Tenctacle Plant Lover: Sin (special preview)

You often take a quick short cut to get to the back of the theatre. It cuts between fences and down a strange little alleyway, but it saves you time and you don’t have to fumble through your keys looking for the right one to get into the side gate. 

Sometimes, coming home that way, you see interesting things. Especially since lately you’ve been leaving the theatre late. Ever since recasting the lead as a result of a stream of untasteful social media posts, the production has gone into overtime every night to prepare the new cast member in the time left before opening. You don’t mind it at all though, you love your job and working with live theatre. The long days also help you avoid dealing with your mother whining over you not getting married yet. After your sister got married, it seems all she has time for is bemoaning how her eldest child isn’t settled. 

Anyways, the strange little alley you take often has a lot of interesting surprises during the evenings. Such as the little old lady who sits on her terrace every night peeling potatoes. The potatoes skins fall down on the ground from above and she hums a tune you’ve never heard before. There’s often a lot of cats in the ally, as well as some kids who are trying hangout in peace. 

One evening, as you’re heading home, you’re coming to the old lady’s terrace when a pot comes crashing down from above. You yelp and clutch your nonexistent pearls. Looking up, you see a bright orange tabby on the railing and then the little old lady leans over.

“Sorry he scared you, sweetie. Are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” you call up to her. You stoop down, gathering up the plant from the shattered pot. “But your poor plant!”

The old lady scoffs while the tabby purrs. “Envy here has never cared for that one. I can’t tell you how many times he’s tried to do away with it. Do you like plants?”

The plant appears to be a succulent, but it looks rather in ill shape. Some of the leaves are soggy and browning, drooping possibly from the fall, but more than likely, stressed and unattended to from all of Envy’s attacks.

“I do,” you glance back up at the woman. “I have a small garden in my kitchen.”

The woman smiles and waves her hand. “Then why don’t you take it? It could use a nice home, and you look pretty enough to make any plant happy.”

You scoop the plant into your palms, trying to make sure the roots are okay. “Thank you! I actually have an extra pot that would be perfect for it.” You’ve never seen a plant like it before though, succulent or not, the leaves look strange, almost alien. “Can you tell me what it is?”

“It’s a plant!” She says cheerfully.

Rather than pushing the subject you wave up at her. “Thanks again, I’ll take good care of it, I promise.”

You head on home with your new roommate, taking it to the kitchen where your other plants are waiting. You have a thing for saving the neglected plants in the garden centers of department stores, getting them the attention and love they need, which has resulted as a lush green landscape in your kitchen. 

You get your newest addition potted and trim away the injured or dying leaves. The way this plant grows it reminds you of aloe, but the leaves are much more jagged, taking on a star shape that stacks upon itself, giving it a spiky christmas tree look. 

“We’ll get you back to snuff in no time,” you say tenderly to the plant. You then take from the fridge the rice starch water you use to water your plants. You get the dirt moist around the plant then set it where it will get good sun the next day.

“Let’s see,” you murmur as you gaze at the new plant. “What should I name you?” Each of your plants had special names, something that reminded you of the day you got them. The cat’s name was Envy, which was also a character in the book you were currently reading. “I know it’s not the cutest of names, but I think Sin suits you just fine. It sounds cute without context,” you chuckle.

The next morning you find that Sin’s soil is bone dry, as if you hadn’t watered it at all. You give Sin and extra helping of water, setting a plate under the pot just in case. Already though, Sin’s color looks brighter and the leaves are starting to look plump and healthy.

Coming home that evening, you also found the dirt was bone dry. Knowing you had watered it, even gave it a touch extra, you were a bit confused. Not knowing exactly what this plant was, you could possibly not know the proper care for it, much like the potato lady. You decide the best option is to put an automatic waterer in the pot with the plant, that way, it could have water when it needed it. But once again, overnight, the dirt is dry and the waterer was completely empty. 

The plant did look bigger though, and already, the leaves you had pruned were starting to grow out again. Whatever this plant was, it was some sort of super plant. So, before you went to work, you set the pot in a shallow bowl full of starch water, hoping that it will keep the dirt moist enough for the plant. You also take pictures, so on your way to work, you could stop by your favorite greenhouse to ask for advice.

“It looks like a tiger's tooth aloe, but also not like it at all,” the lady replies. “And you say the dirt is always dry no matter what you do?”

You nod and scratch your chin. “I’ve never seen a plant leave the dirt dry. I’m starting to wonder if I’m supposed to just have the roots suspended in water.” 

“What did the roots look like?”