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Simon tilted his straw hat a little further down in front of his face, trying to block out the harsh rays of the sun. As much as he loved the feeling of the sun on his skin, hence his sleeveless shirt and shorts, the sight of it in his eyes was terrible and he'd rather be able to see what he was doing.
Pleased with the new adjustment, he reached down to grab his spade and dug it slightly into the dirt, working on removing the weed that was threatening to kill a beloved plant. He hated weeding, knowing that they were only trying to survive, but they were constantly killing the plants he had worked so hard to raise. The weed slipped out of the dirt, roots sticking up from the bottom and caked with rich soil. Simon shook as much of the soil back into the flowerbed as he could before placing the weed into a nearby bucket.
He smiled to himself as he pat the dirt back into place. There would be so much dirt caked under his nails after this, but it was always worth it if it meant that he could continue caring for his precious plants.
This particular little garden was more of a gift to himself than a necessity if he was honest. A little set of flowers for Simon to enjoy and admire without the plants themselves doing much work other than thriving. He got nothing from this garden other than enjoyment and peace. And yet, it was one of his most prized areas he had the privilege of taking care of.
He had vegetable gardens, herb planters, and a small grove of fruit trees that kept him and his neighbors supplied with delicious vegetables and fruits. But his flowers were his and something he could just enjoy. A small joy he had never had the privilege to enjoy before in his life.
A bumblebee buzzed nearby and Simon sat back on his knees, watching the little creature eagerly land on top of a flower. The bee buzzed as it gathered pollen, wiggling slightly as it burrowed further into the plant. Simon found himself content to just watch the tiny bug get its fill before it took to the air and buzzed off to a new plant in hopes of more pollen.
A nearby flower swayed slightly and Simon flicked his attention towards the plant before returning his sights to the happy bee. And then he whipped his head towards the disturbed flower as his brain processed just what had moved the flower seconds after he had turned away.
Standing there at the base of the flower stood what looked to be a tiny human. Their hands were perched on the stem of the flower as they leaned over and stared at Simon with wide, curious eyes.
The bumblebee was now all but forgotten as Simon shifted slightly to stare down at the small person. His eyes raked over their form, silently marveling at the fact that their clothes seemed to be made of soft leaves and old flower petals, all held together with a silk that Simon could only assume was from a spider.
At their side looked to be a sewing pin, one Simon recognized as one of the ones from his set of red tipped needles. Resourceful little guy then, using both nature and things left behind by humans.
Not to mention that the small creature looked exactly like a human. From standing on two legs to having five, dexterous finger to having a shaggy mop of hair on top of their head. They looked to be human in all but size.
Simon didn't dare to breathe a word, terrified of scaring off the tiny human creature. Who knows if an encounter like this would ever happen again? It's not every day that someone can say that they met a human the size of a finger. Are they human? Humans don't exactly come in the size of only a few inches. Even babies typically come into the world a little over a foot.
The tiny man took a hesitant step towards Simon, their wide eyes never leaving Simon's face. Simon glanced to his dirt caked hand for a moment before making a decision. Agonizingly slowly, he reached his hand towards the small person. They immediately froze and their gaze locked onto the incoming limb.
The gardener froze as well, trying to read their expression. They stared back up at him for a moment before letting their eyes slowly trail back down to the larger than life hand. The small person took a small step towards the hand before pausing once more, their own tiny hands grasping at a strap on their shirt.
Simon took this as a hesitant invitation, moving his hand towards the little person again. They flinched as it approached and Simon took a moment to pause, offering them a small smile to hopefully reassure them. Those big, blue eyes flickered up to him for a moment before they finally closed the gap between them and Simon's calloused hand.
The gardener gasped as a minuscule hand placed itself upon his pointer finger. Almost immediately, Simon could read the amazement off of their face. The tiny person brought their other hand towards the finger and Simon had to put every ounce of willpower into himself in order to not twitch and scare them off at the feeling.
It didn't take long for those wandering hands to turn into the small being hoisting themself up into his hand. Simon couldn't stop the surprised gasp that left him as the man scooted across his hand, his own hands running curiously against his skin. They seemed to be enamored as they explored his hand.
He swallowed, nerves suddenly rushing through his body. They seemed so content to just explore him now, it was nerveracking. At the same time though, a sense of pride welled in his chest. They had to know that someone at Simon's size could easily take advantage of this size difference and overpower them with ease. But instead, they decided that Simon wouldn't hurt them and put their life into a strangers hands… well, hand.
Instinctively, his fingers curled up slightly around the small life. When the only response was a curious glance, Simon lifted his hand away from the ground until he was eye level with them. Once he stopped moving, they scrambled to their feet and wobbled towards the small wall Simon's fingers were creating. Their tiny hands perched on top of his fingertips and they tried to lift themselves up to peer over the wall, gazing down in awe at the plants below them.
And then they turned to face Simon, expression still one of awe. Simon stared back with eyes that were just as wide and the two of them just took in the other. From this distance, Simon could make out their bright blue eyes and the patches of dirt smeared on their own hands and face. He could even see the patchwork sewing of their makeshift clothes and while it didn't look terribly neat, it was still well done and sturdy.
He wondered what they thought of him, with his scarred face and milky eye and lack of an entire arm. Because they sure didn't look scared. How could this tiny creature be so trusting of someone as big and scary as himself? Perhaps it was a blessing in disguise that they didn't know or see him as a monster.
This whole thing was overwhelming in the best way possible. He was holding a precious life in his hand! He's held fireflies in his palm and let spiders climb over his fingers but this felt like so much more. There was just something in their eyes that screamed at him that they were so much more than a little insect. It was so real that he didn't know what to do about it.
Simon lowered his hand back down to the flowerbed and uncurled his fingers as he reached the dirt. He tilted his hand slightly and watched as they slid down, landing on their feet with a small stumble. They were quick to turn and face him, staring at him for another couple seconds. Then, they beamed up at him with the brightest smile Simon has ever had the privilege of witnessing before turning towards the flowers and disappearing amongst the flora.
The gardener just stayed kneeling in the dirt, staring out at the flowers where the tiny person disappeared into. He had so many questions and yet he felt so light. A bumblebee buzzed nearby, flying off to a nearby tree and Simon only idly wondered if it was the same one from earlier.
He stood up with a huff and gently wiped the dirt off of his hands onto his shorts. He gave one more glance to the flowerbed before turning away to go inside, a small smile on his face as he went to go make himself a hot cup of tea.