43. Bad news

“Yes, come, Isaac, I simply must show you the garden!”

Chloe and Hayley take Isaac to Clea’s lovely garden in the centre of the dwelling. They walk around the round, heated swimming pool and Isaac marvels at the wide variety of indigenous and foreign plants.

Suddenly Isaac stops, his eyes widen and he studies a lovely, blue plant from nearby but he keeps his hands away.

“Chloe, I wonder if I see correctly! Can it be? This thing doesn’t belong here. It is foreign and I’ve never seen it before in South Africa. I wonder whether your mother enlightened you about it.”

Chloe smiles. “You see correctly, Isaac. My mother had to import the seed and take special care of it. She had not been sure whether she would be able to grow the plant here, but look now how lovely! Blue was always her favorite colour and is this not heavenly! When sunlight catches it in a certain manner in the morning it sometimes looks purple but now it is an exquisite, bright blue.”