Let's Play in the Garden (10 page)

Merydith’s three closest friends since grade school waved to her. They were loyal to the end. No matter what other kids thought, no matter what the parents thought, they had always stuck by her.

The blonde was Roxanne Periton. She was the prettiest out of the three, and the -vainest. Then there was Carol Dackson, a dark-haired girl that never talked very much and was always rather shy. Her only friends were the ones she was standing with.

Then there was Sally Zanell, a tomboy from the sixth grade on. She was one tough girl. No one messed with her. She bragged about how she could beat up every boy on her street and was trying to set a new record…every boy in town.

Merydith’s eyes widened and she smiled as she turned and ran to the company of her friends. “I’m sure glad to see you guys,” she said, catching her breath. “How have you all been? I haven’t seen or spoken to any of you since the beginning of summer.”

“I’ve been just great,” Roxanne spoke first. “You know, Merydith, you would see more of us if you at least tried to stay in contact with the outside world during the summer.”

“Roxanne, I’m sorry, but you know that isn’t possible. My grandfather has very strict rules. We can’t leave the yard during the summer, and none of my friends are ever allowed over. I wish things were different, but I have to obey his rules. We can’t even go into town without the company of an adult.” Merydith’s explanation made less sense to her than it did her friends. Hearing her own words made her doubt her life even more.

“Well, it’s just that you miss out on so much during the summer,” Sally began. “This summer the three of us went to two carnivals, watched the Fourth of July fireworks, saw six movies, went to a water park, were invited to four cookouts, and just plain had lots of fun. You always miss out.”

“I know but things haven’t changed. Don’t worry, though, I plan on making them change real soon. I really envy you guys. You get to do almost anything you want.”

“That’s not true, Mery,” said Carol. “We can’t go out on school nights, and that isn’t much fun at all. Our parents have rules, too, so don’t feel so bad.”

As the four of them stood and giggled and talked about what they did since they were last together, the school bell rang loud and clear. High school had officially started.

“Oh, I’m so nervous,” Carol said, her hands shaking. “I’ve changed my mind. I don’t want to go to high school.”

“Oh, don’t worry, Carol,” Merydith reassured her. “We’re all going to the same place and we’re together. You’re not the only one who’s nervous. Everything will be fine.”

They then turned and a huge crowd of kids began forcing their way back into a world of hard work, homework, and friends.

###

Tobey began his second period in school. The day so far had been going very well. The next class was physical education, his favorite. The small locker room echoed with laughter and calls. All the boys enjoyed gym class. Tobey carried his books and clothes to his new locker and began to change. He noticed some familiar faces appearing beside him.

“Hey, David, Mack, Phil, Grant, how are you guys? Hey, long time no see, huh, guys?”

“Hey, Tobey, my man, what’s up?” said David Scottman. The five boys then gave each other some high fives and resumed their activities.

Tobey had always fit in with his classmates a little better than Merydith had. It was their ages. They really hadn’t noticed anything strange about Tobey, yet. For what really mattered besides trying to have fun every chance you got? The boys didn’t listen to grown-ups and couldn’t care less about what went on in the town. They did question Tobey about his family’s strict rules, but his explanation kept them happy, at least for now.

David Scottman was the leader of the group. Whatever he did, they all did. They listened to him as if he had a wisdom no one else had. Someday he would end up in politics. He would make a good public speaker.

Mack Periton was Roxanne’s younger brother, although not quite as vain.

Phillip Chadwick was a transfer student from another school—the school he’d attended didn’t quite have the curriculum his parents desired for him. So now he was here in Willington…of all places. He fit in well with the group.

At last, there was Grant Farrel. He was not as strong or athletic as they other boys, but they liked him anyway. In fact, it was rumored he’d been beat up by Sally Zanell.

“This is awesome,” Tobey said. “We have the same gym class.”

“It’s about time,” David answered. “We’ve been trying to get into the same gym class for two years now.”

“Well, now we are, so let’s stop talking and get changed before Miss Kexler has a fit!” said Grant, his fear of getting punished showing through again.

