Late Morning in the Garden- 適合中級的英語短篇故事

Late Saturday morning, Mira stepped into the community garden with a wicker basket. She has waited all week to gather strawberries for her cousin’s birthday dessert. Rows of lettuce shone after last night's rain, and soft soil cushioned her boots. Earlier in spring, she has been planting herbs beside the wooden fence. Now those herbs released a delicious smell each time a breeze crossed the leaves. A narrow path winding behind the greenhouse reached the berry beds at its end. Sunlight flickered on red fruit that peeked from low leaves.

She bent to pick the first berry, but a wheelbarrow blocked her reach. The wheelbarrow had been left across the row by someone who was weeding. Grey clouds gathered overhead while she shifted the heavy bar and drizzle began. Raindrops spotted her sleeves, and little splashes darkened the soil around the plants. Mira ducked under the wide greenhouse eave until the rain softened. A timid squirrel hurried past her shoes, carrying a half-eaten nut toward the compost pile. Mira's eyes widened; she crouched there instead, protected from rain and closer to the fruit. Within minutes, her basket filled with large, delicious berries that the drizzle had cooled. The clouds drifted south; sunlight returned, and droplets shivered on every green blade. She wiped her damp hands on her jeans, then lifted the heavy basket and smiled. Light stayed on the leaves while Mira walked toward the exit, berries bumping softly inside.

星期六的較晚早晨，米拉提著柳條籃走進社區花園。她整週都在等待這一刻，要為表妹生日甜點採草莓。昨夜雨後，萵苣排排發亮，鬆軟的泥土撐住她的靴子。春天早些時候，她曾在木籬笆旁種下香草。此刻，每當微風掠過，香草就散出可口的氣味。溫室後繞行的小徑延伸到最後，才將莓果畦呈現在她眼前。陽光閃爍，紅色果實從低矮葉片間探頭。

她彎身要摘第一顆莓果，卻被一輛手推車擋住。那輛車被除草的人橫放在畦道上。當她挪動沉重車架時，灰雲聚集頭頂，細雨開始落下。雨點灑在袖子上，小水花把植株周圍的土壤染深。米拉躲到溫室寬闊的簷下，等雨勢轉小。一隻羞怯的松鼠叼著半顆果仁，從她鞋前跑向堆肥區。米拉睜大眼睛，乾脆就在那裡蹲下，雨遮住了她，莓果就在近處。不消幾分鐘，涼爽雨水洗過的大顆甜莓填滿了籃子。雲層向南散開，陽光回來，水珠在每片綠葉上顫動。她把濕手在牛仔褲上抹乾，提起沉甸甸的籃子微笑。當米拉朝出口走去，陽光停留在葉面，莓果在籃中輕輕碰撞。