioned towards the edge of it. “Right there. Then it won’t be in the way but still receive some light”
“Thank you. Is there anything else you’d still like to discuss today, about your garden?” “I can’t think of anything right now, no” “Well if there’s anything that still pops up, I’ll be back tomorrow around noon to finish the flowerbed for you” “Yes, thank you!”
Anya and the customer exchanged friendly smiles again as Anya set down the bush and made her way back to the front, followed by the lady.
“Then I’ll see you tomorrow. I hope you have a lovely rest of the day” the elderly lady chimed as she took off her slippers again after they arrived at the front of the house again.
“Thank you, you too!”
Anya carefully closed the old gate behind her as she left the property and turned to the opposite direction of where she had come from.
Her own little cottage was only a short jog from here and she thought it might be a good idea to get a little warmup jog in so her muscles were warm and she could go straight to training once she’s home… It had been a few days since she had gotten off work this early and had time after all….