Estrela Do Mar

Jorge Palma, Só

The afternoon the day before impact

During the last afternoon of the summit, a few families decided to visit the gardens of the Shadegan Wildlife Refuge. Neither shrub nor plant was visible on the way there, as they drove along the streams, but as soon as they arrived at the garden, the entire group was overwhelmed by the lush, awe-inspiring vegetation and wildlife. There are infinite amounts of pockets of heaven on earth, some more heavenly than others, as the guide explained poetically:

• - Many claim this is the real garden from the Book of Genesis (Gen 0), the garden of the first man and woman. All around us are trees that are pleasing to the eye and good for food. Towards the middle of the garden, where we are heading, you will see the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The river that irrigates the garden begins right here, separating itself into four headwaters. The name of the first is Pishon; it winds through the entire land of Havilah, where there is said to be gold. Then there is the Gihon: it winds through the entire land of Cush; the Tigris, which runs along the east side of Ashur. And the last one is the Euphrates.

Eva started getting bored with all the names and details, and was soon devising a plan to slip away from the crowd. Luckily for her, there were too many security personnel. Too few and security is obsessive, too many and they become complacently relaxed. The guide went on:

• - As VIP visitors of this exclusive area, you are free to eat fruit from any tree, except for the apple trees in the middle of the garden, which you should not even touch; please respect the fences around them. Harmless wild animals may be spotted all over the grounds, and experienced bird watchers may spot rare creatures, impossible to find in any other place on earth.

She made it. Eva slithered through the trees and bushes and found herself roaming the garden freely. She found a mushroom and ate it like Alice would. Soon after she fell asleep under an apple tree. She woke when she heard someone scream nearby. She rushed over and saw a boy, a little older than herself, at the bottom of a huge Malus pumila tree, his arms around his abdomen, in pain.

• - What happened? Are you OK?

• - I fell and hurt myself. I was trying to climb the tree. It hurts a lot.

• - Where?

• - Right here – the boy said, pointing to the left. – I think I heard something crack.

• - Here, let me put some magic dust on it.

• - That’s not magic dust. It’s sand.

• - It’s not the sand that is magic silly, it’s me. Shh, let me do it. I can also go call the grown-ups.

• - No, it’s OK, stay with me, I’m scared. I already called my mother, with my watch.

• - Wow, that’s a fancy watch. It calls people?

• - Yes, when I push this here my mother knows exactly where I am.

• - If my mom finds out those things exist, I‘ll have to wear one too.

• - It’s cool, look... it has games.

• - Why did they paint a white bitten apple on the back of it? • - Maybe they were hungry – the little boy said, trying to laugh painlessly.

• - Hungry and foolish – Eva joked, joining the boy in silliness.

The hurt little boy was holding onto his ribs, trying not move as he pushed the emergency button on his watch again, but the battery died. • - I think I saw a snake, and tried to hide away. That’s why I was climbing the tree.

• - Look – Eva said – I have six fingers on each hand.

• - Six? No way!

Adamah took Eva’s hand, fascinated. To the left of her left pinky was a teeny stub of a finger with no nail, half the size of the other fingers.

• - That’s funny.

• - The doctors wanted to cut them off when I was born, but my daddy didn’t let them. He was born with one too, but they cut his off.

• - Why?

• - Grown-ups do lots of strange things.

• - My father has long hair. And he has a gun, a big gun. My father is the smartest of everybody. And my father...

• - My daddy is smart too.

• - Does he tell you the other side of stories?

• - What is that?

• - He says there’s always two sides to every story. He always tells me the other side of stories I hear at school.

• - Huh?

• - OK, tell me your favorite story.

• - Red Riding Hood.

• - I’ll show you a way to practice: I’m gonna tell you another version of your story, but this one is actually called red riding whore.

• - You can’t say that, that’s a bad word.

• - I know, but that’s the name of the story. I’ve never told anybody, because no one lets me say what I need to say to tell them the story.

• - And can you tell me?

• - OK, but you have to let me say the bad word.

• - Why?

• - ‘Cause i’s part of the story.

• - OK.

Adamah sat up, cleared his throat and told Eva the story.

