Mrs. Johnson, in an attempt to ease her anxious mind, took the watering can to tend to the garden. By autumn most flowers had wilted except for the vibrant chrysanthemums, which hardly needed watering. Nevertheless, she absentmindedly doused a single chrysanthemum with the entire contents of the can.
The splashing droplets soaked her shoes—she hadn't noticed at first, but now the cold water seeping through gave her a slight chill.
She returned to the house, lost in thought, and changed into slippers, then turned on the television for a while. A movie was on, with the heroine being kidnapped and the hero going through hell and high water to find her, only to end up too late...
Mrs. Johnson watched, her heart pounding with fear, and the scenario struck too close to home, prompting her to hurriedly turn it off.
Restless, she barely made it to lunchtime. Eating alone, she remembered Amanda Smith, whom Samuel had confined upstairs, and quickly sent someone to bring her some food.