Forty Days and Nights: Love Stories. 1. Making Up the World

Once there were two people, a boy and a girl, who loved each other very much.

When the spring came the boy said to the girl, let's plant beans and corn and tomatoes. But the girl was afraid, she said the ground was too wet and the sun was too cold. So they did other things, things that needed doing, and the ground dried and the sun was very hot and there were no beans or corn or tomatoes that year in their garden.

When it was summer the girl said to the boy, let's take our towels and go swimming. But the boy was afraid, he said the river was running too high and the water was too cold and the girl didn't know how to swim. You might get hurt, he said. So they did other things, things that needed doing, and the river slowed and fell and grew sluggish and warm under the hot sun and no one got a tan or learned to swim that year.

When the fall came the boy said to the girl, let's rake all our leaves into a huge pile and jump in them all day and roll around together and when it gets dark let's invite all our friends and set our leaves on fire and roast hot dogs and marshmallows. But the girl was afraid, she said, I think every single thing you just suggested is against the law and you can't cook a hot dog on a leaf fire. So they did other things, things that needed doing, and the leaves blew into the neighbors' yards and there was no jumping or rolling or flaming of marshmallows that year.

When the winter came the girl said to the boy, let's go sledding and see who can go the fastest. But the boy was afraid, he said, I had a bad dream about sledding with you, what if that dream came true? I don't think I could live in that world, baby. So they did other things, things that needed doing, and a storm came in the night and blew and blew and covered all their doors and windows with snow so they could not get out for months. They ate beans and corn and tomatoes from cans they had brought from the store and they were warm enough under all that snow but it was very dark, all the time; their windows were blank white faces. They had lots and lots of things that needed doing and the time went by and by while they moved slowly and safely and there was no sledding that year.

Then the boy found himself staring at the wall or the window, it made no difference which, a thing that needed doing hanging loose in his hands. The girl found him in the dark and said, I'm trying and trying to remember something important but I can't remember what it is, and she was crying. He said, what were you doing when you tried to remember? and she said, I don't know, I lost the thing that needed doing, and he said, I can't remember either, and they went to sleep afraid.

When they woke the next time the world had shifted and they couldn't think where they were or what had happened to their house. She could see him, that he was old now, and he looked at her and wondered how long it had been since the last time she had slept at all. They walked carefully in the rooms and the girl said, what has happened to the walls? and the boy said, baby, those are the windows and that is daylight, and she said at the same time, is that the sun? because they had forgotten. They went softly and bravely out their door into a ruined world. Their trees were smashed and splayed and the river was roaring and tearing the banks apart and the garden was broken and bent from the heavy snow. The girl turned her face away and said, I think I might die here, what can we ever do about this? and the boy took the girl's hand and said, don't be alone. Please don't be alone.

The girl looked at the pieces of their world for a long time, and at the boy and then at the sun and said, I never want to eat corn or beans again, but I do love tomatoes. Let's plant some peppers and some basil too, and the boy said, I'm going to build us a boat that will carry two, and the girl said, there is a place here for a ring of stones that can hold a fire hot enough to cook meat, and the boy took a deep breath and said, if we go on the sled, can I sit in front? Can you sit behind me and be safe? And she was silent til she asked, in the back? You want me to be in the back? And they both cried and he said, can I hold you tight if you go in front? And she smiled at him and said, I will never leave you alone. Then they began the things they wanted to do and it was all that long day of sun before they slept again.