Contributed by Charles Dean Walker
An ivory cube sat for all to see in this shack of a church.
The light of the sun shone the beautiful idol. Inscribed on the top right corner
was the name “Quär”, the God of simplicity. Popular among Nymirrians, such
as Bert’s family. Of whom were here this morning.
Sitting alone together with only his wife’s friend, to join them. Bird was a
troubled, loving woman. Fear grew in her of losing everything. Her husband made
their farm, in hopes of gaining their own wage. Rather than mooch off Bird’s
parents.
The chairs were pulpy wood. A mere sprinkling of various brown and grey hues.
How they still sat without breaking nobody could say. So, they believed it was
a miracle of Quär’s love. There was no carpeting to be spoken of, nor paint
on the walls.
Only four rows of chair sitting beside another in fours. Bert and Jackson were
in the furthest row, while Bird opted to sit alone in the front. This was for
quite some time, until her friend, Faraday, sat beside her. Faraday was a petite
woman, wearing her nicest formal church dress. The color of which was a soft
yellow on the eyes. Eyes were lightly grey, hair was strawberry blonde, of
medium length.
She sat with her arms crossed, showing her milky white skin. Her poster was
hunched slightly. While Bird was upright, with a blank stare at the Idol. Her
long black hair was straightened. She wore too, a formal church dress.
The color was a light purple. Her clothes held no folds.
Her arms let her hands to touch her knees, and her legs were placed straight
together. Faraday looked to Bird, seen the light tanned freckles on her right
cheek. “Good morning, Bird,” she said sweetly.
Bird ignored her friend. Faraday took no offense to this, knowing Bird as long
as she has; she knew this was a sign of troubled deep thought.
“Come on honey, talk to me. It’ll make you feel better,” Faraday
whispered in a loving tone. Bird still a stone in her chair, thought to herself.
“I know she’s right,” then she spoke quietly, so Bert wouldn’t hear.
“I’m having trouble with my life, everything is stressful lately,” her
tone was somber. Something out of ordinary to her usually cheerful can do
attitude. “Could you say more Bird? I promise I’m here for you,” Faraday
said.
Bird motioned to see her friend. “Yes, but not here,” Bird said.
“Okay,” Faraday agreed.
This was an aspect Bird liked about Faraday. Bert walked up to Bird and
Faraday, he wore a black formal dress shirt and pants.
In his big arms was a sleeping Jackson, who was wearing the same as his father.
Bert looked down to his wife. “Honey, if you choose to stay longer, then I’m
sorry to leave, but Jack has fallen asleep,” he said. “It’s okay, I’ll
be back home soon,” she said back emotionless. “I’m really sorry,” he
said before he walked away.
Bird knew he was remorseful, he always was with her. Still, even after all the
downward spirals, and the uplifting moments, this farm failing, was just a
spiral too far.
The farmland had the colors of death, along with the stench to compliment it.
Spoiled brownish yellowed corn stalks. Dry cracked soil, resembling an overdone
devil’s food cake. Where their land met with the dessert, was the only beauty
left here, though it only added to the problems. The drought was easing over to
Nymirria.
Bert had a change of clothing now that Jackson was put to bed. He wore warn
coveralls that were blackened with the cake of dust and dirt. His shirt was
checkered with light red and blue. He shoes were browned from walking on the
sand and soil. Sweat stains were visible around his neck and arm pits. The day
was particularly hot.
Bert held a corn stock in his left hand. Feeling the leaves. Dry and delicate
like ancient papyrus. “What am I going to do? I can’t just start over
again,” he thought desperately to himself. “Quär please help us, bring us
a miracle,” he prayed aloud.
He started north towards the white chipped fence. When he got there, he learned
on tiptoe to gaze at the sand. Beads of sweat streamed down his forehead. In his
view there was a tubular tremor in the orange ground. Then spontaneously there
was a small parting, that formed an indented hole.
Bert decided to haphazardly hop his fence. Falling flatly on his side. Slowly he
got up, pressing his left shoulder blade. “That was foolish of me,” he
thought to himself. Using the fence with his back, he lifted his heavy body with
his legs.
Once up his stretched his body, popping his back. Then he knelt close to the
hole. Moment after moment the hole while small in size, grew noticeably deeper.
Bert’s fat face was emotionless with shock. His eyes rarely closed, as to not
miss a moment.
Then there was a sudden stop. The tube of sand dissipated, giving off a light
coarse sound.
Bert rubbed his eyes finally. The sting of the dryness was heavy. He then
straightened his body back up.
While still glancing at the hole. Wondering why, as well as what just transpired
before him.
He decided after awhile that, perhaps he had imagined it all. So, he began to
walk away, opting this time, not to jump the fence. When suddenly the desert
ground shook, and a loud sound of coarse sand was audible to him again. He again
got close to the hole and knelt down to get a better look. Within seconds, he
saw the formation of a puppy’s head.
