"Geraniums in Cairo" and other stories

Geraniums in Cairo - Inspired by Prompt One of Flemzo's contest. Other entries will follow soon, stay tuned.

The biting wind had long since cleared everyone out of the park by four in the afternoon. When it had begun a hardy few had remained, in the hopes that the gusts would die down and once again leave the park in idyllic sunshine. But their resolve soon thawed and as the sun began to descend past the surrounding buildings, those who had remained slowly packed up their blankets and magazines and left through the wrought iron gates back onto the street.

Yet the seeming solitude of the abandoned park was belied by furtive voices, carried high by the wind that stopped and started, and moved quickly as if afraid of eavesdropping.

“How’s the weather?” the first asked.

“ Cloudy in Paris” answered another.

“In Cape Town?”

“The same”

There was a pause as the voices seemed to surrender to the overbearing quiet, but they soon resumed, pushed by strange urgency.

“Do you have any gifts for Aunt Bertha?”

“That’s why I’ve come”

There was another pause, then a quick rustle of a coat or jacket, the bending of paper and then a low whistle.

“She’ll be pleased.”

“I’ll say”

“And next?”

“I’ve gotta go back to Cairo now”

“Wait!”

“Huh?”

“I’ve gotta know something, about last week, stay for a second, just a quick second.”

A louder voice, not in the usual whisper proclaimed, “No really honey, I must be off” but then the same voice quickly dropped down and hissed, “Do you know where we are?”

“I have to ask.”

“At least don’t speak so plainly!”

“I’m sorry!”

“Just don’t.”

“How are your geraniums?”

“Not this ag-“

The voice asked again, harder and sharper, “How are your geraniums?”

“Fine thank you”, the other voice replied with malice, “how are yours?”

“This isn’t about that, what did I tell you about putting your geraniums in the same pot twice? You need to…. Uh…. Uh…. Cross-pollinate!”

“Cross-pollinate? What the hell does that mean?”

“Well there isn’t a word so I made one up. Answer the question!”

“My geraniums are none of your business, neither are my azaleas.”

“And what about the magnolia? Is that none of my business? It’s up to you to...um … prune your hedges a little more carefully.”

"Nonetheless, they're my hedges. You prune yours and I'll prune mine."

"Your hedge is overgrown. It's scaring the neighbors and lowering their property values."

"What?"

"Never mind... this is difficult"

"Yeah but that was just stupid."

"Look, lets say that I've got a good pair of pruning shears, and you ought to use them."

"And where exactly did you get your shears?"

"Uh... the Home Depot"

"The Home Depot is in on this?"

"They're concerned"

"Well they shouldn't be. I'll have to talk to them about it."

"I'll be in the gardening section."

"What?"

"I'll be in the gardening section"

"I'm sorry, you've gone to far."

"Oh come on, it makes sense. "

“No, this is stupid, I refuse to be discussing my gardening right now. It’s a bad place. I’ve got to go to Cairo”

“Do geraniums grow in Cairo?”

“Oh please, they grow wherever.”

“They grow wherever do they?”

“You’re the expert”

“They grow exclusively in the deciduous forests of North America, not Cairo”

“Idiot! You said to much!”

“Oh please, nobody can tell. Hey, wait!”

The leaves littering the park path flew briefly into the air, before settling in the wake of the rapid footprints. The creak of the gate was heard, and then silence fell once more, this time until the evening when several men in black suits and glasses could be seen sifting through garbage and examining every blade of grass. What they were looking for, is unknown.