The Blue Flowers
Ben watched Jenny nod her head.
"Yes, I will come to see the blue flowers," she said.
Ben smiled. He had asked Jenny six times since the trip to the Surface Dome but she had always been busy. He lifted his hand to his ear. He liked rubbing his ear when he was happy.
"Oh, good," he said. "We will have time to see a lot of them."
They were at Jenny's home on Level Three. Her address was
Miss Jenny Adams
#624
APT 3-023
York Town
Perth City
West Australia
Australia
Earth
Ben lived nearby at #319 APT 3-035. His father worked in the local office of Pet Animals. His mother taught Maths to Middle school students in the school in her building. They had met at school but their families often went on outings together as his mother taught in the same school as Jenny's father.
Ben and Jenny rode their bicycles to the nearest elevator. They waited only a few minutes because it was not a busy time. The elevator took them and the bicycles down to level 6. They got out and rode to the Blue Flowers garden. This was always their favourite garden when they came with their parents. They liked the other gardens, but not as much as this one. Blue flowers were filling the air with their scent. They stretched as far as they could see to their left and to their right. They looked to the left, then to the right, then left again. They rode along a path between the flowerbeds. They stopped by a really good-looking bed of flowers.
"Smell this one, Ben," said Jenny.
Ben put his nose to the mass of bloom in front of him and sniffed.
"Yes, I like that," he said.
"I will get some for Mum," said Jenny.
"I had better get some for my Mum too," said Ben.
They rode to the flower sales shop. A large sign read
Bunches $4-50 each or two for $8.00
"I'll have a bunch of each of these, please," said Jenny.
"Give me the same, please," said Ben.
"That will cost you four dollars fifty each," said the shopkeeper.
"Can't we have the two bunches for eight dollars altogether," asked Ben.
"Yes, all right."
"Here you are," the children chimed together.
"Thank you. Your mothers will like those," said the shopkeeper.
"Yes, blue flowers are what they like best," said Jenny.
They put the flowers in the carriers on their bikes.
"Do you want an icecream?" asked Ben.
"I would love one," replied Jenny.
The icecream shop was beside the flower shop.
"Two double chocolate coated cones, please," said Ben.
A sign gave the prices. Double chocolate-coated cones were $1.80.
"That is three dollars sixty, please," said the girl serving them.
"Thank you," said Ben, handing her the money and taking the icecreams.
"Thank you," said the girl.
Ben and Jenny sat on the chairs in front of the icecream shop and watched the people looking at the flowers as they ate their icecreams. Some people were walking, some were on bicycles, and a few were weaving between everyone on their roller blades.
"I want a pair of those," said Jenny.
"Let's ask for those for Christmas," said Ben.
"Then we could learn how to use them together," said Jenny.
"And we could use them to get around instead of our bikes," said Ben.
"It would be easier getting in the lift, that's for sure," said Jenny.
"Yes. When I come home from my grandmothers in the afternoon I sometimes have to wait for a lift that isn't too full." Said Ben.
"Hey! What's that kid doing?" cried Jenny.
"The little monster is chopping the tops off all those flowers with his toy sword," cried Ben.
"Come on! We have to stop him." Cried Jenny.
They ran over to the nearest flower bed where a five year old boy was swinging his sword. He was knocking the tops off the flowers. Ben grabbed the sword as it was in mid swing.
"Stop that, you brat!" yelled Ben.
"Where is your mother, little boy?" asked Jenny.
"Mum!" cried the boy, running off to the nearby seats. His mother was having a rest. She had been talking with a friend and not watching her child in action.
"Come on. We'll take his sword and tell her what he has been doing." Said Jenny.
They walked over to the mother. She was patting the boy. He was crying.
"Don't let them hit me!" he cried to his mother.
"Did you hit John?" Asked the mother.
"No, we didn't. We took his sword. He was chopping the tops off the flowers." Said Jenny.
"John, you have been a bad boy," said his mother. "Tell the boy and girl you are sorry."
"I'm sorry," said John.
Ben handed John his sword. John took it with a bowed head.
"You must not do it again," said Jenny. "Other people like to enjoy the flowers."
"I'm sure he won't," said his mother.
"Thank you," said Jenny.
"Thank you for your help. It is good to see young people watching after things. I'm sorry I wasn't looking," said the mother.
"That's okay. Bye bye." Said Jenny.
"Goodbye.' Said the mother.
Ben and Jenny walked over to the shop to get their bicycles. After the excitement they were ready to go home.
"We can go home now. I am going to help Mum cook dinner," said Jenny.
"Good, I have some jobs to do too," said Ben. "I hope you aren't busy tomorrow. Can we go somewhere?"
"Yes," said Jenny. "I'm sure we won't see anyone doing anything wrong."
