Autumn Leaves

By G. L. Horton
copyright 1999 Geralyn Horton
On a brisk bright Saturday morning in October, JANET is half humming/half singing "Autumn Lea es" to herself as she rakes the fallen lea es into a !ile in the yard of her big old house in suburban "oston# Janet is a fiftyish $oman $ith gray streaked hair and a comfortably !added figure $ho $ears faded %eans and a green flannel shirt for gardening# AL&'E, a neatly dressed accountant in her mid(to(late t$enties $ho fa ors beige silk and linen, enters carrying an armload of flo$er!ots and some $ithered !lant material# AL&'E )i# & *umm+& can see that you,re(( &, e got this !lant stuff# To recycle# 'an & ###JANET .$ith a $elcoming smile/ Sure# Just add it to the !ile# 0hen &,m done raking, &,ll stuff it all into the s!ecial bags# AL&'E The s!ecial bagsJANET .sho$s her one of the bags/ The to$n sells these s!ecial bags for yard $aste# Turns into com!ost, bags and all# AL&'E Are dead house!lants yard $asteJANET Sure# Thro$ 1em right in# 0ait((2 0hat about your !otting soil((AL&'E They don,t allo$ dirtJANET 3irt,s fine# "ut don,t you $ant to sa e itAL&'E No, thanks# &,m gi ing u! on !lants# JANET Some are a lot easier than others# AL&'E .holding out dead flo$ers/ Not for my bro$n thumb# 0ould you belie e this stuff used to be a bou4uet- & $as su!!osed to !ut it in $ater# & feel embarrassed telling you, your garden is so !retty+ JANET .laughs/ 3on,t think of them as failed flo$ers+think com!ost2 AL&'E 5rom my kitchen $indo$ & can see those tall !ink and !ur!lish ones(( JANET .indicates bed $here cosmos are gro$ing/ 'osmos# AL&'E 'osmos# 6our !ink cosmos $ere a big reason & mo ed in here#

JANET .bo$ing graciously/ 0ere they- 0ell, flo$er lo ers are !articularly $elcome# AL&'E "ut & kill them2 JANET .melodramatic recitation/ "Each man kills the thing he lo es"# 3on,t $orry# 5lo$ers die# AL&'E & thought bou4uets all came sealed in little !lastic $ater tubes# JANET 3o they, no$- &t,s been so long (( .handsome, $ell(built 3ANN6, about AL&'E,s age, comes %ogging by# )e glances a!!reciati ely at AL&'E, not noticing JANET# JANET shouts/ 7,morning, 3anny# 7orgeous day2 3ANN6 .slo$s do$n, turns back to gi e a little $a e/ 8h(( hi# .%ogs on by/ JANET 3o you kno$ 3annyAL&'E & may ha e seen him### JANET E ery sunny day 3anny brightens u! our li es by running around the block in his skim!y shorts# At least so far he has9 :ay to October# Surely you, e noticed him# 0ith a body like that((AL&'E & only mo ed here in July# JANET A hundred times around, and you ha en,t met him yetAL&'E & tend to $ork late# JANET 0ell, 3an,ll be back here in no time, &,ll introduce you# This might be your last chance(( the last of the !erfect days# The $eatherman is !redicting rain, follo$ed by sleet and a hard frost# AL&'E 0eathermen lo e that# Like they are the $eather, masters of the uni erse((# .AL&'E kicks gently at some lea es, looks u! at the trees o erhead/ The lea es are almost all gone, and & ne er came out to a!!reciate the color# JANET 6ou,re out no$# AL&'E Too much of my life is cubicled# JANET 'ubicled2 ;ight# Too much of my life $as kitchened# & didn,t kno$ $hat & $as missing, all those years my husband did the lea es# ;aking,s lo ely, a kind of harmonious acti ity# Like ro$ing, or $alt<ing# The slanted

