Mart stood in the gravel parking lot and looked up at the wide structure in front of him.  A small army of workers scurried across the roof, nailing new shingles in place.  Inside, a construction crew was busy putting the final touches on the interior of the building.  An electrician was carefully wiring the outside sign.

“What do you think?”

Mart spun around and saw a smiling Imogene Ingram standing right behind him.  

“I’m still in shock over the whole thing,” answered Mart.

“Well, young man, get over your shock.  We’ve got a lot of work to do and I need you to be a functioning partner.”  Imogene carefully stepped over the piles of debris that dotted the parking lot and disappeared inside, leaving Mart alone with his thoughts.

“A year ago I was teaching history to a bunch of thirteen year olds.  Now...this,”  he thought. “It’s amazing how life can change in a split second.” He paused and thought back on the last several months that had been such whirlwind for him.

 

“There’s the door, Mart.  Don’t let it hit you on the way out,” smirked Trixie.  Finished with any further conversation with her brother, Trixie flounced away to help another customer, leaving Mart to make his way to the front door of Ingram’s Antiques.

“Mart!  It’s nice to see you again.”

Mart turned around and found the smiling, friendly face of Imogen Ingram. Her twinkling  eyes rivaled the sparkle of the rhinestone pins that were in their usual place across the front of her blouse.  

“Hi, Mrs. ingram,” responded Mart.

“Are you back for the summer?”

“And then some,” answered Mart.

“Excuse me?”  Imogene looked puzzled.

“The school district that I worked for had some big budget cuts.  I ended my so-called career before I even started it.”

“I see.  What are you going to do now?”

“Right now I’m going to apply to be a substitute for the Sleepyside district. It may not be the best choice, but it’s all I have right now.”

“I’m sure it will work out for you,” encouraged Imogene.  

The next day, the bell over the door of Ingram’s Antiques tinkled, announcing the arrival of a customer.  Trixie hurried to the front of the store, stopping when she saw the customer.

“Oh, h,i Mart.  What are you doing here”

“It seems that you escaped the confines of the farm while still in possession of Moms’ car keys.  I assume you pocketed them last night after getting the nurturing necessities out of Moms’ car.”

Trixie slapped her forehead.  “Gleeps!  I’ll go get them.”  She turned and darted toward the back of the shop,returning in a few minutes, the keys jangling as she walked.

“Here.  And tell Moms I apologize.”

“Okay.”  Mart looked around the shop, frustration reflected on his face.

“Hey, why so glum, chum?” quipped Trixie, grinning at her brother.

Mart shrugged.  “Nothing, I guess.”

‘Really?  My great detectiving skills say otherwise.  What’s up?”

“Remember I was going to sign up as a substitute teacher yesterday.”

“Yeh.”

“Well, instead they actually offered me a job.”

“Oh, the horror!.  To lose a job and the get offered another one.”

“Yeh, but teaching is not what I really want to do.”

“What?” Trixie looked at her brother in surprise.

Mart shrugged.  “I said I don’t really want to teach.”

“What do you want to do?” asked Trixie, leading Mart through the shop to the aisle where she was working.

“I think I want to go back to my original plan, you know, like when we were teenagers.”

Trixie looked at her brother.  “You want to be a farmer?”

Mart shook his head.  “Not a farmer.  I’m thinking I would love to work in a landscaping business or a garden center.”

Trixie carefully moved the products around on the shelf, appearing to be lost in thought.

“Aren’t you going to say anything?” demanded Mart after a few minutes of silence.

“I was just thinking.”

“About what?”

“About what you said.”

“And?”

“And I can see it.  I think you would do great with either.”

“You do?” Mart’s face lit up.

“Sure.  You love working in the garden, you have good people skills, and the latin names of all the plants and flowers are long enough and complicated enough to keep you happy for life. Yes, it’s a perfect fit.”

Mart’s face fell.  “That’s why I’m not thrilled about going back into the classroom.  I feel like now is the time to go for it.  I’m just not sure how to go about doing it.”

The jingling of the door’s bell interrupted the conversation.  Trixie hurried away, leaving Mart standing alone in the aisle until approaching footsteps caught his attention.

“Hello, Mart,” said Imogene.

“Hi, Mrs. Ingram,’” answered Mart politely.

“How are you today?”

“Fine.  And it looks like you and Trixie are having a busy day.” Mart looked past Imogene at the partial opening in the wall that lead to a space that was under construction.  “Trixie told me you’re going to be opening a restaurant soon.  How are the plans proceeding with that endeavor?”

“Fine.  I just have a few more bugs to work out.”

“I think your plan is stupendous.  Sleepyside can certainly use another fine dining establishment.”

Imogene, a puzzled look on her face,  looked at Mart, then began outlining her ideas for the eatery.  “I hope you’ll dine here often,” she remarked.

