FOR
WHAT REMAINS
JOE
LOVED HIS ALLOTMENT, AND HIS WIFE, IN THAT ORDER. ALICE WAS A GOOD
WIFE, BUT SHE SAW VERY LITTLE OF JOE, WHO SEEMED TO LIVE DOWN AT HIS
PATCH OF PARADISE. HE WORKED AT THE LOCAL COAL MINE AND AFTER HIS
LONG SHIFT, WOULD COME HOME AND EAT HIS DINNER , BEFORE RUSHING DOWN
THE ROAD TO HIS PRIZE WINNING PLOT. ALICE HAD BECOME USED TO JOE'S
OBSESSION, BUT KEPT HER THOUGHTS TO HERSELF. SHE WAS QUITE A PRIVATE
LADY ,WHO DID GO DOWN TO THE ALLOTMENT OCCASIONALLY JUST TO LOOK OVER
JOES HANDIWORK, BUT OF COURSE DID NOT HAVE THE SAME OBSESSIVE
FEELINGS ABOUT IT, AS HE DID. SHE DID BROACH THE SUBJECT OF HIS TIME
SPENT
THERE, BUT JOE TOOK NO NOTICE AND THREW HIMSELF INTO MORE TIME
CONSUMING GARDENING. THE ONLY TIME SPENT AWAY FROM HIS PASSION, WAS
THE GARDEN CLUB MEETING NIGHTS. HE WAS ALWAYS A VERY KEEN MEMBER, AND
GAVE OUT MORE GARDENING ADVICE THAN HE EVER RECEIVED. THE OTHER
MEMBERS ALL FELT THAT HE WAS A BIT OF A SHOWOFF WHO WAS NOT AFRAID TO
LET PEOPLE KNOW HOW FINE A GARDENER HE WAS. HE DIDN'T SEEM TO MIND
WHAT THEY THOUGHT OF HIM. HIS ONLY CONCERN WAS HIS ALLOTMENT. WHEN
DOWN AT HIS PATCH HE LIKED TO LOOK OVER THE OTHER HOLDER'S
ALLOTMENTS, BUT IN HIS SMUG WAY FELT THAT THEY WERE NOT A PATCH ON
HIS. THERE WERE REGULAR SHOWINGS OF THE PRODUCE GROWN, AND JOE OF
COURSE MADE SURE THAT HIS OFFERINGS WERE UP THERE WITH THE BEST. HE
GREW HUGE AMOUNTS OF VEG BUT NEVER FELT LIKE GIVING ANY OF IT TO HIS
NEIGHBOURS. WELL THE BIG SHOW WAS THE LEAK GROWERS EVENT, WHICH WAS A
FEIRCELY CONTESTED AFFAIR. ALL THE CONTESTANTS HAD THEIR OWN METHODS
WHICH THEY DID THEIR BEST TO KEEP SECRET FROM EACH OTHER, AND OF
COURSE JOE WAS THE MOST SECRETIVE. HE FELT THAT HE HAD TO WIN THIS
YEARS CONTEST, AND TOOK TO SPENDING EVEN LONGER HOURS DOWN AT THE
PLOT NURTURING HIS LEEKS. HE EVEN SPENT HOURS INTO THE EVENING
WORKING ON THEM. HIS WIFE REMARKED ON THE EVEN LONGER HOURS JOE WAS
AT THE ALLOTMENT, BUT JOE IN HIS USUAL OFFHAND MANNER DISMISSED
ALICE'S CONCERNS, AND CARRIED ON IN HIS OWN WAY. HE THOUGHT THAT "FOR
WHAT REMAINS OF MY TIME TO GET THE BEST IN SHOW I NEED TO BE THERE AS
MUCH AS I CAN" WELL COME THE DAY OF THE SHOW AND JOE WAS UP AT
THE CRACK OF DAWN WITH
THE FEELING THAT "TODAYS MY DAY". HE WAS SURE THAT HIS
PLANTS WERE THE BEST. HE QUICKLY ATE HIS BREAKFAST, AND DASHED OFF TO
THE ALLOTMENTS, AND WAS SURPRISED TO SEE THAT ONE OF HIS FELLOW
GARDENERS SAM, HAD PACKED UP ALL HIS GEAR AND CLEARED HIS PLOT. JOE
THOUGHT IT STRANGE, BUT FELT THAT WITH SAM GONE, HE HAD ONE LESS
OPPONENT TO WORRY ABOUT. WELL, IT WAS STRAIGHT OFF TO THE SHOW AND
JOE FELT THAT HIS LEEKS WERE AS GOOD AS ANY, BUT OF COURSE IT WAS
DOWN TO THE JUDGES. COME THE ANNOUNCEMENT, AND JOE WAITED
APPREHENSIVELY, FOR THE RESULT. THE CHAIRMAN SLOWLY ROSE AND TO JOE'S
GREAT DELIGHT, WAS ANNOUNCED AS THE WINNER. SO HE TRIUMPHANTLY WALKED
OUT OF THE SHOWROOM GOT ON HIS BIKE AND RODE OFF HOME TO GIVE ALICE
THE GOOD NEWS.
HE
WENT INDOORS HOLDING THE CUP ALOFT, TO BE MET WITH SILENCE. ALICE
WASN'T THERE, BUT THERE WAS A NOTE ON THE TABLE SAYING " IVE HAD
ENOUGH OF YOU, YOU SELFISH FOOL, AND HAVE DECIDED TO START A NEW LIFE
WITH SAM, WHO HAS COMFORTED ME DURING YOUR VERY PROLONGED ABSENCES.
HE MAY NOT BE AS GOOD A GARDENER AS YOU BUT HE HAS PAID ME MORE
ATTENTION THAN YOU EVER DID. ENJOY YOUR LEEKS"
