The plot thickens

Allotments looking towards Eurospar

Weather is still cold. I put in some garlic and some Khol rabbi, some nice purple ones, Did one row of Swedes and another or turnips. Some of the onions I planted last week have sprouted, and I dug one up to see if had put down roots and sure enough it had little white roots about 5 cm long.

An Arab arrived and said Moi. I said hello and shook his hand. He asked if the spade I was digging with was mine. I said of course it was I bring it to the plot each time I did any work.

He went off and spoke to another Arab. He was unhappy. The other arab was shaking his shoulders, and throwing his hand to the side. Both men then went to a locker and the older arab gave the younger arab a spade, which he then began to use furiously. He was very angry.

I had to get back to do the "talkoot" at our house and before I left I asked him what had happened to his tools, for even though nothing had been said I distinctly got the impression that he thought I had stolen his tools.

That's what you get when everybody buys cheap tools from Biltma and they all have the Biltma label on them. I should have written my name on the tools so I could proove that they were mine. It is not nice when there is suspicion hanging in the air.

I talked with him for a short while. Offered him my tools if he needed them. He refused. He had lost a spade, a rake, a fork, just like mine, and 10 kilos of fertiliser. It is terrible when things get stolen. It causes bad feeling and mistrust.

I suppose Moses knew what he was taking about when he wrote down. "Thou shalt not steal"


Allotments looking towards Lippu Laiva