Mart nodded.  “I will most certainly will make that an attainable goal.”

“I was working on the other side of this shelving and couldn’t help but overhear your conversation with your sister?”

Mart blushed.  “I hope I didn’t sound too unappreciative.  I just didn’t really enjoy teaching that much.”

“So I gathered.”

“But it would be a steady job with good benefits.”

“That’s true. But not your dream job.”

Mart shook his head.  “Not really.”

“Tell me what kind of business  you want to have?” asked Imogene.

“Ever since I was a kid, I always wanted to do something with agriculture.  I would love to own a landscaping business or a gardening business right here in Sleepyside, because there’s just something about this town that feels so right to me.”  Mart looked at Imogene and waited for a response.  “Mrs. Ingram?” he inquired.

“What? Oh, yes.  I was just thinking….”

Assuming his conversation with Imogene was over, Mart moved toward the front door. “Well, I guess I better get going. Moms is waiting for her car keys.”

“Wait a minute.”  Imogene rubbed her cheek thoughtfully.  “II would like to have a chat with you. Why don’t you run those keys home and meet me at Wimpy’s in thirty minutes.  Does that work for you?”

“Uh, yes, I think that’s workable, Mrs. Ingram.”

“Enough of the ‘Mrs. Ingram’.  It’s Imogene.”  She smiled at Mart, then walked with him to the front door.

A short time later, Imogene slid into a booth across from Mart, plopping her large, tapestry handbag on the seat next to her.  

“Can I get you anything, Imogene?” asked Mart.

“Aren’t you a dear!  Yes, I would love a cup of tea and maybe a piece of pie.”

Mart signaled the waitress and put in Imogene’s order, adding a chocolate sundae for himself.  He watched as Imogene played with the silverware in front of her and waited for her to open the conversation. After a few moments of silence, Mart prompted the woman, “Imogene?  You wanted to chat with me?”

“Yes.  I’ve just been trying to sort a few things out in my mind and I’m almost done. Just give me a few more minutes.”

Mart sat back.  “She’s a nut,” he thought to himself.  “No wonder Trixie gets along with her.” He watched as Imogene’s eyes flickered, widened, then twinkled when a slight smile appeared across her face.

Finally, Imogene cleared her throat.  “I have a proposition for you,” she announced.

Mart remained silent, not knowing how to respond to Imogene.  “A proposition?” he finally squeaked out.

Imogene laughed loudly.  “Yes, but not that kind.  You see, you said something back in my shop that sparked an idea in my mind.  I’ve thought about it and, yes, I think the idea is a good one and perfectly timed.”

“What is it?”

“Just the other day, I noticed an old garden center out on the highway.  It struck me as a sad place, desperately in need of some life and love around it.  But I’m committed to running the shop  and I’m opening the new restaurant.  However, this abandoned center keeps calling to me.  And now I feel quite confident that I should open it and give it a shot.   Actually, I was thinking we could be partners.”

Mart sat, stunned.  He opened his mouth several times, but nothing came out.  

Imogene laughed.  “If only your sister could see you now.  I bet she’d never let you hear the end of it.”

“L...I don’t know what to say.  You don’t even know me.  Why would you want to do business with me?” asked Mart.

“Don’t know you?  Are you kidding?  I know you talk like you ate a dictionary for breakfast.  I know you tease your sister unmercifully.  I know you think a lot like her.  And before you argue that point, I’ll just remind you of a certain young man who got a taped confession out of some slimebag imposter while riding around in a trailer. Yes, Mart.  I feel quite comfortable that you a man of honor and integrity who deserves the opportunity to pursue his own dream.”

“But, Imogene.  You and I in business together?  This seems rather sudden to me.”

“I suppose.  But I always go with my instincts and right now they’re screaming this new venture is the right thing to do.”

“But...but...you said ‘partner’.  That implies some capital from me.  I have a little saved up, but not enough for what I think you have in mind.”

Mart and Imogene stopped talking when the waitress arrived at their table with their food. When she left, their conversation continued.

“Now, Mart, don’t worry about the finances. I’m sure we can work that out.  Are you interested?” asked Imogene.

“Interested?  I conclude that statement is the trivialization of the annum.”

Imogene rolled her eyes and slapped her hand on the table.  “Really, Mart! I believe it’s irrefutable to participate in that commentary distraction with me.”  

Mart’s eyes widened and he stared at the woman in front of him.

“You see” Imogene hastened to explain, “my late husband, Igmar, did the New York Times crossword puzzle every week...in ink and out loud.  Complicated words are just like background noise to me, you know, like a mosquito that buzzes around the room. Maybe the first rule I’ll put down is to limit all your ridiculous words.”

Mart grinned sheepishly.

Imogene continued.   “Besides,  I’m pretty certain I could beat you in a “word match” any day.  So let’s not waste our time trying. Seeing that you’re so much like your sister, I believe we can set a target opening date of around the holidays.”

