Through everything, he maintained his garden. In the winter, while the election results were coming in, he ordered seeds.
In spring, during the early days of the regime’s expansion, he planted. His neighbors asked how he would fight.
In summer, during the protests, he watered and weeded. His neighbors asked why he wasn’t out protesting with them.
In autumn, when the crackdowns started, he harvested vegetables. He stored what would keep and canned the rest. His neighbors hid in their basement.
The next winter, when the store shelves were bare, he shared with his neighbors so they could keep fighting.

“garden” by drewfish is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

Everyday Drabbles © 2025 by Hugh J. O’Donnell is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0