The one safe place

ONE

It was three of clock in the afternoon before Devin was done digging the grave.He had really finished it at two but had carried on for an hour longer partly to delay what was coming next and partly to make sure it was good and deep.He stood in the bottom of it resting.The hole was higher then his waist a rectangle with uneven sides.Deven would have liked to straighten it out.It was too broken up and prickly. But it was the best that he could do.He threw the shovel over the side of the grave and hauled himself out.There was a slight breeze at the top of the hill and he stood for a few moments looking out over the valley.In the land beyond his grandfather had told him there had once had been corn.They used to farm it with machines as wide as houses and it poured like gold rushing and endless into vast granaries.That was more then 50 years ago before it got hot.It hardly ever rained now except for massive storms that darken the sky for days.Huge areas of land had become useless the dry soil swept away by the wind or by sudden treacherous floods that ripped every thing in its path.The change in the weather had started slow but it wasn't just the weather that had changed his grandfather said.It was the people too.People had scattered.They lost homes and livelihoods and desperation had turned their hearts as hard as the parched earth itself.It was different on thier small farm.The land was still good a pocket of richness We're lucky then Devin had said . we're fortunate grandfather had corrected him.It was important his grandfather said to keep to the right meaning of words or else they would be lost blown away like the soil that had once grown enough come to feed a nation.Other things also needed to be kept.Manners at the table the shine on the old silver vase . EVERY day his grandfather fetched one of their books so Devin could practice his reading.They had five books.One was about farming how to grow things and raise animals and one was full of story's no pictures except the ones you made in your head.Aother one had nothing but pictures images of people who were dead now and places that were far away and animals so strange they made Devin laugh.No his grandfather said.It when Devin stumbled over his reading.Thats a new a not an e.But they were so hard to tell apart Devin complained.Both so pale they fade into the page and they want stop chirping.Granddad.Chirping?Like the Swallows Devin explained.When his grandfather smiled his lips barely,moved as if he's smile was aother thing to be kept guarded from view like a treasure . instead you saw it mostly in his eyes.He reached out and touched Devins hand and the taste on Devins tongue was half earthly half sweet like roots that had grown to fullness beneath the dark ground.Try again Dev.Try agin my lad.