Mart looked down at the untouched food in front of him.  Slowly, he spooned some of the gooey concoction into his mouth while listening to Imogene briefly outline her plans and agenda.  By the time their meeting was over, Mart had developed a new respect for the woman and was eager to think through the proposal.

They talked a bit longer, then Imogene left.

After finishing his sundae, Mart slowly walked to his car, got in and soon found himself on the edge of town, staring at the dilapidated property and trying to visualize it the way Imogene hoped it would look. Later that evening at Crabapple Farm, Mart paced back and forth in his room, muttering to himself.   “Come on, Belden. This is the opportunity you’ve been waiting for. Just take the leap. But what if it doesn’t work out.  I’m risking a solid job for one that has no known outcome. Should I go for it or not?” His eyes fell on a quarter sitting on his desk.  With a shrug, he picked it up, studied it briefly, then flipped it in the air.  “Heads, I go with Imogene.  Tails, I teach.”  Mart caught the coin and flipped it over onto his wrist.  “What? Tails?” Mart stared at the coin for a minute, slowly realizing he was disappointed with the result.  Shrugging, he flipped the coin again.  This time, it landed on heads. Mart smiled and bobbed his head definitively.   “Oh, head of the coin, I’m glad you and I are in agreement!”  With the decision made, Mart sat down and wrote out his thoughts, filling several pages.  If he was going to be a partner, he was going to be a substantial one with goals and ideas for developing the business. As he worked, he felt his excitement and faith in the project grow. The next morning, Mart awoke and immediately knew his decision was the right one.  

Within a few weeks, Imogene had secured the property and a major overhaul had begun.  With Imogene’s assistance, Mart ordered supplies and products for the store and managed to hire what he thought would be a strong staff.

 

“Mart!  Mart, are you coming or not?” hollered Imogene.

Startled out of his memories, Mart hurried into the building. He smiled broadly when he saw how perfectly all the supplies were placed on the shelves.  He admired the displays that Imogene and Trixie had created when they weren’t busy at the antique shop.  He noted the pile of outdoor lights that he would string along the building as soon as the roof was done.  His eyes lingered on the special station that would offer mulled cider, hot chocolate and cookies to the guests who visited his garden center.

“Imogene, a truckload of Christmas trees is scheduled to arrive tonight.  I’ll have the guys unload and tag them tomorrow,” said Mart.

“Perfect. And would you have them tie a red bow on each one” asked Imogene.

Mart thought for a minute, then smiled.  “Sure.  That will be a great way to draw attention to them for the people driving by.”  

“Don’t forget to put lights on the bushes out front and around the sign,” reminded Imogene.

“I won’t.  I just have to wait till the roofers are done.”

“And remember, Ian will take care of any food supplies you need through his weekly orders for the restaurant.”

“I know, Imogene.  Ian and I are on the same page,” said Mart, acknowledging the young chef who had developed quite a following from the guests who frequented Imogene’s restaurant.

“And Trixie will be training your salespeople on the register and computer system.”

Mart nodded again, his eyes rolling slightly.  “I know.  She reminds me of that several times a day.”

Imogene stopped and clasped her hands together and slowly turned around, assessing the store.  “I’m so glad we did this, Mart,” she whispered.  “So very, very glad.”

“Why?” asked Mart, suddenly curious about the drive to get this business up and running.  “Imogene, why is this business so important to you?” He moved closer to his new boss.

“My late husband, Igmar, was a horticulturist.  He and I owned a small garden center years ago.  This just…” Imogene shrugged and turned away.

Mart reached out and laid his hand on her shoulder.  “This makes you feel close to him, doesn’t it?” he said softly.

Imogene nodded, her rhinestone earrings moving with her head.  “I suppose you think that’s silly?”

“Not at all.”

“Really?”

Mart nodded.  “I’ll tell you a secret, but you can never repeat it.”

“Okay.”.

“When I was away last year, I used to leave annoyingly obnoxious messages on Trixie’s phone.  I knew it would make her mad.”  Mart shrugged.  “Somehow, it made me feel closer to home.”

Imogene laughed “I think I heard her complain about every one of those.”

Mart grinned. “Imogene, I won’t let you down.  This place is going to be fabulously, wonderfully, stupendously, magically magnificent.”

“Crossword puzzle, Mart, crossword puzzle.  You’d be wise to remember that.”  Imogene winked then disappeared down an aisle.

Mart watched her leave.  He stood still for a few minutes, relishing the thought that in a few days his dream would become a reality.  Again, he was interrupted by Imogene.

“Mart!  Mart!  Jiggle that lower appendage.  We’ve got a multitude of tasks awaiting our attention. Now, chop, chop!”  

“On my way, Imogene. On my way!”