I stepped out the front door, heading out for work, when I stopped and inhaled. “Oh my gosh! Do you smell that?” I asked my son Alex who had opened the front door for me.
Alex inhaled. “I don’t smell anything.”
I stepped further out on the porch. “Come out here.” I said as I inhaled again. “You have to be able to smell it now!”
Alex stepped out and stood next to me. “Is that the lilac bush?” He asked.
“It sure is!” I gave a big sigh. “Don’t you just love that smell!”
Alex saw the lilac bush at the end of the driveway. “I can’t believe you can smell that from so far away. It’s got to be at least 30 yards from here!”
“I love all the different flowering plants in spring!” I looked over at Alex. “When I was driving to work yesterday I went past a section of pine trees covered in wisteria vines and the wisteria’s in full bloom, too!” I sighed. “There’s another smell I love.”
Thinking of that smell triggered a memory. “You know where I saw an entire home covered in wisteria?”
Alex shook his head. “No. Where?”
“It was Washington Irving’s estate on the Hudson River in New York.” I smiled as I thought about the estate he called Sunnyside. “He’s the one who wrote The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.”
Alex nodded his head as I adjusted my work bag on my shoulder while holding my lunch bag in the other. “The vines covered the entire cottage with those beautiful purple flowers hanging in clusters like grapes.”
“I remember when you went up there with Aunt Donna.” He gently swatted a bee that was buzzing by his head.
“It was such a beautiful estate.” I sighed again. “I love everything about spring!” I looked over at my car with a thin layer of light green pollen on the windshield. “Well, maybe not everything.”
Alex looked at his watch. “Aren’t you going to be late for work?” He reminded me.
“I’ve got plenty of time.” I said as I started to walk down the front step but stopped and turned around. “You know what I’m going to do before I go into work?”
Alex laughed. “No. What?”
“I’m going to pull up by the wisteria, roll down my window, and see if I can’t smell them from the roadside.”
“That sounds like a plan.” Alex laughed again as he stepped towards the front door. “But what if you can’t smell them from the car?”
“Well, then I’ll just have to get out of the car and get closer to them, won’t I?”
I walked over to my car, opened the back door, and tossed my bags in before walking over to the lilac bush, gently holding one of the blooms in the palm of my hand and inhaling deeply.
Lost in their scent I hadn’t realized how much time had passed until Alex opened the front door.
“You’re still here?” He called. “You’re going to be late.”
“Whoops.” I headed for the car as I looked at my watch. “I’m still good.” I said as I opened the drivers side door.
“Maybe you should wait until your drive home before you stop for the wisteria.”
“It’s only two minutes from here.” I said as I started the car and flicked the lever that turned on the windshield spray and wipers.
Just then my phone buzzed. I picked it up to see a message from Alex. “I’ll call you in five minutes so you’re not late for work.” It said.
I looked through my windshield at Alex standing at the front steps holding up his phone.
I quickly typed back. ‘You’re the best!’ and added a heart emoji for good measure before putting the car in reverse and pulling out of the driveway.
Slice of Life 