• - Once upon a time there was this wolf. Everybody called him The Big Bad Wolf because he smelled bad. But he was a nice wolf. One day he was walking in the forest and heard someone making a lot of noise. He rushed over and found a little girl singing and yelling. He told her how to behave, and reminded her that she was walking in a forest and some animals in the forest sleep during the day. She was very rude: she said she wasn’t allowed to talk to strangers. Then she turned her back to him and plucked some beautiful flowers out of the ground. He was furious, thinking to himself: A stranger? Me?! This is my forest! I’m not a stranger! She must be Grandma Fanny’s granddaughter! Because Grandma Fanny had told her friend the wolf how disrespectful her granddaughter was. She complained her mother hadn’t taught her the basic rules of the forest. So the wolf ran to Grandma’s house in a hurry and she let him in for some tea, as I said they were good friends. He knew Grandma loved games and he would play with her often. Grandma pulled out a chess board, ready to play, but the wolf told her what had happened. Then, he told Grandma: Let’s play a different game today Grandma Fanny. You hide in the closet and I’ll dress up like you. Then, when she comes to visit, I will tell her how to behave in the forest!. Grandma loved the idea, because she had always wanted to be an actress, so she hid in the closest. Sure enough, Little Red Riding Whore knocked on the door and came in. She immediately started being rude to her Grandma, telling her she had big ears and a big nose, and when she mentioned how ugly her teeth were, the wolf lost his calm and screamed that he would eat her. He was joking of course, just trying to scare her so she would behave. Grandma was giggling in the closet. The little girl ran away and came back with a hunter who chased the friendly wolf away. Grandma was very sad, but nobody believed her when she said it was all just a game. The wolf had to leave the forest to never be seen again. The end.

• - That’s not the story I heard in school.

• - This is the other side of the story Eva. My father told me this story. He tells me many stories from the other side. It’s fun, you should try.

• - Can your daddy tell me stories like that?

• - No – the boy answered, sad.

• - Why not?

• - He left last night, for the war.

• - Last night?

• - Yes, after the party we were at. I saw you there.

• - You were at the party yesterday?

• - Yes, my father was invited, he is an important man. Very important. Where we live he is on TV and everything. He is the smartest of everybody.

• - My daddy also. I bet mine is on TV more than yours.

• - Well... in the next months yes, for sure, as my father won’t be on TV because he is going to the war.

• - What war?

• - I don’t know – he said, chin dropped, eyes bubbling up. – Some war, somewhere. He says it’s his duty.

• - Are you scared?

• - About what?

• - I don’t know.

• - I’m not scared, but I don’t want my father going anywhere.

They sat in silence underneath the tree as Eva ate her apple. She offered some to Adamah but he refused, saying it was not allowed. Eva licked apple juice from her lips.

• - Adamah, I want to ask you something

• - No more stories, it’s your turn.

• - I want a kiss.

• - What? No, that’s disgusting. I can’t! I’m too old! I’m bigger than you.

• - But you are still a boy.

• - OK then, but promise not to tell anybody. Never tell father, OK?

• - It’s our secret. It will be our secret. Do you promise not to tell anyone as well?

• - I promise.

• - Who closes their eyes?

• - What do you mean?

• - One of us has to close their eyes, that’s how we know it’s a magical kiss.

• - Oh. I’ll close mine then, but be quick!

Eva reached over, added extra fruit juice to her lips, took a deep breath, closed her eyes and giggled, then stuck her lips to his. She didn’t let go. It was not a short kiss. Not quick in any measure. Not innocent. Hearts raced way over 100 beats per minute. Electricity, magnetism, a single phenomenal force: Electromagnetism. Lightning, Static heat. Volts. Charge. Discharge. Electric potential at a certain point in space. Intermolecular forces between individual atoms and molecules in matter. Quantum mechanics, orbital shapes and the influence of atoms, their electrons bound by the electromagnetic force to atomic nuclei.

All grown-up talk, really: it was just a kiss, at least on this dimension we call today. Life is so simple. A little boy, a little girl. Laughing and loving, trying to figure out the world.

• - Is that alright?

• - As long as you don’t tell the Big Bad Wolf!

• - I promise, it’s our secret. I wish you also had six fingers.

• - I like having five, everybody has five fingers.

• - Boring...

They giggled themselves back to sleep.