Ama beamed at being called "Miss", an inaccurate but well-meaning title that she found ever so endearing. Billie was a polite young thing indeed. "Well as long as I'm calling you Billie, you may as well call me Ama while it's just us", she invited her brightly. For these days Ama was not one to abide by rigid societal rules.

And speaking of which...

"Marvelous!" she replied when the presence of a paintbrush was duly announced. "Off we trot to the garden, then." Yes, they wouldn't be entering the house at all — Ama led them round the back through a tall, narrow gate, and into a spacious garden filled with wildflowers, saplings, soaring sunflowers, funny stone statues; and through it all a meandering cobbled pathway. Here and there, spectacularly vibrant birds chirruped from the treetops.

She gestured towards the long, brand new wooden fence at the back that separated her garden from the neighbour's. "I was intending to paint this all on my own, but... my back isn't what it's used to be", Ama admitted with a twinkle. "Bending down is a bother. So I thought I could paint the top bits and you could do the rest."