The Rivening

The Gate

Before copying Findley's notebook and getting in touch with Grayson, Connie had one small thing she wanted to do. Take a peek into the neighbors' backyard. She opened the backdoor and listened. All seemed quiet. She took her bench over to the fence near the oak tree. Climbed up and peered over. Eneko was standing in the middle of the yard. He spotted her before she could duck down.

"You want something?" He snapped his head down as soon as he saw her.

"Jean, my neighbor on the other side told me that our two yards used to be connected. I was curious what your yard looked like. I'm sorry if I seem snoopy." Connie was flustered. "I guess I'm being a little snoopy. Sorry to bother you." She started to lower herself down.

"Wait."

She stood back up and put her hands on top of the fence. Eneko pulled down the brim of his ballcap and squinted at her. What did he want?

She stared back, not knowing what to say. A slight softening in his expression moved across his face and he spoke. "How're your building projects going?"

"Oh, do you want your sawhorses back?"

"No. Just wondered how it was going."

"It's going okay. Should be done soon. I'm only building a table and a couple of benches. Actually, I'm standing on one of the benches now. When the weather warms up, I want to work outside sometimes and eat my meals. I thought it would be nice to sit under this oak tree."

"It is." Eneko glanced at his house. "I've got to take care of something inside."

"Sure. Don't let me keep you."

And he walked away. What a weirdo. But at least he didn't snarl. They'd even had a sort of conversation. That was progress. And his leaving left her comfortable to take a long survey of their backyard. It looked a lot like how hers was emerging in the warm weather. Pleasing clusters of plantings and walks.

They also had a small flagstone patio under the oak tree on their side of the fence. Her buying the house meant severing the large sitting area under the tree. That could explain some of Eneko's resentment. A well-loved garden had been divided in two.

As Connie scanned the neighbor's side under the oak tree, she noticed some hardware sticking out of their side of the fence. She stood up on her toes and stretched over the top to look down and get a better view.

Hinges and a latch stuck out. It was a gate, a wide gate, but invisible from her side of the fence. Huh. What was that all about? It would have been built in when the fence went up. When her house was put up for sale. But why? It made her uneasy. Something else to ask Pria.

After Connie finished copying Findley's notebook, she called Grayson who immediately drove over. He found her in back, finishing up her table. The ponytail that had started perched on her head to keep her hair out of the way was now slumped down near her neck, a bedraggled mess.

Grayson was an engaging, good-looking man, several years older than Connie. Her friend, Sonya, labelled him a classic charmer in a tone that sounded like both a compliment and a putdown.

"I only got a little lost getting here."

"It's not the Yukon, you know. I'm still in Toronto. Anyway, it's nice to see you."

"You're much too defensive about your new neighborhood. This is...charming." Grayson gestured to the yard and house with his hands. "What have you got going there, super Connie?"

"There were some pieces of cedar left in the back and I decided to build a table and some benches to use in the garden."

"You really are a wonder. You know you look very fetching in that tool belt."