“By God,” he uttered aloud. He grabbed towards the dog. It’s tricolor
brown, black, and white fur, was perfectly visible to him now. His arms were
crossed to cradle the whimpering puppy. Without any thought, he picked himself
up, with his legs, and headed to the house.
Bird was close to home, after talking with her friend. Though she felt a bit
better about the world; she still wasn’t prepared for the rest of today. She
held a brown paper bag. Visibly could be seen were bagels. Her face was a false
smile.
The knob of the door made a clanking noise, while the push made the door creek.
“Wait!” said Bert. Confusing Bird, “What?” she yelled back. She
motioned her foot forward fast, hearing a yelp. Her heart jumped, her arms let
go of the bag, she stepped back.
She caught herself as she began to trip. “What the hell is going on?” she
exclaimed. A mix of fear, rage, and confusion blended within her. Her body felt
warm with the negative emotions coming to her all at once. “Oh God, I
should’ve payed more attention,” Bert thought to himself.
Bird, decided to listen to Bert, against her better judgments; knowing full well
she didn’t owe him this. She sat in the middle of the couch, with her back
straight and arms crossed. Awaiting Bert to finish cleaning up. The puppy now
laid in the middle of the living room. Jackson now awake, was with the beagle,
gently petting it, like mom said to do.
“Bagels,” Jackson said, while looking at mom. “No baby, puppy,” she
said back, with her fake smile. This helped keep Jack calm. “I’ll be out
there in a moment,” Bert said. He walked out to the living room. The look on
Bird’s face, and body language, said all he needed to know.
“Bird, I don’t know how to explain this. I should just say it straight. I
don’t know how, but there was a miracle,” he said. “What?” she said
in disbelief. Bert continued seeing she was unamused. “I was outside and saw
the sand move in a worm-like way, and in a hole the ground made, this puppy was
formed,” He said. Bird got up and grabbed Jack and Bagels and sent them to
Jackson’s room.
When she returned, she stood close in front of her husband. Her eyes pierced his,
Bert knew he’d done it now. “Are you insane?” she yelled in a whisper of
fury. Sweat beads were fully formed on his forehead. He stayed silent.
“Bert, everything, and I mean everything you’ve ever thought of, I have
supported you. Why must you always test me?” she said holding back tears.
Bert felt deep regret within him. “You can’t keep making these
decisions,” she said. Bert’s head pointed to the floor. “If you think
I’m going to accept anything you just spouted, you’ve definitely lost
yourself,” she said. Bert looked up back at her.
“I’ll prove this. Come on,” he said. Bert got Jack and Bagels. He gave
Bird Bagels without words. Bagels kissed Bird, as Bert took Jackson outside.
“Come on,” Bert called in desperation.
Back at the hole, it was silent and hotter than earlier. Jackson would’ve
complained, but Bagels kept him occupied. Bird was unamused by Bert, more than
she’d ever thought possible. However, she also felt sympathy for her foolish
husband in this moment of desperation. She thought maybe he’d been in this sun
too long, and perhaps he wasn’t functioning because of the heat.
“Come on, damn you!” Bert uttered under his breath. “What if I’m
supposed to do something first? A prayer?” he thought without hesitation.
“Quär please make this miracle happen again,” He said aloud, with a tear
running down his face. Bird walked closer to her husband. Placing his left hand
on his right shoulder.
She could see the tearful frustration on him. “Look, Bert, we could just keep
the dog. For awhile at least. Just stop, before Jackson notices you,” she
said. He was silent again, for a moment thinking. “Wait, what if I say we
keep him?” he thought as a final plan. “I say we just keep him,” Bert
said.
“Fine, Bert, just please, stop this,” she said. Then came the miracle. The
ground rumbled, with more sand tubes forming like veins of a heart. Bert was on
his feet, with a joyful expression on his face. Bird was in shock, as Jackson
and Bagels stayed together to be brave.
Bagels however, whimpered. Puppy upon puppy came from the hole in the ground. A
variety of fur combinations, resulting in a litter of twenty. “I told
you,” Bert said with a smile. Bird stayed silent.
Months past, Bert got the news around town about a litter of puppies. He didn’t
fully explain how he got them, which was waved off as another scheme to gain
money. As he gained money, he then asked Bird’s friend to get the news out to
Spark and Colled. Which in turn brought more customers, as well as more dogs. He
used some of his funds to pay contractors from Spark.
Resulting in a giant barn to house the hundreds of dogs.
Soon some of town adopted an idea to make their shops giant doghouses, this
brought in more visitors. As well as questions. None of these shops minded the
questioning, it was all part of their plan. Every town has its schtick, this
would be there’s. “So, what do you think?” Bert asked.
“I think that’s all crazy to be honest, but I loved it,” Marilyn said.
Nathan was quiet, he’d heard it all before, and still thought Bert was crazy.
Still, Nathan agreed with Marilyn, he too loved the story. “Bird should be
home any minute now,” Bert said. “Awesome, I can’t wait to meet her!”
Marilyn said with a smile.
