Helga, Olga, and the Gardener

Helga was:

• Rich
• Talented
  
• Intelligent

Olga was Helga's cousin. Olga was:

• Poor
  
• Unmotivated
  
• Simple-minded

Helga had achieved her wealth and esteem through great difficulty over a lifetime of study and diligence. Her estate was large, the spoils of her deft judgment, skill, and civility. Her reputation, the culmination of decades of public service, charity, and humility. All men fell in love with her on sight, although she had a loyal and devoted husband, Herman, who was her faithful companion. She was a famous opera singer, and had toured the world for her unique voice unmatched by any vocalist of any known time or place.

Olga had achieved absolutely nothing. In fact, she had suffered to exert a minimum amount of effort towards every moment of her existence. Her reputation was the result of decades of skipping through the wildflowers behind Helga's mansion. Although, in doing so Olga maintained a persistent state of happiness.

For Helga, happiness was the reward she so painstakingly sought. Her whole life had been devoted to its pursuit, and oh, how distant it had become. For her, happiness seemed to drift farther away with every breath. All her study, patience, and responsibility had brought her not happiness, but, ironically, every reason to be unhappy. How could she, in a just world, have suffered so much, but missed the opportunity for just a moment in bliss like Olga.

Helga would ponder these things in solitude while observing the fields behind her estate from her bedroom on the top floor. Through the large window she would watch the colorful wildflowers agitated perpetually by the floundering of Olga's maniacal dancing. The faint singing permeated the glass, shrill in its slight but persistent tonal error: "AAaaaghaAAAA...veyMaRRRIIIIAAAAAA."

With daises in her hair, Olga would spin, arms wide bellowing the arias in between bouts of insane laughter. She would roll down hills, splash in the court fountain, and flirt with the estate's silly-looking disheveled gardener, Raul.

Over the years Helga spent an ever increasing amount of time at the window. Olga was consistent, and did not miss one opportunity to frolic.

Sometimes Olga fell and splashed into a puddle. At these moments Helga was embarrassed to discover the faintest smile creep up the side of her face, but not far. Picking herself up Olga would carefully brush the chunks of sod off of her dress, and continue acting like a lunatic.

Helga realized that no matter how much she studied or toiled she would never be happy. She longed for the simple life of her childhood...to be Olga for just a few moments. She decided she could never enjoy a moment of happiness so long as Olga was gaily trouncing behind the estate.

She decided she must do something about it or suffer a destitute life of self-hatred. She became obsessed.

Her experience drove her to treat the situation as the effective businesswoman she had become...with cold, pragmatic efficiency. The situation would be dealt with carefully, covertly, and relentlessly. Her worth to the community was too great. They needed her so desperately, and she simply could not perform her solemn civil duties while racked with this incessant envy. Oh, no one would understand...none in town could relate to her, high in that mansion. She knew she was desperately alone, and that frightened her to obsession. She became determined...

Helga, having decided her plan, became the executive. It was a brutally systematic procedure and could not be trusted with anyone else. The small part of her not completely focused on the task became delighted. She was acting in the disciplined manner she had perfected over all these years. It was the opportunity to employ the skills she had so arduously honed.

She acquired several active land mines from a military contractor she had worked with previously. She agreed to pay him $10,000 dollars a year for the rest of his life in exchange for his silence.

Late the next evening she buried the mines among the wildflowers.

For the next several days Helga spent the duration of her mornings and afternoons peering over the fields behind her estate. Olga danced and frolicked as she always did. As she approached one of the mines Helga would clench her fists and close her eyes. Miraculously, Olga somehow managed to miss each mine Helga had placed.

Days turned to weeks, and the skipping and singing continued: "AAaaaghaAAAA...veyMaRRRIIIIAAAAAA." Helga watched from her bedroom constantly, and became destitute, abandoning all of her usual activities to the astonishment of the community, which had grown to depend on her. She was determined to see the achievement of her secret plan. She had never started anything she hadn't finished, and had become accustomed to success. This plan would not end in failure, and she would watch the moment of success. She had carefully placed every mine in a position visible from her window.

Weeks turned to months and Helga grew increasingly dedicated. Her plan became a compulsion. She considered purchasing more mines, but decided the cost was too much. Instead she instructed Raul to build a vineyard among the fields. After all, every estate needs its own brand of wine. She drew the plans and told Raul to build the rows in precise accordance to her specifications. The vineyard was arranged to direct Helga in the direction of the mines.

As Raul pounded the posts and planted the grapes, Olga continued to somehow evade the mines. Every time she danced past Raul, she would stop to give him a kiss. On the few occasions she was headed in the direction of one of the mines, the distraction of Raul pulled her off course and away from it. The vineyard brought Olga to closer to the mines, but still not close enough.

Helga was infuriated. Her plan was failing. After the vineyard was built, Olga continued to somehow evade them. So, Helga consulted Raul again. This time she asked him to build a special gazebo around one of the mines. She covered the mine with a bucket and told Raul to under no circumstances touch or disturb the bucket. The plans for the gazebo also demanded that the floor was simply the existing earth. Raul, accustomed to taking strict orders, built the gazebo as planned.

After the gazebo was finished Helga carefully removed the bucket and ordered Raul to never enter the gazebo ever again. Olga, being the curious type, would certainly enter the gazebo, and her plan would succeed.

The next morning Helga awoke to the same singing and approached the window to watch the culmination of her plan. She watched Olga dance around the gazebo and then enter it. Yes, it was working, she thought. Several minutes passed...nothing. She looked closely and saw Olga's bare leg appear from the door of the gazebo. Next, to her horror, she saw Raul slowly approach. Olga popped her head out and invited him in, then disappeared. He stood for several moments and looked back at the mansion. Slowly he approached and walked through the door.

Seeing this, Helga rushed out of her room and down the stairs. She broke through the back gate.

"Raul!" she hollered, as she would when she needed him for something.

Knowing that the gazebo was forbidden, Raul hid inside and hoped he could evade Helga until she was far enough away so he could sneak out.

Distressed, Olga walked out of the gazebo and approached Helga.

"Hi Olga, have you seen Raul? I need to speak with him."

Before Olga could answer, a violent shock wave blew them to the ground. Splinters of wood rained down on top of them.

After a few seconds Olga screamed and ran back to where the gazebo once stood. She looked down and saw what remained of Raul, most of him scattered about.

She sobbed and held him. He tried to say something, but could only offer blood which fell over Olga's dress. Tears dropped against his cheek as she stroked his hair. He took his last breath moments later.

As the police sirens approached from the distance Helga disappeared silently into the vineyard.

Olga watched the remains of Raul disappear in the caravan of vehicles. Concerned for Helga, Olga walked around the field calling for her, but could not find her.

She entered the house and walked up to Helga's room, continuously calling her name. She approached the large window that overlooked the vineyard. She looked across the estate and finally saw her off in the distance.

To her dismay, she was dancing, frolicking as she would among the wildflowers, bellowing at the top of her lungs. She held her hands out and spun around in the fresh air.

Olga, still covered in blood, watched in horror. She couldn't imagine how Helga could dance at a time like this. She watched with silent curiosity and bewilderment. Helga fell, brushed herself off, and then continued skipping and dancing with greater speed and lunacy.

Suddenly, Olga watched her beloved cousin's body fall on the ground and explode into a thousand tiny pieces.

Olga never danced among the wildflowers again.