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.
Simon looked up and closed his book for a moment. He took out his trusty pocket watch and checked the time. He then looked up at Gladys. “Well, Mother,” he started, “the summer is over. Things will now be changing. As a matter of fact, they’ll be a little easier now. The garden will start to sleep once more. I can cut the watering down to once a week. That saves more of the precious formula. I think I’ll water it for the week tomorrow.”
Merydith and Tobey looked up at one another and smiled.
“Well, that will be nice for a while,” Gladys said.
“Yep,” Simon
“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.
Simon looked up and closed his book for a moment. He took out his trusty pocket watch and checked the time. He then looked up at Gladys. “Well, Mother,” he started, “the summer is over. Things will now be changing. As a matter of fact, they’ll be a little easier now. The garden will start to sleep once more. I can cut the watering down to once a week. That saves more of the precious formula. I think I’ll water it for the week tomorrow.”
Merydith and Tobey looked up at one another and smiled.
“Well, that will be nice for a while,” Gladys said.
“Yep,” Simon
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