#bergen_county

A knock knock knock comes on Jack's door! Technically, the door belongs to Mr. Torin, though perhaps by now Myrtle Anne is on the deed too?

Indeed, and the door opens

Jack grins "Hey"

Jack doesn't recognize the adult at the door! But for once, he doesn't have to crane his head to look up at them. They're 'mom' sized rather than 'dad' sized to the young satyr.

The boggan smiles to the boy, taking off his cap, and politely asks, "You must be Jack. I've heard good things about you, m'lad. Is your mother home?"

"Uhm... who may I say is calling?" He had hoped it would be another childling, but no need to be rude. He learned that after Mister Vali came to visit once and he said 'oh, it's you'... apparently that was 'rude'

"Greene, my lad, Quincy Greene. We don't know each other, I'll readily admit, but she may know my name, I run a lawncare business over in Paramus. Greene Lawns, for Quincy Greene, that's me."

A friendly enough fellow, not trying to put a foot in the door like a salesman, and polite.

"One moment, please, sir"

And Jack closes the door

A moment later, Myrtle Anne comes out, wearing a hat that screams 'this lady grows roses or something'

"Mr. Greene? I've heard of you. Please, come in, it's an hour afore I open my store"

He gives her a smile. "Don't mind if I do. I didn't come empty handed, either, where would my manners be?" Jack might not have Connor's keen nose, but he can smell... DONUTS

The parcel he carries says "DONUT KING"

"Oh you shouldn't have, " But of course she takes them promptly "Let me put those away. Now what will it be to drink, Mr. Green?" Mrs. Torad asks.. or is it Mrs. Torin? Ah well.

Jack licks his lips "Donuts??? NEAT"

"Now Jack, you'll spoil your lunch" She says to her son, but looks at her guest "Now, we have teas, my specialty is herbal teas, of course. But I also have some find coffee blends, oh, and a little lemonade"

She is already clearing out a spot in the parlor for him, making him most welcome and delighted to use the visiting room

"Please, if you wouldn't mind, I'd be delighted to have your boy join us. After all, it's Jack I'm coming to ask about." He chuckles, "Surely just a half a donut won't hurt a growing boy."

Accepting a cup of herbal tea as well.

"Well, in that case," Her eyes sparkle, a look to Jack "Have a seat ,son. I'll put the donuts on a tray, after all" A friendly look at Quincy "Jack isn't the only one who should benefit from your kindness. A moment" And she prepares just that, returning quickly

"You wanted to talk to ME?" Jack says surprised

"Well, yes, son. I hear you have the green touch. Skilled with plants, and growing things of all kinds."

"That he does," Myrtle Anne says "Took everything I and others could teach him and jumped right into it. Already as good at Spring as I am on top of it"

Jack Flap blushes and looks at his dangling hooves from the too big chair he leaped up on "I like gardening. I was worried it was girly, but mom says lots of men do horticulture and the like"

"Well, there's nothing wrong with being girly. Some of my best friends are girls, I'll have you know - in fact, I married one! But I fancy myself to be fair manly myself, at least the hair on my chin speaks to that if I didn't shave it to keep my wife from complaining that it tickles her cheeks... and I garden every day." A supportive smile to the boy.

He beams "Well, weeding can sure take some muscle, that's for sure"

Myrtle Anne sips her own tea, "Quincy, if I may call you Quincy and you call me Myrtle Anne, I am proud of my boy's gifts, but what exactly were you hoping for from him? "

He nods to his host, and explains, "Myrtle Anne, then, and please do call me Quincy. My business, is landscaping. Mostly lawns, gardens, and the like. Y'see, I've run into a bit of a dispute. Friendly, you know, not like to come to fisticuffs, but still, we're at an impasse."

Quincy Greene pulls out a binder, and shows a series of pictures. The first are of a field that is a riot... a riot of colors, a mess, a glorious tangle of weeds and wildflowers.

The second is an architectural type mockup - a drawing that shows quite a lovely layout - a playground, walkways, fountain, and park benches.

"This is a plot of land not too far away from here, maybe a half hours drive. To date it has been owned by the city and let lie fallow as there was no real plan for the land. It's grown into quite a wild tangle. I have friends who have set up apiaries nearby, and make a living and a loving tending for the bees that visit these flowers."

