“Of course, I didn’t, honey,” Amelia answered soothingly as she shook her head. As she drank in deep breaths, a moment of clarity came to her, “I highly doubt that anyone in this family sold you out, Maria. There must be others out there who are also pregnant, or they wouldn’t announce it on the news like that. It’s only logical. If you were the only one in a billion to experience this, Unity would just send his thugs to break our door down and transport you to the clinic themselves.”
“Really? You think there are others, lots of others?” Maria asked, the panic receding momentarily until she realized that it wasn’t so simple. “I mean, even if there are others, it doesn’t help. They’re going to hunt us down now. They’ll find us. There’s no way to hide from everyone -- to hide a child.”
“Father Burns truly trusts the farmers. I think they’re probably wonderful people.”
“It’s not the farmers I’m worried about. I’m not going to spend my entire life in a barn. Eventually, I’ll need to return and I’ll have a baby to raise. What am I going to do then? We’ve barely formed a plan. There’s no way to hide a secret like that for even a couple of years, much less twenty years.”
“We’ll figure it out, I promise. We’ll adjust as we’ve always done.” Amelia did her best to hide her own anxiety and comfort Maria.
“What the hell is happening? This can’t be real. This must be some sort of nightmare. What are the odds that something like this would happen in our lifetime?”
Yet, this strange phenomenon didn’t prove there was anything new beneath the sun. Something astonishing happens in every generation. People are always subject to these moments; events never before experienced. These sorts of events are entirely new in every way to the youth of the world. Of course, war had been waged on life for many years, across time and throughout the history of men. Pharaoh murdered all of the male children, Herod slaughtered the Holy Innocents, abortions had amassed over one billion lives in the past century. It was simply the first shock for her, she wasn’t living a nightmare. She had simply been awakened from the daydream that she had been perpetuating. This is the reality of the world; the way men have always behaved. It is the same blood spilled on the same earth. Only this time, Maria was witnessing the blood drip for herself, firsthand. “I don’t know, honey. I really don’t know. Times are strange right now, but, I mean, were they ever normal?”
Maria began to weep uncontrollably. The weeping suddenly transformed into a tantrum. She flung the nail polish she held against the living room wall, painting it in long glossy drips of a glittering purple shade. Amelia’s wall was ruined, for now, with streaks of what had been her favorite nail polish. She resisted the impulse to figuratively strangle her friend.
“I’m so sorry!” Maria exclaimed excitedly as she continued to hyperventilate, “Melia, I’ll clean it up right away. I lost it for a second. I’m truly so sorry!”
“It’s okay, it’s okay. I’m already on it,” she responded with surprising calm, while dampening a cloth to wipe the polish off of the gray wall. “Just lay back in the recliner and try to calm down, alright?”
“I’ll try.”
Maria wrapped herself in a blanket, careful not to ruin her freshly painted nails. She crossed her arms over her torso, like a corpse, fingernails faced upwards. Almost no time at all passed before Amelia heard soft snores coming from her exhausted friend. She offered praises to God for the unexpected moment of peace.
…
After her best attempts at cleaning the mess, she realized that the area gleamed in the light right where the polish had landed. To make it uniform again, the wall needed a fresh coat of the light gray paint, which irritated her already frayed nerves. Amelia put away her cleaning supplies, not interested in perfection for the time being.
She walked into another room to switch on the news, careful not to awaken her sister-in-law. She wanted to hear more about what was going on without getting distracted by poor Maria’s frantic thought processes and fears. “We now come to you -- live -- from the STORK facility located in Five Points. As you can see, the clinic is flooded with people,” the report reassured Amelia, confirming what her logic already told her -- that Maria wasn’t the only one. It gave her great peace of mind as she continued watching. “Horatio is on location to get a comment or two from a couple of these dutiful citizens.”
