"Mumma!"Reagan, my eight years old daughter cheered as soon as I got back home. "Good evening Harley" Mrs Lins, Reagan's babysitter said with a smile. "good evening mrs Lins." I replied returning the smile and opening my arms for Reagan.
She ran into my arms and I picked her up "How was your day princess peach?" I asked Reagan, as I walked us to the sofa. "It was wonderful mommy, actually extra amazing. Do you know why?" She asked getting off my lap to sit beside me. "Mmm because your teacher showed you snow flakes?" I said. It stopped snowing around thirteen years ago. Well in all honesty snowfalls were never the name after the first wave of destruction, but at least I was lucky enough to witness snowfalls and play in the real snow for three times in twenty nine years of my life. Children these days see and touch artificial snow flakes for the study purpose only. Cause it's necessary for them to know what humanity has lost over the course of one hundred and eighty eight years. Yeah knowing that we lost real snow flakes is more necessary than understanding that half of us have actually lost our humanity too, because of the very government who swore to restore at least some of what earth used to be.
"How do you know?" She asked, completely astonished. "You told me last week that this week your teacher will show you'll snowflakes,remember?" I replied.
"Oh yes!" she giggled and slapped a hand on her forehead "anyways mommy! those those snowflakes they were-they were just like you described gaunt, soggy, fluffy, cool and magickal. I wanted to bring a handful for you, Jax and nana too,but ms. Jessica said that they would melt away before I even reach home. So I didn't bring them home, but I promise when I'll grow up, I'll buy a snowflake making machine and then you,me, nana and Jax will make lots of snowflakes." whenever she talks about how amazing it would be when she'll grow up and bring home a bigass snow flakes making machine so that we could play in snow, like she has seen me playing in some of the videos that my parents shot when I was fifteen makes my heart ache for my little girl. Knowing that walking in forests, seeing huge waterbodies in real life not just in photos, playing in the sun that will not pierce our skin the moment its rays touch us, walking freely out of the damn dome that we all leave in, will never be possible if we never reach to Drarth K1, if that planet doesn't supports life. Makes me feel like an awful person that I'm that we all have become.
"And what if by the time you grow up it starts snowing again. What if we don't need to buy snowflake making machine." I asked raising an eyebrow, giving her another false hope that our governments gives us every year, that every parent in privileged society like the one we live in gives to their children unknowingly. That someday things will be different, that one day we'll be able to walk in the sun without being afraid of getting burned, that one day when we'll walk out of these domes we'll see trees and grasses not desert.
She thought for few moments before answering "ahh I never thought of that!" she replied."Then just imagine you are standing in garden and all of sudden it starts snowing. And in few minutes our garden gets covered with snow. Wouldn't it be better than making snowflakes, than artificial snow?" how easy is it to show your children dreams that you know can break anytime.
"It would be so beautiful. And-and then we will make snowman, I mean you will teach me making snowman first and then you,me,Jax and nana we all will make a snowman together and-and I'll invite Sonya, Erica and Maya too. Wow it would be so much fun." Reagan replied, her eyes dreamy and a smile plastered on her face. Yes we all are terrible terrible people. Politicians are terrible because that choose to lie, because feeding people lie is easier and safer than telling them the truth and facing their wrath in form riots. People like me are terrible because we choose to close our eyes, because we choose to shut out mouth and let people believe in the lies of the government and then feed those same lies to their kids. Others are terrible because unknowingly they choose to show their kids dreams that might shatter.
"Yes it would be fun, now go and complete your homework Reagan and let mom have some rest. In half and hour we will have our dinner by that time finish your homework." mrs. Lins said to Reagan, as she gave me my coffee. "Thank you" I told her with a smile before turning my attention back on Reagan "you haven't completed your homework today princess peach?" I asked Reagan tilting my head slightly and raising an eyebrow. Reagan pouted and shook her head.
"May I know why" I asked again.
"I didn't want to, homework is boring" Reagan replied with a playful giggle. "Yeah studies are very boring but the martial arts isn't, right Reagan" now that caught me off guard what am I missing here? when I looked at Reagan, she just gave me a 'sorry mom' smile and ran upstairs. Then I looked at mrs. Lins to fill me in "She joined martial arts class today of course with Sonya, these two are inseparable." mrs. Lins replied with an eye roll. "Martial arts what?" I kept my coffee mug on the center table "she's eight, how did she got herself enrolled without adult supervision."
"She asked Sonya's mother to get her enrolled too." mrs. Lins replied as a matter of fact. "And just like that mrs. Green got her enrolled too, she didn't thought that she should at least ask me first. Wow her grades are already poor, now I don't know what she'll do" I said. "Well you see our Reagan is a skilled liar, it's hard to tell when she's lying. Plus she had Jax as her back up" mrs. Lins said tying her grey hairs in a bun.
"Jax, of course" I should have known. He's the one who is spoiling her, I so need to talk to him personally about Reagan and other stuffs. He's the only person who might be able to help me now.
Just then our doorbell rang. "I'll see" I told mrs. Lins and walked to the door.
"Jax, what are you doing here"
"Hey Daina" he said stepping in and waving at mrs. Lins. "Good evening mr. Hawthrone" mrs. Lins replied. He turned back to me "where's Reagan, I brought cinnamon rolls. You know I was passing by a shop and then" he waved cinnamon rolls pack in front of me "its delicious aroma called me. So I thought 'hey why not buy some for Reagan after all she loves it' plus I wanted to have a little chit-chat with you, so this gives me the perfect reason to stop by."
"So where's my little cinnamon roll, anyways" he turned back to Mrs. Lins and asked her. "Completing her homework, give that packet to me I'll serve these to her after dinner. I'm sure she'll love this surprise" Mrs. Lins said with a bright smile and took the packet from Jax.
"Yeah that would do, so" Jax once again turned towards me "can we take a walk? I wanted to talk about something and it might take a hour so it would be better if we talk and take a walk too."
"Okay by my side. Mrs Lins you and Reagan can go on with your dinner plan, don't wait for me." I said. Mrs Lins nodded and I left for the walk with Jax.
"Let me guess Burke called your father and talked about me. Which I'm sure was all in negative context" I said after few minutes. I knew Jax just as well he knew me, he wanted me to pick up this conversation, to talk about the stunt I pulled today. He knew I guessed why did he come tonight and what he exactly wanted to talk about, discussing today's meeting near Mrs. Lins would have revealed a lot more than anyone wants, considering very few people know about earth's ultimate fate.
"Nope, he didn't call my father" Jax said stretching his hands in front of him,he looked up at the starless sky "instead he came to meet dad directly. And nopes he didn't actually tried to portray you as a villain, he just tried to portray to as an impulsive scientist who now is so desperate that she'll go as far as threatening to expose governments all around this world, just for achieving her ambitious goals."
"So what did you wanted to talk about?"
"I wanted to know if it is true. I know how desperate you are for this mission to finally happen, so I know ninety percent of what Burke said is true. But I want to know, if you actually did this foolishness, if you actually threatened the authorities!"