Hell and Heaven Too--Ivan

“Hell huh? Didn't he ever get tired of spewing the same stuff to us almost everyday?” He
considered it for a moment, finally coming to the conclusion that perhaps revisiting the hot topic
time and time again might be warranted considering their situation. If he ever cared to imagine
that place or the other, he knew they’d both exist here on this spinning ride, one way or another.
Nevertheless, he headed out to the garden again intent upon working the soil. His friend was
already there tending to the newest of daisies, their trunks still green and fresh, and laughing at
their white smiles. Their friendship was quite literally built on the common soil upon which they
stood. He had met Abraham on the first day, digging with a precise, practiced hand that was both
notable and disconcerting. Jay had never seen such a colorful garden; in fact, he didn’t believe
these quintessential grandmother gardens actually existed, much less here of all places. Today
however, Abraham was on his hands and knees mulching the fresh plants, doing everything he
could to keep them from dying. After surveying the familiar sight, Jay made himself known.
Abraham grunted in surprise turning with sweat on his brow and a quirk on his lips calling out,
“Ain’t you supposed to be praying right about now?” “It got a bit… repetitive,” Jay responded,
chuckling as he sheathed his hands. A month’s experience made it muscle memory by now but
he still remembered his first time. The first prick had drawn blood, deep as the taunting rose
itself. Abraham had told him the thorns laughed whenever they drank so he’d best suit up.
According to him, the field was dangerous and the thorns were the least of his worries: they were
hardly even alive.“What did? The promise of eternal salvation,” Abraham snarked back. “Try
damnation.” Abraham understood enough giving a dismissive wave of the hand. Jay suspected
Abraham never attended because he was too afraid. Jay would bring it up and his friend would
either ignore it, or close up, lost in his memories. Today it was the former. Instead, Abraham
directed Jay to the bucket next to him and to the task Jay always seemed to thoroughly enjoy.
The new flower bulbs sat there in a dirty pile ready to be planted. Jay happily took them,
inspecting the velvety skin to ensure their worth before he buried them deep in the earth. He
enjoyed the moisture there; it was comforting to know not everything was as barren as the
surface seemed. Abraham however seemed distraught once more, trying to avoid the bees
whizzing by, their stingers cocked ready to attack. Suddenly, Jay piped up, “You know you can
only have evil if there’s good right? I keep going because it reminds me there’s something just as
good. And I know she’s waiting for me.” Abraham’s responding smile seemed genuine for a
fraction of a second but faded as the hour’s buzzer blared across Cblock.