Each morning, she loiters in front of her shack, dirt-streaked skin and unwashed clothes, mumbling to herself about “someday” as she sips tea. Locals nicknamed her Dirty Della, whispering as they pass by, gawking at her like she’s a caged animal. No one would ever address her directly, always avoiding the elephant on the porch.
Intrigued by her possibilities, the men wonder how dirty she is. Disgusted by her, the women gossip about her trysts with strangers while hoping their husbands haven’t notched her bedpost.
Della ignores them, daydreaming on the porch she once shared with her husband. He abandoned her eight years ago. Bills piled up. Her most sought-after resource proved lucrative.
Brushing the dirt from her apron, she refocuses on tending to her flourishing garden, ensuring her latest fertilizer is buried deep. No one ever misses the strangers. Someday, when her husband returns, she’ll tend to him too.
This story was written for VisDare weekly photo prompt. To learn more, click here.
Chronic Nonsense 
Dirty Della’s got a dirty little secret 🙂
Yes she does.
Very interesting Lisa. I’m not sure I understand it. Candy
My writing is a little vague sometimes. I only have 150 words to fit it all in. I had to chop 50 extra words. Della is a prostitute and murderer who buries her men in the garden after rendering services. She’s angry at her husband for abandoning her and blames him for her circumstances. She hopes to kill him someday too.