"Now, what's changed is that the nearby plots are now home to several low-income housing buildings, quite nice, with families, but there is no city park near here, so there has finally come a grant to transform this "empty space" into a park for the new residents to use. Of course, in order to do that, the current growth would need to be cut down."

"Oh" He says then looks at the drawing again and his brow knits, one day his horns will burst out of those bumps above them then says "And you don't like wild tangles?"

Myrtle Anne takes watches as the two savor donuts and drinks, her social dynamics at work. She has little reason to distrust a fellow boggan, but Jack IS her boy and she wouldn't want him taken advantage of.

"Oh, I do like wild tangles, where they belong. But you can't build a playground and a path and a fountain on top of a field of wildflowers. Two things can't exist in one space."

He points to a picture of a lovely butterfly. "The beekeepers also are banking on this little fellow. I don't know if you heard, but as of this year, Monarch's are added to the endangered species list. Now, government works slowly, so that designation is not, in itself, enough to halt the construction of the new park, but it's enough to drum up protestors, if things aren't resolved.

He raises a hand, palm up. "On one hand, wildflowers, bees and butterflies." He raises the other hand, "And on the other, a park and playground for families. Both are valid, lovely dreams. But we can't make them both happen. At least, -I- can't. That's where I was hoping you might come in, my boy."

"Uhmm.. you think I can do both?" he says scratching his head "I'm sorry sir, I'm not dumb, but I am just a kid."

"I mean, how can I do both?"

"Are you talking about growing plants that attract the monarch?" Myrtle anne inquires

"The problem is, that's we're already into the season. The Monarchs have largely come and gone, and the milkweeds and ragweeds, the butterfly bush and zinnias and wild fennel... they all have eggs on it.

"Sure, we could clear-cut the field and plant new flowers, but we cannot replace these flowers, or this cycle of butterflies. Plus... anything new we plant, would be cultured. The nature of wild flowers is that they are wild. Unlike, say, a hosta or a marigold in your own garden, wildflowers don't take well to transplanting, they're more likely to wither and die. And with them, the next generation of butterflies."

He leans in, speaking earnestly, man to man. "THAT, friend Jack, is where you come in. That is, if you wish, and if your momma here approves. I think that with your spring magic, and your way with the green, you might just be able to help us save these plants. Here is what I would propose, if I got you on board..."

A third set of plans - this one, with flower beds interspersed around and through the park, labeled "native garden" and "butterfly sanctuary".

"And this would help keep honey bees from becoming extinct too, but also a place kids coudl visit?"

He looks at Mr. Greene with BIG eyes

"Just so, my boy."

Jack flap frowns "Back down in Memphis, folks played me , sir. Used me to do bad things. How do I know this isn't you playing me for a fool?" For a moment those wide eyes look less innocent

"Jack" Myrtle Annee says surprised at this

"Mr. Greene, my boy has been through a rough patch before he was my son" Explaining

He considers this, honestly. "That's a good question, Jack. You don't know me from adam, and you want to protect yourself. I can respect that."

"To be completely upfront with you, I am a boggan, and I would help in any case, if I could, but in this case, I am on the city payroll. They called me in as an independent, a Mediator of sorts, to help smooth the way between the two parties. I won't ask for your help for free, either, because a man's skill is worth paying for."

"What do you say about a field trip? I can show you the land, complete with the building permits, and the current growth. You can see for yourself, and make a decision."

"My mom or dad will have to come with me" he says "I'm plenty big, but they're all .. you know, parenty, ,and I don't wanna them to worry. That okay?" Jack Flap says

"I would insist."

"I"ll have to ask Torin" She says "He's got more free time from the store"

'Dad's great" Jack Flap assures Quincy

"Whatever makes you comfortable." He says, enjoying the tea, and passing Mrs. Myrtle Anne the paperwork that will make better sense to her than Jack, permits and plans and protest paperwork.

She does look over it, "Interesting... do you know Anne Marie Lee?"

"Few in the county have NOT heard of Dame Anne Marie, though I confess that her circles and mine don't much overlap."

"Oh she's a gem of a woman, and a good friend. While she's a social worker, and you already have government contracts, you might want to talk to her some time, she has a veritible phone tree of citizens who might help you too" She says "As for me, as an Herbalist I can appreciate the plight of small business men and women."

He beams at her. "A direct referral from a friend of hers is worth it's weight in gold. I'll take you up on that, and give her a call sometime. After all, we might be able to help each other out too."