“Calm down, Grant. Miss Kexler is out on the gym floor. She can’t see or hear us, now cool it,” Mack said in a tough-guy voice. He was always trying to be the coolest guy in the group.

They separated and started yanking the shirts off their backs, changing into the school uniform of green and white that was supplied to them by the school. Everyone locked their uniforms in their lockers day after day. They were supposed to take them home and wash them but no one ever did.

As Tobey removed his shirt, he noticed something different, something odd about him and the other boys. He watched as they removed their shirts, and he stared with a puzzled look on his face. In the center of the other boys’ stomachs was a small hole, their belly buttons. Tobey looked down at his own stomach and noticed he didn’t have one.

He had never noticed that before, never paid much attention. They had taken gym more than a hundred times together and today he noticed the difference that had been there all along.

Tobey stared at his stomach.
Why am I different? Why don’t I have one
?
Is something wrong with me? I’m scared. I have to ask Merydith later. For now, I can’t let the other boys know. They would think I was a freak!

Tobey immediately put his uniform shirt on. He hid his stomach and would try to hide it from the others from now on. The annoying gym bell sounded, and with a howl the boys trotted off to gym in a crowd of rambunctious students. Tobey stood behind for a moment, his hand still over his stomach.

“C’mon, Tobey, you’ll be late,” Phillip called to him.

“I’ll be right there,” Tobey answered. For the first time Tobey knew that there was something strange about himself and his life. Would Merydith know the answer? He couldn’t wait to see her again.

###

The day seemed to go by fast and it was already the end of school. Merydith slammed her locker shut, carrying the three heavy books she had to take home to cover and do homework from. “Goodbye, Merydith. I’ll see you tomorrow,” Mrs. McCormick said, standing in the doorway of Merydith’s homeroom.

“Oh, goodbye, Mrs. McCormick, it was nice meeting you. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Such a nice teacher. I’m glad I have her as a homeroom teacher and not some old witch. I really lucked out. I really like her.

Mrs. Jean McCormick was a new teacher this year. She used to teach way out North and then moved here, where she took a new teaching job. She taught math and was Merydith’s math teacher as well as her homeroom teacher. She seemed to have taken a shine to Merydith and they would probably be good friends before the year was out.

Merydith hurried down the hall and out the doors. She did not want to make Grandfather mad, and he was probably waiting for her.

“See you tomorrow, Mery!” Roxanne called as she got inside her mother’s car with her brother, Mack.

“Goodbye, Roxanne, sure I’ll see you tomorrow!” Merydith nodded her head to her instead of waving, her books making it impossible to use her hands.

There was a green pickup waiting patiently at the end of the school parking lot. Tobey was already inside, his gaze down inside the truck and not out the window as it usually was.

“Hello, Merydith, and how was the first day of high school?” Simon asked.

“Oh, it was just fine. I really like high school. I think it’s going to be a lot of fun.”

“That’s good,” Simon answered, disinterested as he turned the truck around and started out of the lot.

“And how was your day, Tobey?” Merydith asked, sensing that something was troubling her brother.

“Just fine, same as usual,” he replied, his gaze still upon the floor, his tone of voice not exactly the way it should be. Merydith wondered if Tobey was finally feeling the effects of the loss of their younger brother.

It was strange the whole day. Despite their conversations with their friends, telling them what happened since last they’d met, not once did either of them mention Aaron. The most tragic event of their lives was, for some reason, kept a secret. Just like the secrets the adults kept from them. In fact, no one probably even knew Merydith and Tobey had had a younger brother, and now no one ever would.

After a multitude of inquisitive questions from Marion and Gladys, the children finally settled in and began to work on their homework. There wasn’t that much for the first day, but any homework at all was first priority. The adults saw to that. Nothing else was done until the schoolwork was finished.

Dinner came and went and dusk started setting in. Merydith sat in her room, on top of her soft bed, finishing her homework. The covers to her bed were so soft it was like sitting on a cloud. She was on her last assignment when she heard the creaking of her bedroom door. She looked up and watched as Tobey crept quietly into her room.

“Merydith, can I talk to you?”