“Thank you, Bruce.” The reporter held a slender microphone, while a drone hovered in front of him, capturing the scene on live video feed. “I’m here at the Five Points facility with my new friend, Angelina, who says she’s had the side-effects of pregnancy for well over a month now. Angelina, would you care to comment on your feelings?”
“Oh, Horatio, I’m just relieved to know that I’m not losing my fu--ing mind!” Her sentence was interrupted by a long and steady bleep. The woman’s blonde hair curled over her shoulders and bounced as she spoke, gesturing to Horatio.
“So, are you excited to be receiving treatment here at STORK?” He pointed back to the scene behind them, using his thumb. Horatio ignored the gaggle of frenzied women behind him, storming the STORK reception counters for answers.
“Absolutely,” the woman spoke with bizarre precision, her face over-emphasizing every word, “I think it's my duty as a citizen to have this pregnancy terminated.” Amelia didn’t buy it. Something about the encounter seemed scripted. The way she said, ‘terminated,’ seemed styled to put forth a softer feel than the harsh reality of what the word means in this context, Amelia analyzed these things in her mind. “I did some reading on the sort of impact that natural, unregulated reproduction could have on a global scale. It’s really scary stuff.”
“Is that so?” Horatio inquired, moving closer to the woman, whose face was slightly out of shot.
“Yes, Horatio, it’s awful -- the potential devastation. Massive outbreaks of disease and related plagues, severe overpopulation, not to mention that this child might have any number of birth-defects or other genetic abnormalities, as well. Naturally reproduced and born children don’t get their healthy daily doses of essential vitamins like the lab-grown children do at STORK.” This last exchange left no doubt in Amelia’s mind that ‘Angelina’ was either a hired actress or saleswoman with the sole purpose of misleading viewers. The attractive, bubbly woman continued, adding, “They’re subject to the parents’ imperfect genetics and flawed biological systems, which could result in bringing forth a child with mental retardation, missing organs, or even the next serial killer.”
“That’s terrifying, Angelina. Absolutely terrifying. Praise be to Unity and STORK for providing a safe and easy alternative at our disposal.”
“Yes, in fact they’re even offering me compensation for the procedure. It’s a win-win-win situation,” she almost sang the words. “I get paid, the world remains safe and healthy, and the fetus will suffer nothing upon extraction.” This woman just doesn’t quit! Amelia marveled that many people viewing were probably hanging on this person’s every word.
“Amazing!” Horatio concluded, placing an arm around the woman’s shoulders and hugging her. “There you have it, everyone. There is no need to worry. Please visit your local facility today if you have even the slightest uncertainty. They’ll take care of it for you.” The drone departed from the two of them and their smiles, both of which beamed across the facility’s crowded lobby, packed with women of all ages.
Amelia switched off the news, having heard enough. It infuriated her -- the fact that she could not become pregnant when other women, blessed with the opportunity, seemed so willing to sell away the very thing that made them remarkable beings.
…
She heard footsteps leading towards the kitchen, where she had been watching the broadcast, followed by a yawn and another apology from the sleepy woman who had finally surfaced from the depths of her nap. Maria was seeking comfort, afraid, and unaware of the large scale of the event unfolding before them.
“It’d be nice if our husbands didn’t have to work so much. I swear we hardl
y ever see them. You’d think those panels up there could go a day or two without issue, every now and then,” Maria remarked, her voice still hoarse with sleep.
“Yeah.”
“I miss John. Liked it better when he was unemployed and around anytime I didn’t have to work.”
“I bet.”
“What’s the matter?” Maria asked, sensing tension in Amelia’s short responses.
“I watched the news after you passed out.”
“Yes?”
“You’re not the only one. They’re acting as if it’s some sort of epidemic. There are women everywhere flooding into the facilities and hospitals for testing.”
“Why are they doing that? Some women would give everything they own to have STORK engineer a baby for them.” Maria shook her head at the idea. “Doesn’t make any sense.”
“I don’t know. Everyone they interview seems overjoyed to be there. It’s weird.”