sun, the intense October colors, the tang in the air# And $hen you gather u! an armload of lea es, the smell,s so ri!e((2 & feel so ali e & can barely stand it# AL&'E & feel sort of guilty# As if & should be in school# JANET A late fall day like this is a gift# No guilt allo$ed# 6ou kno$ in your bones that $inter,s coming= it,s not far behind# AL&'E The farther the better# 0inter, e erything %ust gets harder# JANET & $ouldn,t think you $ere of an age to notice that# AL&'E )o$ could & not notice- Longer commute, double the $ork load, my boss gets Seasonal 3isorder# On to! of that my class $ill ha e !a!ers due# JANET 'lass- Then you are in school2 AL&'E & ne er said guilt feelings made sense# JANET So many shoulds, so little time(( # 6ou kno$ $hat & miss- The smell of burning lea es# 0hen & $as a girl, the men and boys $ould rake all the neighborhood lea es into a huge !ile, and make them into a bonfire# AL&'E 0asn,t that dangerousJANET :aybe# Though the $orst & can remember is some singed grass and a toasted trouser cuff or t$o# Still, the !ollution((Oh, it,s so hard to think of that glorious smell as !ollution2 Smoke so rich and strange, it turned our shabby suburb into an &ndian cam!ground, our scrubby $oods into the forest !rime al# 0e kids,d grab a branch out of the bonfire and dash around like dragons, s!e$ing smoke and s!arks and shrieking like banshees# AL&'E Sounds dangerous to me# JANET No more than leaf(messing9 %um!ing and dancing and sliding and thro$ing leaf balls and trying to stuff 1em do$n each other,s shirts# AL&'E The gro$n(u!s didn,t freakJANET 7uess not# Of course, kids $ho $ere caught red handed had to clean it all u!# Or if somebody $as hurt, maybe they got a s!anking# AL&'E Try it today(( JANET 0hen & think of the $ay $e used to !lay in the $oods2 0here the gro$n(u!s ne er came to bother us# Trees9 cho!!ed and car ed and s$ung do$n flat# Tra!s set, !its dug, streams dammed# Of course, all that no man,s

land is no$ subdi ision# The trees are all in !arks and gardens# Today, $e,d be andals# & feel so sorry that+ 3ANN6 .enters, %ogging a second round/ )ey there, :rs# E2 JANET )ey yourself, 3an# 3ANN6 7reat day for a run, ehJANET &,d say !erfect# "ut you,re the e>!ert# 3ANN6 ?erfect# A really great day to be out# AL&'E 6our friend here $as $arning me that this may be one of the last# JANET 0inter is a cumin, in# 3ANN6 5ine by me# & got my skis, got my sno$board# JANET 3anny,s the $ee bra$ lad in my third floor front# 3ANN6 )idden in the landlady,s attic# E>ce!t $hen &,m out running around# JANET This nice young $oman is our ne$ neighbor# 0e ha en,t e>changed name rank and serial, though, so & can,t introduce((# AL&'E Sorry# &,m Alice Notsinger# & ha e the second floor a!artment ne>t door# 3ANN6 .shake hands/ 3aniel ;eeb# 3anny# So, ho$ do you like the neighborhoodAL&'E & think it,s great# All these $ell ke!t la$ns and old houses# &t,s like, stability# JANET 0ho $ould guess they, e all been cut u! into flats- Or that the a erage tenant turno er is t$o !oint one yearsAL&'E The im!ortant thing for me is that it really feels safe# Li ing alone, dri ing u! to !ark after dark or coming home late on the train((( safety,s my first consideration# 3ANN6 6eah, & can a!!reciate# There are a lot of !laces around $here you,d be looking o er your shoulder# 'ourse, those !laces offer you more s!ace for less rent# "ut a good looking single $oman $ho has to $ork late###that,s ho$ you said, right- 6ou $ork long hoursAL&'E 8sually# "ut not al$ays# Accounting,s seasonal#

3ANN6 Seasonal,s like $hat- 'hristmas and Ne$ 6ear,sAL&'E The kind & do, yes# 3ANN6 So that,s $hat you do# AL&'E 0hat3ANN6 Seasonal accounting## AL&'E 8h huh# .!ause/ JANET Alice is going to school, too# AL&'E &n the off season# JANET Taking $hat kind of classesAL&'E Accounting# 3ANN6 "ut you said you,re already((AL&'E To get my '?A# 3ANN6 That,s ((uh(( that,s the $ay# To(( uh((#go# 0ay to go# JANET She,s ambitious, huh3ANN6 6eah2 Still# S,lotta $ork, accounting# AL&'E 5rom January first to A!ril fifteenth it is# 3ANN6 Lotta numbers# AL&'E 5ourteen hours a day# 3ANN6 6ou must really like numbers# AL&'E

They,re O@# 3ANN6 "ut(( & mean, that muchAL&'E 0hat & really like is money# 3ANN6 Oh yeah# :oney2 .they all laugh/ 7reat stuff, money# &f you also got time for s!ending it# AL&'E Oh, & $ill# One of these days# 3ANN6 "ut not any time soon# AL&'E ,5raid not# 3ANN6 0ell, & guess it,s time to do another go(round# 0ork u! a little s$eat before & head for the sho$er# Nice meeting you, uh( AL&'E Alice# 3ANN6 .$a es/ Alice# .turns to go/ JANET .calls/ 3anny- .3ANN6 turns back/ )a e a nice day# 3ANN6 .smiles, $a es/ 6ou too, :rs# E# .runs off, $hile the $omen $atch him a!!reciati ely/ AL&'E 0hat,s the E stand forJANET Elkin# Janet Elkin# AL&'E )a e you al$ays li ed hereJANET :y husband and & bought this !lace in si>ty nine# 5or the schools# &t $as a du!le> then# 0hen Allen died & figured out that A roomers on the third floor $ould %ust about take care of the mortgage# AL&'E Are your roomers all like 3annyJANET :ale roomers come in three sorts9 bitter %ust di orceds, lonesome foreigners, and ha!!y go lucky o ergro$n boys# AL&'E Like 3anny#

