How a child faces a storm of her nightmares... |
Amanda perception of global warming “Daddy, the Global News Correspondent was talking at length about Global Warming today. Well, the teachers haven’t taught us about it, so there’s no point bothering about it now, but the correspondent also mentioned it might cause extensive flooding near our beautiful tropical coastline and beaches. But, wouldn’t that prevent us stop us from going to the beaches for a retreat? ... Daddy, are you even listening to me?”, Amanda pulled her father’s arm, trying to earn some attention, while her father looked absorbed in the “Daily Herald”. “Oh, yeah! I was just considering what you said; infact, We discussed about ‘Global Warming and its implications’ in the afternoon conclave, at office. “ “NO ! not again, I cannot listen to excerpts from your daily meetings, it would just be irksome, but …We can’t lose our vacation spots, or miss our sailing trips. Besides, you seldom take us out…I wish you would get some respite from all the surplus office work and meetings…”Amanda ended murmuring. “It’s time you go off to bed, Amanda. Remember, you have wake up early tomorrow, for school. So, good night…and sweet dreams”, her mother stroked Amanda’s forehead dotingly, leaving a moist imprint with a kiss. Amanda tucked herself into the blankets as the lights were put off. “Sweet Dreams, Amanda….What should I dream about …Ah yes, A beautiful tropical island, and we go off to the beach in the sun…no, we go sailing…It’s anyways too hot these days. We sight ornate and exquisite tropical vegetation, far off at the coastline. But, we drift off into further the vast expanse of blue Uff, why does it seem so hot here also, I can feel the vapours rising higher, as they are dragged apart from the surface. But, it’s unfair, why should they be split from their mother, I wish, only if I could unite the vast blue expanse below, with the fluffy, cotton-like clouds above”, as she gazes at the sky, above the horizon. “…Why have the clouds lost their white, they seem ‘muddle-like’ dirty, but who could do that to them, they are so high.” She could not tell apart, between the clouds and the sky as she turned away from the piercing rays of sun. It all looked all heavy, black smoke wandering above, the vision was blurred. Suddenly, Amanda was blown over by a strong gale, as she barely managed to clasp the railing of the dinghy. Her parents rushed over the deck, to secure her. Strong gales tossed the vessel over the jagged surface of the blue below. Her parents had just caught news of an approaching storm nearby. The soaring temperatures over the water, had created a huge void over the surface, as the vapours shot high into the air, in mutiny; all proximate air rushed into to, trying to engulf the void created. The roasted vapours desperately shed off their heat, as they whizzed into higher altitude low temperature zones. But, the heat could not roam bare, it quickly incarnated itself into the very flesh of the winds. The winds roared with rage. The gravity of ‘Gaia’, the Earth gave an additional rotation to the winds, moulding, into a terrifying funnel-shape. Suddenly, a more terrifying picture struck the little girl’s mind, the fierce eye of the storm, with all surrounding air dashing into it. She could not ascertain if the evil eye was red, it was all too hazy. Now, Amanda begged to the storm, to spare them. Amazingly, the storm replied back, it’s intention was too only dispose all the surplus heat and energy somewhere, on the nearby land. Only approaching land, would sap all the devastating energy inside it, and inflict it all upon the land. Now, again, Amanda begged to the storm to spare her homeland, the beaches, the stark coastline. But, the storm would not heed to her, it left for the land, as a herald of the impending disaster. Amanda woke up with a jolt, she could let the storm destroy her homeland. A sudden thought passed her mind, if all the heat was the cause of all this, then she must do something, on her part, however insignificant, to stop the temperatures from soaring further. She still, could not contemplate the term ‘Global Warming’. But, she vowed to herself, to save everyone from the brunt of it’s consequences. She slept again, only to wake up early the next morning. (Word Count: 735) |