“To be honest, I sort of envy them, in a way. Their ignorance makes life so much easier for them,” Maria confided, as she peeled a clementine to reveal the fruit beneath.
“How the hell could you possibly think that?” Amelia never swore, but Maria’s choice in words really angered her.
“What?” Maria was shocked by the change in her friend’s mood.
“You’ve been given something that I would kill for right now and just because it might be difficult, you’re thinking it would be better if it had never happened.” The ire in Amelia’s voice was palpable.
“I didn’t say that.”
“You’re saying that your life would be better, if you believed as they do. Your life would be easier if you could do what they’re doing.”
“That’s not what I’m saying, Amelia! What’s your deal? Are you okay?”
“It’s what you’re insinuating, and you know it,” Amelia accused, pointing her finger at the woman.
“You don’t understand the pressure I’m under, Amelia!” Maria fired back with fervor, finally having endured enough of the onslaught. “You couldn’t possibly understand because you aren’t the potential target of a manhunt over something you had no control over!”
“Whatever, Maria. They’re about to take you to a paradise to escape this hellhole. This miserable city that you yourself have always talked about leaving. You’ve been blessed with fertility and here I am, my prayers unanswered, no opportunity to conceive as you have. There’s possibly millions of women out there that have conceived and they’re all giving up, they’re all throwing it away, and you’re here jealous of their ability to murder without regret.”
Maria screamed into Amelia’s face, delivering a barrage of expletives before storming away, slamming the kitchen door behind her. The two women continued to stay far away from each other, in separate corners of the house, waiting silently for their husbands’ arrival from work.
…
Hours passed before the men returned from the long day’s labor, along with Cole, who had gone with them simply to hang out and learn a few things about the panels that blocked out the sky above their home. They had heard nothing of the news reports about the women who were arriving at the STORK clinics in droves. No one they encountered at work knew either, apparently. The nature of their work tended to unglue the men from the realities of their personal lives while they labored.
Michael entered the house last, after John and Cole, proclaiming their return to whomever lurked inside. No sounds or voices greeted them, which was highly unusual and troubling to both the married men.
“Do you think they’re home?” John asked, removing his foul-smelling boots from his feet. The air became sharp and reeked of sweat.
“Probably,” Michael answered, scrunching his face as he caught a whiff of the boots. “Maybe they’re out back? They would’ve told us if they planned on leaving.”
Cole made his way to the kitchen to get a view outside the window into the dark yard, observing, “There’s no one out there.”
“Well, maybe they’re snoozing,” Michael guessed. He made his way up the ever-squeaky stairs. “Amelia? Honey?” He opened their bedroom door to find her in the corner reading a book titled Einstein’s Dreams. When she didn’t have cooking and cleaning to do, books were her escape from the troubles of life. “Nothing for dinner tonight?”
“I don’t know, microwave something,” she mumbled in a deadpan tone without even glancing his direction, continuing to read her book.
“Honey, I didn’t mean it like that. What’s the matter?” Truly concerned now, he ran his fingers through her silky hair.
“Your sis is pissing me off.” She tossed her book onto the ground in apparent frustration. “I hope Father Burns is ready to take them down south. I’m getting sick of her constant complaints. I’ve never known someone so damn miserable in my life.”
“Hey now, take it easy. What’d she say?”
“She basically implied that she wishes she was like the other women -- the ones terminating their pregnancies.”
“Huh? Pregnancies? As in present-tense? Plural?”
“Um, yes, what do you mean?”
“What are you talking about?”
“How’ve you not heard?” she asked, shocked by how oblivious he was to the world around him. “Apparently, everyone out there is pregnant, but me.”
“What do you mean, everyone?”
“There’s other pregnant women, Michael. Obviously. What did you think? That your sister had some sort of immaculate conception?”
“No, of course not. Don’t say such things,” Michael scolded gently, reaching into his dresser to grab a cigar. He already felt the urge to escape this latest drama. “I just guess it’s such a surprise. I mean, we haven’t seen a pregnant woman since we were children and now you tell me there’s others all of a sudden? What the hell is going on out there? The end of the world?”
