Compost Through the Days
A short story by Karli Conrad-Davis
There once was a bacterium named Adam. Adam just moved
into a pile of organic material. He was among the first inhabitants of
this “Compost” pile, as the alien people called it.
Adam and his friends Anthony and Ryan loved playing in the
pile’s spacious rooms filled with oxygen to breathe. They ate the
delicious plant sugars of the ample flower cuttings and vegetables
that made up their home, excreting C02 with every breath and
gaseous release. This C02 release filled their home with warmth as
the bacteria mated and multiplied, ate and mated.
Soon there were very many friends and children running
amok, and they called themselves the Mesophilic Bacteria. They
kept the temperature at a comfortable 90°-113°F.
One uncomfortable day the heat soared above 113°F. The
Mesophilic Bacteria squelched in the intense heat. Adam and his
friends and grandchildren died away after a long, fulfilling two days.
Do not be sad, for the story is far from over! There was
another breed of bacteria that found these high temperatures
juuuust right. Tiny, microscopic, dormant spores within the pile were
warmed and born into the welcoming abode. They felt bigger and
stronger, so they called themselves thermophilic for “Heat
Lovers.” They also feasted on the remaining plant sugars and
breathed out even more heat. The thermophilic bacteria took
advantage of the big rooms filled with oxygen and they roamed
only their favorite places—the moist ones.
The thermophilic bacteria, oh they had a ball lasting for
generations. They ate a breathed, played tag and mated, and ate
some more. But over time the rooms started closing in, the walls
became dry, and breathing became difficult. “What will we do?”
the bacteria cried out. They took refuge in the largest, wettest
rooms, and just when they thought they’d reached their end, the
human alien lifted the pile, twisting and turning their beloved home.
Little ones breathed in lungfuls of oxygen, rejuvenated and
revitalized. Mothers and fathers yelled with relief and teenagers
threw up their arms as the roller coaster flung them through the
fresh air. Then, the alien human sprayed water on them, water that
seeped all the way down to the lowest level, and the thermophilic
bacteria once again had an entire castle to roam. They enjoyed for
15 full days temperatures of 120-150°F.
Actinomycetes and fungi joined the thermophilic bacteria, and
all the species felt they had a purpose to fulfill. The actinomycetes
consumed chitin, cellulose, and carbon compounds, and they
produced a greyish, cobweb-like growth, which the bacteria played
on like a playground web.
The webs also helped break down the matter in which they
lived. The actinomycetes and fungi worked together to break down
and suppress pathogens, diseases, and the most disliked seeds of all
time-weed seeds!
The fungi became proud of their work. They bound together
the individual soil particles to create large clumps of furniture. The
bacteria and actinomycetes were grateful for the furniture and the
fungi were grateful for its comrades. The trio of organisms worked
happily and hard in the pile.
The organisms noticed an impending danger as time drew on.
Steadily, their food resources declined. All that was once plant
sugars and carbon compounds had transformed to deep brown,
rich soil furniture. Sure, the furniture was great, but what is the use
of a table and chairs without any food to eat off of it? How can one
enjoy a big comfy armchair when one’s stomach is growling?
The little bacteria, actinomycetes, and fungi came together in
council. A fungus named Lauren said “What will we eat? Our
children are going hungry, we are growing cold.” Without food to
eat and digest to create heat, temperatures inside the pile
plummeted.
“We’re going to have to move!” declared a brave
actinomycete called Cidney. The trio of species murmured in
distressed agreement.
Then the oldest, wisest organism of them all cleared her
throat.
“This has been a long, productive, and most enjoyable
5 days in this pile. We have carried on the mission of our
ancestors quite admirably. For 17 days this pile of wealth has
fed generations of our species and others. The end is coming,
as our elders told stories of. We should feel honored and
successful that we are the ones to send this incredible mass
off into its next stage of existence, as ours comes to an end.”
An important silence hung over the council as Izzy bowed her
head in submission to the way nature would take its course, and the
rest of the council followed suit.
Soon the children, parents, and grandparents calmly passed
away, feeling fulfillment in their life’s work.
The temperatures continued to decline in the nearly forgotten
pile, but it didn’t remain forgotten for long.
An earthworm named Katherine, a nematode named Ryan,
and a wolf spider called Sarah brought all their earthworm and
nematode and spider and centipede friends to this pleasantly cool,
damp pile for respite from the hot sun.
They moved in easily to the pile, now half its beginning size,
and they rejoiced at the abundance of microorganism carcasses.
The newest tenants feasted happily on the remains and duly
provided their own digested contribution to the pile.
In a few days’ time, the alien human felt the coolness of the
pile with her hand, and smiled knowlingly as she shoveled the richly
nutritious soil into her vegetable garden, which thrived for season to
come.
The End