Rosa van Walbeek

Reading of Watering Plants at the Friday Bedtime Stories

Every plant, just like every human, needs water. Some need more than others but as a general rule; every plant, just like every human, needs water. Since I have many plants in my house, the act of giving them all enough water takes quite some time. It is a chore I tend to postpone. The ones in dire need occasionally get leftovers. There are many holders of liquid in my house. Carefully brewed tea in stone ware cups, cooled down while distracted. Half emptied water bottles, reminders but forgotten. And then there are the glasses; the small french ones, the big ones, the flowery ones, the crystal legged ones, the ones with two different motorcycles; a Suzuki and a Kawasaki. All of them, half full.

Three of my plants get less water than the others. I forget to give them any.  The first one -standing on the kitchen cabinet- is too high for me to reach, I need to take a chair on which I can stand to be able to pour the water in the pot. But then still I can not really see how much water I poured in and when the water-can is almost empty I need to angle it right and I am just not able.  The second is the wide one in the corner next to the couch. It has got big leaves which are in the way when I want to lay down or sit on the couch, they get stuck in my hair. I find it very irritating.
The third one is the biggest plant I have, a Dracaena. I got it from my parents who have been fighting over it since they got it. My mom thinks it’s ugly while my dad loves it. They abandoned it to my room when I moved out and after a few years they send it after me to my new house. It is in the bedroom next to the window. Our bedroom is just big enough for our bed so to reach the plant you need to climb over the bed. Since I hate sand in the bed I never want to climb over it during the day when I have my socks on which carry all kinds of sand and prickly stuff.  These three plants need water just like every other plant needs water but I don’t give it to them. Am I (un-)consciously sabotaging their lives, punishing them for my own shortcomings?
 
After completing my round of water giving on which the Dracaena didn’t get any, I continued my day. When I went to bed I realized it didn’t receive any water for a long time and decided to give it the water from my 1.5 liter bottle which was standing half empty beside my bed. I poured it over knowing the amount was insufficient and layed down. After a while I noticed the rich smell of wet soil. It was so strong, I never knew that happens because I was never around long enough to smell. It was like camping outside after a rainy day; just what I longed for.