Michael headed toward the bedroom door, aiming to find his place on the front porch with a beer and his cigar. “Hold up,” he stopped himself and turned back to his wife. “What do mean she wishes she was like the other women, terminating their pregnancies?”
“She said it would make things easier.”
“What? She said what?” He began to see red.
“I didn’t mean it like that!” Maria shouted from behind the door, after eavesdropping on all of Amelia’s gossip. Michael opened the door to reveal his frustrated sister. “I just said something along the lines of ‘ignorance is bliss.’ I don’t know why she took me so seriously.”
“Give me a break,” Amelia interjected bitterly rolling her eyes.
“Maybe you should be more thankful, sis. You shouldn’t say such things,” Michael suggested, knowing that he ultimately had no other option than to defend his wife. Husbands who die happy men defend their wives, right or wrong, he reminded himself silently.
“Shut the hell up, Michael! What do you know? You play around all day working on panels. Ain’t like Unity is coming for your balls.” Michael’s rush to defend Amelia stung Maria even though she knew it shouldn’t.
“Guys, stop it. Please,” John begged the trio, appearing from the shadows of the hallway outside the room. He stepped into the doorway, presenting a screen to them. “The talking heads are speculating. They’re aware that there’s a possibility of some women wanting to continue their pregnancies and keep their babies.”
“Yeah? What are they saying?” Michael wondered.
“Watch the broadcast. They’re suggesting that Unity won’t allow it,” John explained, clearly agitated, “and that there would be consequences for such women as well as anyone else who stood in the way. They’re mailing approved birth control methods to every household with a mandate that all women use it in order to remain in Unity’s graces.”
“Oh, my God,” interjected Amelia, covering her mouth with her hand.
“We need to get out of here while we have time,” John spoke directly to his wife, a barely detectable edge to his tone.
“But then
what, John? We’ll have to spend our entire lives hiding our child. It’s no way to live.”
“Honey,” he addressed her quietly, placing the tablet down and taking her into his arms, “it’s never quite as bad as it seems. We will be okay. God will be with us.”
Maria’s darkest feelings and fears spilled from her eyes in the form of huge droplets of tears, fully unleashed and raining down upon the shoulders of the strong, thick man who held her. She felt disembodied, as if the world were nothing but a figment of her own creation, a simulation of awful thoughts and imaginings crowded in the darkest corners of her mind. She squeezed her eyes shut, and continued to weep.
“Sis, we’ll go with you both,” came an abrupt, unexpected promise from her brother, Michael.
“You guys can’t leave your home and jobs like that.” John sighed, shaking his head in shock at the proposition.
“Yeah, Mikey, what are you thinking?” inquired Amelia, irritated and in disbelief that he said they’d flee along with them. Seriously, I’m gonna have a talk with him in private. He didn’t even talk to me about it first! Obviously, he spoke out of turn. We’re not going! No way I can stand having to continue dealing with Maria.
“What’s the point of staying here? There’s nothing for us here. Only depression and waste outside our doors and to top it all off, there’s that damn supercomputer, controlling our every waking moment with aid from the hordes of hell. And last but not least, I’m not letting you two go without us. We’re a family. As torn as we’ve been the past couple months, our solidarity is the only thing that matters.
We need each other,” Michael pleaded, for once unleashing the insurmountable pain that had been festering in him all-along. “I refuse to lose any more family. I refuse it. I won’t let it happen. Screw this house and town.” His eyes sparkled in the light, watering slightly. He was beyond resisting a display of his sadness any longer. He showed his emotions every once in a while, though typically only when he’d been drinking. This was different.
“Okay, honey,” Amelia relented. She conceded that there really wasn’t anything for them there. Business was dwindling away and if she ever did conceive a child, they’d have to leave anyway.
Sowing Season Page 15
