The Garden Club by James Gerard (bill gates best books .TXT) 📕

Crawling along the path of the middle tier, even Hal found it hard not to be mesmerized by the fig trees’ slim trunks with their glossy leaves hanging off slender branches.  The banana trees, their tops mushrooming out from the trunks and just about in arm’s reach of the railing, were all dotted with lavender bracts and arrayed with yellow leaves.  Bunches and bunches of sweet and tasty fruit hung off the branches and were just beckoning the forest animals to come up for a feast.

But is the Governor taking notice of the vibrant growth?  While catching glances of what now appeared to be an indiscernible countenance as the van started its ascent on the upper tier, Hal wondereed if he saw all the life that surrounded him?   All around, hummingbirds were hovering about then sipping the nectar from passion flowers or snatching bees out of the air.  A squadron of parakeets soared in for a landing on the fig trees and took no time in devouring the fleshy fruit they desired. 

Hal smiled at the playful image of pygmy marmosets swinging about the branches feeding on the fruit around them and the gibbons leaping from tree to tree as if they were locked in a contest in determining the mightiest of them all.  Above all that, the juvenile chimpanzees were scrambling about the branches chasing each other as if playing a game of tag.

Even Hal knew either the Governor or the others could not turn a blind eye to the parrots and macaws and toucans that touched up the shiny green canvas of the canopy of round crowned rubber trees with their feathers of varying shades of blue and orange and green and gold.  Beyond that, he wondered if any of them had a clue of what was lurking about the thick and dark shelter of the canopy.  Could they spot the slithering pythons and deceptive chameleons lying in wait for any unsuspecting prey to fall within their clutches and consumed.

“Right here,” the Governor commanded.

Hal quickly snapped out of the dreamy state of consciousness and stopped the van.  Butterflies fluttered about.  A pair of hawks that had been silently gliding at the highest level in the park was suddenly made known by their fledglings waiting in their aerie squawking for food.  The elegant and agile flying aerobatics of crested tree swifts swooping in and around the treetops snatching insects with each dive was a spectacular sight.

“Alright gentlemen,” said the Governor, “let me hear more about your proposals.”

The Chairman spoke up.  “The finest secured community in the world.  Surrounded by a perimeter of barren land and protected by a shell.  It has a readily available water supply from Lake Hodges and has its own power plant.  It has an existing access road.  We raze everything but the dome, the river, and the lake.  We devote fourteen hundred acres of land to open space surrounding the river and lake.  The other seven hundred acres go for housing.  For example, on a hundred of those acres we subdivide the area into one acre lots for individual houses.  And let’s say, depending on the square footage of the house itself, the cost ranges from half a billion to a billion dollars.  On another two hundred acres or so, we use the space for condos.  Again, depending on the square footage, each unit will sell for four hundred million on up.  Now, the remaining four hundred acres will be used for future expansion and space for schools, a hospital, a mall, and entertainment center…well you get the picture.

“And consider this Governor: each unit, both houses and condos, on average cost about six hundred million each, and with nine hundred units available, that means five hundred and forty billion dollars—that’s five hundred and forty billion dollars that will be pumped back into the economy.  In addition, in regards to others, we plan to lease out parcels to other corporate interests which will involve profit-making ventures which will pump even more money back into the economy.  We are also prepared, at no additional cost, to provide you with a selected piece of property of your choosing.  We feel you should have a safe place to retire when you choose to do so.”

“You have to be kidding,” shouted Kenneth, “you’re that desperate that you offer him a bribe right in front of us?”

“You’re one to speak about bribes,” countered the Chairman.

“In other words,” Commissioner Sherman butted in, “just another gated community for some of us privileged few.”

“Enough,” yelled the Governor.  “Let me hear your proposal Mr. Sherman.”

“An efficient air processor that will serve half of San Diego County.  As you can observe, the site is isolated. It is far enough away from current housing developments so as not to be an eyesore.  All we need to do is expand the power plant and water delivery systems.  That will assure good air quality for decades to come—what can any other of the proposals do to beat that?”

“Well Kenneth?” asked the Governor.

“For one thing, the Board of Realtors has enough gated communities as it is.  If they’re so excited about enclosed environments, let them build shells over their existing communities.  And as far as an air processor goes, the Miramar processor is already providing the air needs—have there been any complaints from anyone?   And besides, the alga farms themselves seem to be efficient enough in providing the good air as it is.”

“You’re talking out of your….”

“But food Governor,” shouted Kenneth, “is the one issue that everyone is concerned about.”

“Pardon the antiquated quote,” warned the Chairman, “but ‘let them eat cake.’”

“Don’t interrupt,” the Governor commanded.

Kenneth continued.  “Consider this; we have been working on technological advances that will provide ten times the amount of meat using one-tenth the amount of feed and water….”

“Liar,” the Commissioner blurted out.

