One day, Nancy confided, right after all those rainstorms we had last week, just to make conversation, I remarked to Mrs. Otis, Terrible storms we had last week, dont you think? Well, Nancy continued, Mrs. Otis practically jumped down my throat. She said in a snippy voice, Its been good for the plants. I asked Nancy how she responded to that.
What could I say? Nancy answered. The woman was obvously cutting me off.
Did you ever think to ask Mrs. Otis if she liked plants? Plants? Nancy asked. Well, yes, I suggested. Mrs. Otis brought the subject up.
I asked Nancy to do me a favor. Ask her, I begged. Nancy rsisted, but I persisted. Just to quiet me down, Nancy promised to ask cantankerous old Mrs. Otis if she liked plants.
The next day, a flabbergasted Nancy called me from work. Leil, how did you know? Not only did Mrs. Otis love plants, but she told me shed been married to a gardener. Today I had a diferent problem with Mrs. Otis. I couldnt shut her up! She went on and on about her garden, her husband. . .