GREENHOUSE
Zena dressed the children carefully – trousers,
long-sleeved shirts, wide-brimmed hats, sunglasses, Factor 100 on exposed skin.
“Are we going to the beach, Mummy?”
Sometimes Zena took them for a picnic under the ruins
of the pier, but keeping them in the shade was exhausting. “No – today’s a
surprise.”
When they reached the Dome Zena bundled them up in
warm jackets - air-conditioning kept the temperature down to a cool 40 – but their
awe at their first sight of a tree made the journey worthwhile.
With tears in
her eyes she told them, “This is how it used to be.”
.....................................................................................................
This story may very well be prophetic, the way we're treating our world at the moment. I shudder for my grandchildren. There are countries still too poor to do their share of the repair, but the richer countries should be picking up the slack, and they're not. I was born in Australia, so the dreadful fires there are breaking my heart.
Enough of politics! Thanks to J Hardy Carroll for the photograph, which reminded me of a tropical rainforest dome I visited in Australia 30 years ago, and the thoughts combined to inspire this story. Thanks also to Rochelle, our genial host on Friday Fictioneers on her blog https://rochellewisoff.com/
I like the way your story brings reality to daily life with a degraded environment. I really hope it doesn't come to this.
ReplyDeleteSo do I, Penny.
DeletePut 'em all in the tree museum
ReplyDeleteand charged the people a dollar and half just to see 'em
That was my first thought, too.
DeleteDid you rhyme that deliberately, Neil?
DeleteAnd Nobbinmaug thanks for reading.
DeleteNeil is quoting the wondrous Joni Mitchell, Liz.
DeleteBig Yellow Taxi was a hippy anthem back in the day.
Ah - I managed to miss that one, despite my long skirts and bare feet!
DeleteWow I've literally just told my son about this Joni Mitchell song. He has to design a vinyl cover using an old protest song for a graphic design project in art college!
DeleteI went in a similar vein with mine. It is a travesty the way we treat this planet.
ReplyDeleteGoing to the beach with Mummy means something totally different here, in America.
What does it mean?
DeleteLoved the descriptions of seemingly day-to-day life which turns to horror at the thought this is not an impossible thing for our future.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Dale. The thought is horrific.
DeleteLiz, I definitely connected with your story. It could be closer than any of us think!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jade.
DeleteLet's hope that's not too prophetic, Liz.
ReplyDeleteLet's hope so, Iain.
DeleteDear Liz,
ReplyDeleteWe can only hope this won't happen.
Shalom,
Rochelle
Fingers crossed.
DeleteSuch a topical, relevant story. Heartbreaking.
ReplyDeleteThanks for commenting, Sandra.
DeleteThe other possiblity is that there will be nothing but trees left. Who knows? We won't.
ReplyDeleteYou are right, Keith, but we can all do our best to avoid either scenario.
Deleteit must be the garden of eden revisited.
ReplyDeleteCould be!
DeleteNot the same setting at all, but your story took me back to traveling through Kansas and Nebraska to Colorado. There were long, long stretches in which no tree was to be found. When we finally did see one, Dad would stop the car for a few minutes just to let us out to enjoy the shade :)
ReplyDeleteI'm watching the news from Australia with such grief in my heart--especially that the fires were deliberately set. It's beyond understanding.
There's a difference between the aboriginal cleansing fires that used to be and arson for the hell of it.
ReplyDeleteThings are sadly going that way...
ReplyDeleteThey are - fire and flood might lead to famine, and then what?
DeleteNicely done, Liz, a clever dystopian view of a seemingly inevitable future
ReplyDeleteThank you, CEA.
DeleteCreepy thought. No trees = no oxygen. On way of culling the population. Great story.
ReplyDeleteApparently half our oxygen comes from algae in the sea, but we do need trees too.
DeleteWonderful writing, but I hope not a prophecy. Well done, Liz
ReplyDeleteI hope so too, Lynn, and thanks.
DeleteBeautifully and tragically told, Lizy.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Susan.
DeleteI think this could happen... the only question for me is if there is any place left for humans.
ReplyDeletePerhaps not in the long term.
DeleteA cautionary tale.
ReplyDeleteI just wish more people - and Presidents - would listen.
DeleteA great piece of flash fiction, Liz. Let's hope all the leaders will do something before it's too late. :(
ReplyDeletemarion