JANET :ost of my roomers are $omen, though# 0omen $ith safety their first concern# Serious $omen, $ho are tem!orarily on a limited budget# &n my o!inion, they are too serious# "ut maybe $hen they,re $ith their o$n age they,re different# .JANET begins filling one of the s!ecial bags $ith lea es/ AL&'E & doubt it# That is, if they,re serious around youB .JANET laughs, embarrassing AL&'E/ & didn,t mean((2 'an & gi e you some hel! $ith that bagJANET Not in those clothes# AL&'E )o$ should $e be different- 0e serious onesJANET Oh, & don,t kno$# S!end a little time in useless beauty- Notice nature,s seasons as $ell as the &;S,s- :aybe e en make safety secondary- "ut your $hole generation((# 0hen & $as young, $omen didn,t ha e careers, they had "interests"# ?icked u! smatters of e erything# All su!erficial, of course# :en $ere the serious ones(( but Lord, $ere they boring# Nothing but $ork, $ork, $ork# AL&'E &t,s a different $orld, the ne$ economy# 0omen es!ecially# 0e,re e>!ected to be totally focused on the %ob, (( but ha e one eye out looking for the ne>t one# JANET :akes me crosseyed %ust thinking about it# .holding a leaf u! to admire the effect of light on its coloration/ All $ork and no !lay((( AL&'E .!rimly, $ith folded arms/ 0ell, all !lay, like your roomer there(( JANET 3anny# AL&'E 3anny,d better get focused, or he,ll be forty and li ing in a cardboard bo># JANET .batting the leaf a$ay/ Oh, 3anny,s focused# )e,s scanning for !laymates# 'areer girls and landladies don,t sho$ u! on his screen# AL&'E 0ell, besides that he,s clueless, he,s a$fully young# So $hy should you careJANET .businesslike, back to stuffing lea es into the bag/ &f & $ere 3anny,s age, and he $ere mine,(( then should & careAL&'E 0hat do you meanJANET A fiftyish man attracted to a t$enty something $oman# AL&'E :en2 &,d say gro$ u! and get o er it# JANET

5ifty may feel it has something to share# AL&'E 0hat randy old guys "share" is the loot they, e !iled u!9 a lifetime of better %obs at higher !ay# JANET .thro$s her armful of lea es at AL&'E, laughing/ So cynical, so soon- Lighten u!, young lady2 AL&'E :rs# Elkin2 0hat are you doing((JANET .dum!ing lea es from bag, thro$ing them u! to rain do$n/ ?laying2 &,m !laying# 0hile there,s still time# .threatens to stuff lea es do$n AL&'E,s silk shirt/ AL&'E .shrieking/ Sto! that2 .JANET laughs, backs off and gently tosses lea es at AL&'E/ JANET .singing, $hile dancing and laughing at the same time/ "The lea es belong to e eryone# The best things in life are free#" AL&'E :rs# Elkin(( JANET .trying to calm do$n and sto! laughing/ Janet2 &,m Janet# 3on,t be offended2 ?lease, Alice# 5orgi e me# 6ou,ll be the better for it# AL&'E 6ou,re so((# 6ou took me by sur!rise# JANET & didn,t mean to scare you# & kno$ $e,re all su!!osed to !retend $e,re gro$n(u!s# Es!ecially !ast fifty# & understand, and & try# "ut on an autumn day like this, so !erfect, and maybe the last((2 &t,s too much# &nside, like you, &,m still fifteen# AL&'E 5ifteen- 5ifteen $as terrible2 .!ause# 3ecides/ 0ill you let me be ele enJANET .grins/ Sure# &f ele en,s $hat you really are# AL&'E .!icks u! a handful of lea es/ 6ou !romise cross your heart ne er to tell2 O@- Then, you,re it2 .hits JANET $ith lea es, runs tag(fashion, laughing/ 3ANN6 .(( ho$ long has he been $atching-(( %oins in/ )ey2 )ey, & $ant to !lay, too2 'an & !lay too.They all run and rom! as the lights fade#/

T)E EN3