“Liar?  I have news for you all: it’s coming,” said Kenneth.  “And when it gets here these advances will translate into a substantial drop in the amount of grain the animals consume which in turn will be made available for the people.  So besides having an over-abundant supply of cake to eat, they’ll also have as much frosting as they want as well.”

“Come on Governor!” screamed the Chairman, “where’s his proof?”

“The proof sits right here.  This site alone will provide for the state a tenth of the consumer’s meat ration which means along with just nine other sites, any stress and anxiety anyone experiences will be substantially reduced if not eliminated altogether by assuring they get the meat they want.  Tell me Governor, tell me Wheatley, tell me Sherman, what’s better than assuring that?”

“Blah, blah, blah” the Commissioner uttered.

“You can’t expect to believe that Governor?” asked the Chairman, “They’re up to something other than what he proposes.  Along with an unusual large order of chemical fertilizers, I heard rumor that a small group of their research and development staff has been confined to one of their labs.  No one goes in and no one comes out.  From what I hear, whatever they’re working on, everything they’re doing has been committed to memory.  We can find no data concerning this covert operation in any of their databases.”

“Just because your hackers can’t find out anything doesn’t mean anything secret is going on you idiot,” Kenneth stated.  “Governor, it’s nothing more than experiments in growing meat.  It’s about meat.  Once we come out with the product of the new technology, you can take samples of it, analyze it, and you will find it is meat, meat, meat.”

“Will you commit to that in writing?” asked the Governor.

“Absolutely.  We have nothing to hide.  We have nothing to fear.”

“Hal, you’ve been quiet,” the Governor noticed.  “If you have anything to say you better say it now while I’m here.”

Hal just stood at the rail looking down.  He sensed the eyes of the others staring intently at him.

“Hal, again, if you have anything to add say it now.  If not, I will render my decision based upon what I’ve heard.”

Hal looked to Ron and could see a look in his face begging to speak up for the park, to go for it, but he did not know exactly what to say. He caught Kenneth staring at him intently, as if he were silently expecting that support be thrown the Meat Council’s way.  Suddenly, a bell rang and a light came on in his mind.  Hal slowly rotated around one hundred and eighty degrees and smiled.  He then connected the flashing of the memory with what was all around.

He looked to the Governor and whispered, “It’s a garden.”

“What was that?”

“I said ‘it’s a garden.’”

The Commissioner spoke up.  “What the hell is he talking about?”

“Let him speak,” said the Governor.  “Go on Hal.”

“They all call it a waste of space but they can only see it as a rain forest.  They can’t see it for what it really is. All of them already possess one.”

“He’s gone nuts!” the Commissioner said.

“No, not nuts, not crazy, not anything of the sort.  Can’t you see it for what it is?  You all have one at home—a garden.”  Hal threw his arms to the air and shouted to the sky, “It’s a garden.”

“What a load of….”

“Quiet Chairman Wheatley!  Let the man explain.”

“A garden club Governor,” Hal softly said.  “I’ve seen my brother’s garden.  He’s told me all of them have gardens at home as well.  Even you Governor have a garden.  Why not turn it into a garden club for everyone?”

While the others stood there quietly as if stunned and unprepared to counter a proposal that any of them might have secretly seen the logic behind the transformation of the forest, Hal studied the Governor’s facial expressions and posture.  He wondered if the Governor were seriously considering it as he stood motionless and quiet as well.  Hal could not help but consider that whatever the Governor was mulling over, it brought with it a sense of calmness as he stared into the forest.

“Well gentlemen, you have all made very interesting proposals.  “I’ll make my decision tomorrow.”

Hal noticed Kenneth shaking his head, but knowing his brother he could detect neither a clue of disappointment nor support nor indifference to the proposal.   Nevertheless, he walked over to Kenneth and whispered, “Sorry,” then walked back to the railing.  The thought of seeing the park for the last time from that vantage point, any vantage point for that matter, stirred heaviness into the mind.

The Governor stepped up to him and patted him on the back.  “Time to go Hal.”

“Sir, if you don’t mind,” he responded unable to face the Governor, “if you don’t mind I’d prefer to walk over to the observation nest.”

“Sure Hal.  I’ll call you first thing in the morning and let you know.”

As the van drove off, Hal did not notice Ron standing just behind him.  He just stared out at the forest.

“Was that the best you could do?” asked Ron.

“I’m afraid so.”

“You could’ve done better,” said Ron as he stepped away.  “You could’ve done much better than that.”

Hal stood alone wondering if he could have.  Chairman Wheatley’s pitch was just too strong for the Governor to ignore.  Commissioner Sherman’s proposal certainly would meet the approval of the populace.  But Kenneth’s sentiments, although he chose not to openly support it, probably was the strongest of them all.

Whatever the decision, it would come tomorrow.