Sometime in February 2010

Carol: Honey, I was thinking about the labyrinth we built last year behind the store.

Derek (feeling his shoulders tense at the words “I was thinking”) Hummm what were you er..thinking?

Carol: Well you know how we just let the grass grow longer to form the outline of it and we had to mow the grass in circles to keep the grass in the path shorter…

Derek: yes, I remember

Carol: Well…that must have seemed like a lot of work for you, don’t you think?

Derek (feeling set up but not knowing where this was going) It took a while to cut the grass, but.. but I didn’t mind.

Carol: I think there’s an easier way to do it this summer.

Derek (chills running up and down his spine) There is? How, I mean I really didn’t mind going in circles cutting the lawn.

Carol: Even though it was an electric mower?

Derek: No, I just took my time and moved the cord when I needed to.

Carol: but you must have found that frustrating

Derek: Well yes (looks at Carol and sees the predatory gleam in her eyes) I mean NO, not at all.

Carol: I have an idea that will make cutting the grass much easier for you.

Derek: We don’t build the labyrinth this year?

Carol: Oh no, we build it but we make it more permanent

Derek: (worried now) Permanent. How? (and what hell is she going to put him through this time?)

Carol: Stop looking like a cornered animal. This is a great idea.

Derek: (resigned at last, because he knows he can’t stop this moving train) What do you have in mind?

Carol smiles: You know the bricks from Stephen’s chimney that are stacked in his backyard?

Derek: Yeah (cold dread clenching his bowels)

Carol: What’s he going to do with them?

Derek: (Frantically searching his mind for some sort of reason why they couldn’t use the bricks because he now knows what his near future is going to be like) Ummmm, I’m not sure, maybe he needs them for something else.

Carol: Find out. If he wants to get rid of them, tell him we’ll be glad to take them off his hands.

Derek: What??! How!?!...How are we going to transport them across town to the store?

Carol: Last time I looked, the car has a trunk. (sweet smile with a wink thrown in)

Derek: (Agast) Do you know how many trips it would take to move that many bricks???

Carol: If we start now, we should be done by the time we’re ready to put them in the ground?

Derek (makes odd squawking noise) In the…What do you mean in the ground???

Carol: Well, when we outline the labyrinth, we can’t leave them on top of the ground in case someone trips over them. They have to be put in at ground level. That way, we can just mow the grass over them. It’ll be so much easier for us.

Derek: (Speechless, frantically searching his mind for a way out.) Do you think our landlord would agree to this?

Carol: Already asked him. He thinks it’s a great idea.

Derek: Bu Bu Bu But do you realize how much work this is going to be???!!!

Carol: Probably a full day. Maybe two. Once we get going, it’s going to be a piece of cake.

Derek: That’s a lot of bricks we’re talking about. When will we find the time to do this?

Carol: A couple of weekends should do it. (then in a sweet, understanding soft voice) Honeyyy, we don’t have to do this if you don’t want to. I’m just thinking of you and all the grass you’ll have to cut in the summer. And if it doesn’t rain much, all the watering we’ll have to do to keep the outline of the labyrinth green and lush.

Derek: I don’t know…

Carol: Just think about it. Sure it’s going to be hard work for a couple of days, but when it’s done it will be easy sailing all summer.

Derek: I guess I can check with Stephen about these bricks…

Carol: You’ll see, we’ll have fun doing this. A couple days in the sunshine, Think of the accomplishment we’ll feel when we’re done.

What was left unsaid by Carol was: By we I mean you.


The labyrinth was built, it took 36 hours. Digging the holes for the bricks turned out to be more difficult than anticipated due to large rocks and tree roots. However, Derek agrees that his share of 30 hours was really worthwhile.

Special thanks to Corinne Sparks for her help in getting the labyrinth started.