Mother nudges Father awake and says, “Something is crying out there in the garden.”
“Jheez, Mother, what the hell time is it?”
“It’s three o’clock in the morning,” Mother says, “and Something is crying out there in the garden.”
“Now, Mother —”
Mother begins to sob.
Something sobs louder.
“I just can’t stand it any longer. Night and day Something is crying. My heart is breaking.”
Mother attempts to stifle her sobs.
Something does not.
“O. K.,” Father whispers. “Now stop crying, and follow me.”
He puts on his eyeglasses, slips on his slippers and throws on his robe.
Mother does the same.
Father stretches his arms, antennae-like, into the darkness in front of him.
As Something’s cries become louder, Mother quickly steps behind Father.
She puts her right hand on his right shoulder and her left hand on his left shoulder. Mother and Father silently march from the bedroom, through the foyer and into the kitchen to the backdoor.
In the backyard, Father reaches for the garden hose which he hands to Mother.
Father turns on the water faucet.
Mother directs the water on Something in the garden.
Father walks to mother’s side and places his arm about her shoulders.
Something stops crying.
Mother and Father smile at one another.
The night is peacefully quiet.
Mother and Father return to bed.
Father lies down.
Mother does the same.
Father places his hand on Mother’s right breast.
Mother lifts Father’s hand by the wrist and places it on Father’s chest.
Father shrugs and turns on his side.
Mother turns her back to Father’s back.
Father begins to snore.
So does Mother.
‘Is that Something I hear crying in the garden — again?” Mother asks, setting aside her teacup.
“No, it’s Nothing,” replies Father, as he peers over the newspaper.
“I’m sure it’s Something,” Mother says, as the cries become louder.
Father listens carefully.
Mother does the same.
“Well, I’ll be —” says Father, dropping the newspaper to the table.
“It’s Something and Nothing!” they say in unison.
Father takes Mother’s hand and leads her into the garden.
They water Something and Nothing, but the crying does not stop. The crying does, in fact, become louder and more hysterical as Something and Nothing are joined by the uncontrollable sobbing of Anyone and Anything, and Everyone and Everything.
All day Mother and Father try to satisfy the garden creatures, but by dark, the water supply is depleted and the maddening sobs continue.
Mother and Father are weary and at a loss as to what to do. Frustrated and exhausted, they turn from the garden, go into the house and collapse on the bed.
Father rests his hand on Mother’s right breast.
As Mother turns her back to Father, his hand slides from her breast and comes to rest on the quilt.
Father falls asleep.
Mother tosses and turns.
The mass hysteria in the garden continues.
Mother shakes Father awake and says, “There must be some way to stop the crying in the garden!”
“Jheez, Mother, what the hell time is it?”
“It’s three o’clock in the morning, Father, and they are still crying in the garden. I can’t stand it any longer. I’m exhausted. There must be a way. I can’t take it any longer.”
Mother begins to sob.
The creatures sob louder.
Father sits up in bed and whispers, “O. K. Now stop crying and follow me.”
Father gets out of bed, puts on his eyeglasses, slips on his slippers and throws on his robe.
Mother does the same. Mother follows Father into the garden.
As the cries reach a crescendo, Mother and Father cross the cobblestone path to the tool shed. Father opens the latch, flings open the door, and reaches inside.
Father hands the sickle to Mother and takes the machete for himself.
Mother and Father swing and swipe at Something. The cries and sobs turn into shrieks and groans.
Mother and Father thrash and slash at Anyone and Anything, and at Everyone and Everything, until Nothing is left. Father takes one last swat at Nothing and suddenly the garden is still.
Quiet.
At last.
Mother and Father return to bed.
Father lies down and Mother does the same.
Father places his hand on Mother’s right breast.
Mother turns to Father and sighs.
Feldman is a retired New York City High School English teacher. She has a master’s of fine arts in fiction writing from Brooklyn College. Feldman has been published in various venues, including U.S. 1 Summer Fiction issues and The Kelsey Review. An excerpt from her novella, “One God or Another,” was published in the anthology, “Two Worlds Walking: Short Stories, Essays & Poetry by Writers with Mixed Heritages,” edited by Diane Glancy and C. W. Truesdale (New Rivers Press). During the COVID Pandemic Feldman developed a blog as a creative writing outlet in which she recorded her dreams (arlron9.wixsite.com). Feldman lives in an active adult community in Monroe Township where she is an associate editor of her community newspaper.
