"Mr. Tom"

All that weeding, hoeing and cultivating early on had paid off he thought, as he pulled the lemon grass and purslane that was niggling it's way right up close to the stems of the pepper plants. Yesserie he thought; gonna look mighty purdy when folks walk by comin' down the hill to watch the parade.

Doc had been planting a garden here on the hill along side Columbia street nigh on to 35 years now. Pretty much planted it these here days for the looks of it more than for any produce he might glean from it. Not to say he didn't relish the crops when they were ripe. In the early days when he and the missus were raising a family and didn't have much money left after paying the mortgage and the taxes, a garden was necessary to help put healthful food on the table. But now his main goal was to impress passers-by with the "art" of it all. His wife still teased him about using his yard stick to make sure everything was placed just so: tomato plants 36" apart in rows 36" apart, green beans 2" apart (thin to 4" apart) in rows 18" apart, and so on. She'd say, "next thing, you'll be using a protractor to lay out the garden." Little did she know that that was exactly what he used when drawing out each year's garden plan.

"Beautiful garden you've got there," said the passerby. " Looks like you'll be eating ripe tomatoes soon?"

"Yes sir, I think so. As long as the blight that wiped out the entire crop last year stays away."

"What are those plants there? asked the visitor.

" Those are eggplant, planted them for the first time last year. The missus cooked up some delicious eggplant Parmesan, I can tell ya that!"

The man sauntered down the hill toward Main St. to find his spot to view the parade and issued one last compliment to Doc; "well sir, you've got a garden to be proud of ."

"Thanks for saying so mister, and enjoy the parade." said Doc.

Doc leaned on the handle of his five pronged cultivator and as he surveyed his handy work, he remembered the day his first met Mr. Tom, nearly 30 years ago. Still don't know if that was his name, but that's what I always called him and he never corrected me thought Doc.

"Cumere hon" said the missus, "there's an old man out on the street staring at your garden."
Peering out the kitchen window doc saw the old duffer.

Doc thought: "he was probably the age then that I am now."

He'd walked out and said: Hey young fella, how ya doin'?

"Hi neighbor" said the old man, "I was just admiring your tomatoes. What kind are they?"

"Delicious" said Doc. It's a brand of heirloom tomato. I bought the seed from Burpee's"

" Boy they're huge," said the visitor.

" Some can get to be a pound or more" said Doc. "Would ya like some?"

"One would be plenty" said the man, just for a taste, if you can spare one."

"Here, let me get you a bag and you take a few."

" no, one'll be 'nuff son, thanks a bunch!"

The following weeks Mr. Tom strolled down the hill and stopped to check the garden. Doc went out and offered him samples of everything when they were ripe but no, Mr. Tom would say, One tomato is plenty Mr. L., One is plenty and thanks abunch.

Mr. Tom came by every week 'til the frost , and Doc tilled the garden under.

"I wonder what ever became of Mr. Tom," thought Doc.