The Bee Guy

"You want some eggs, sweetie?"
Ray was putting on a flannel
shirt. "No thanks, baby.
The bee guy should be here
any minute." Ray and Sarah
paused to look into each
other's eyes for a moment,
the one with a look of resolve
and matter-of-factness, the other
with a look of wistful longing.
"Oh, right," Sarah began,
"I forgot today was bee day.
It's so easy to forget, you know.
I mean, time was--""Yes, yes,
Sarah, I remember. Time was
we didn't need to pay guys
with big trucks and bee hives
to drive by and pollinate our fields.
I know. But times have changed
and we've got to do the best we
can with the cards we were dealt."
Sarah didn't appear comforted.
"But doesn't it seem like the world
is coming to an end, Ray? No more
fish, no more North Pole, no more
snow in the Alps, no more bees.
Sometimes I'm scared soon enough
the ground underneath our
house will just disappear."
Ray walked over and put his arms
around Sarah. "Don't you worry,
sweet thing. The sun'll rise tomorrow
just like always. I was here when
we built this house and it's for sure
not on a sinkhole." Ray smiled at
Sarah, but her look of worry
remained. They heard the sounds
of the bee-guy's truck outside.
Ray turned to walk out the kitchen
door. "You promise me
the sun's going to rise tomorrow, Ray?
Promise?" Ray looked like a man
ready to fight tooth and nail for
what was his. "The sun will rise
if I have to get out there and push
her myself." "I know you would
too, baby." "And you know I
would. You know I would."
Ray closed the door behind him.
Sarah lamented, "Great, now all I
have to do is find someone to
hold up the house when it sinks."

(2006)