“Of course, Tobey. I knew something was bothering you today. What’s wrong? Did something bad happen in school today?”

Tobey joined Merydith on her bed as she gently put her arm around him. He seemed very troubled.

“It wasn’t school, Merydith. It’s…me. I’ve found out something today. I noticed it at school. It’s very weird.”

“What is it? I’m sure everything will be all right. Just tell me.”

“Well, I was taking gym class today, and you know how we have to put on uniforms, right?”

“Right,” she answered with some concern. She watched as Tobey’s grip began to tighten on her bed covers.

“I took off my shirt and noticed something different about me. On the other boys’ stomachs they have holes in the center. But I don’t. That makes me different, and strange. I don’t want to be strange!”

“Tobey, calm down. You are not strange, and there’s nothing wrong with you. Just because you don’t have a hole in your stomach doesn’t make you weird.”

“Well, how do you explain it?”

“I can’t.”

“Well, do you have a hole in your stomach?”

“I don’t remember. I’ve never really checked. I’ll check now, okay?” Merydith got off the bed and rolled her shirt up just a little to see her stomach.

She could find no belly button. There was no hole in her stomach, either. “I don’t…I don’t have one either. Now, I know that the other girls have them because sometimes they wear those cutoff shirts. And I know Grandma and Grandpa have them because sometimes Grandpa takes off his shirt when it’s really hot and I’ve seen Grandma’s clothes slip up accidentally when she stretches. I know they have them. Why don’t we? I wonder about mother, I wonder if she—”

“Well, I don’t know what it is, but everyone seems to have one except us,” said Tobey, growing angrier with each passing moment.

“Look, Tobey, there’s a lot we don’t know about ourselves, about Mom and our grandparents…about the garden and what happened to poor little Aaron.”

“Merydith, why are things this way? What’s happening here and what don’t we know?”

“I don’t know, Tobey, I’ve been trying to figure things out. Don’t you find it strange that the garden was all locked up after Aaron disappeared? Don’t you find it strange that we never saw our Daddy, or ever knew who he was? Why didn’t Mother ever get big in the stomach with you or Aaron like women are supposed to? Why do we get sick every fall and winter? Why aren’t we allowed in the workshop?”

“Gee, I never thought about all that stuff. I just went out and played every day like I always do. I never thought about Daddy…Daddy has never been here. Merydith, what do we do now?”

“Listen, Tobey, don’t get scared. We’ve got to stick together. Don’t let on about any of this. Just act like you do all the time. But you’ve got to help me. First of all, we have to get into that garden. It holds the answers to everything, and I know, I just know, we can find Aaron if we can get back in. You do want to find out what happened to him, right?”

“Yes, Mery, I do!”

“Okay, next try to listen in on whatever the grown-ups say. They sometimes talk about the secrets when they think we’re not around. Try to hear everything they say and tell me. Now, the first thing I want to do is get some of Grandpa Simon’s secret formula next time he waters the garden. Tobey, you distract him. That way I can collect some and use it on my plants to find out what it is. Okay?”

“All right, Merydith, but this sounds scary. If Grandma and Grandpa find out what we’re up to we’ll get the beating of a lifetime.”

“Don’t worry. Just do as I say and we’ll be fine. This place is full of secrets, and it’s time we knew the truth. Now go and finish your homework before they find out you’re in here.”

He got up and walked slowly to the door. Upon opening it, he peered out carefully.

“Tobey?”

He turned and faced Merydith a last time. “Everything will be all right. I love you.

“I love you too, Mery.” He left the room, shutting the door quietly behind him.

As the night grew later and the work was all finished in the house, the family gathered in the TV room. Although the TV remained off, they all sat there and entertained themselves—Merydith sat and read a book as did Simon. They were actually alike in many ways. She shared a lot of his interests, and was probably getting as smart as he was. That was frightening to her.

Tobey sat and played with a ball and some jacks, catching them and then dropping them on the floor over and over again. Marion and Gladys sat side by side, knitting some sweaters for the winter. They shared the skein of wool and were beginning a strong, hefty sweater for Tobey. They had to keep their family warm through the winter.