Tales of memories
Translation from "souvenirs souvenirs"
2 – The present
She was looking at the great Christmas tree, smiling. She spent a lot of time to decorate it. It was shining; its round balls reflected the room's light. Some tinsels found their way between branches. A gold star was on the top of the tree, looking to the heavens.
- Mother? When may I open the presents ? Asked the little girl.
- Wait a moment, said her mother. It is not midnight yet.
The night was dark, and it was snowing outside. There was a little wind, so snowflakes fell with some angle.
The girl put her face in front of a window. Some condensation appeared near her mouth, and she put her hand upper of her eyes to observe outside. The snowman was always here, but it began to disappear, slowly, under the new snowflakes.
- Your sister is already asleep, murmured her mother, in her seat.
- Can we open the presents ? Asked again the girl.
- Not yet. Come here and eat something !
The little girl sat down, angry. This meal was a party's dinner with luxurious recipes, but artificial food was not for this girl. The dry meat and machine-make vegetables weren't good enough for her taste. Her mother forced herself to eat something obviously. She was loosing her appetite. Her mind was busy, elsewhere. One day, the girl saw her, alone in her room, crying.
- I'm not hungry! Shouted the girl, seriously.
- We're lucky to eat such a meal tonight.
This year, like the others before, bad weather and cold destroyed the harvests. Food was becoming uncommon; Plants weren't growing anymore before winters. Even greenhouses weren't able to produce enough for all people.
- Give the meal to other people, said the girl.
- Don't be insolent! Shouted her mother.
- Umpf…
The little girl came to the great clock, hooked on a wall. It said exactly 11.57 P.M. Tree minutes yet. She was nervous, excited. Her sister was also upset some hours before, but she was asleep now, in one sofa.
11.59. P.M. !
- Mother! It's hardly midnight, cried the girl.
- OK, you won. I give you your present.
The girl ran to her mother, and she was given a little gold box. She opened it and she saw a very fine jewel, an hair jewel. It was in white gold, in a pirate style: a rounded skull with two bones bottom. Her mother put it in her red hair.
- Merry Christmas, Emeraldas, said her mother with gentleness
- Thank you Mother. I wanted it, this one! Mother? Are you thinking?
- Never mind. You shall go to bed!
Emeraldas left her Mother but she saw this man coming in. He was a scientist. He spoke very quickly, and the girl understood only a few words.
"Robotize" "Death sun" "Only way"
What was that? Why her mother and this man were speaking during Christmas? Emeraldas didn't know.
Before going to bed, Emeraldas looked at herself in a mirror. She was more serious with this new jewel.
- Now, I am Emeraldas the pirate! She said, like in a game.
She went to bed but she remembered what her Mother said some days before : Soon the end of the planet Rametal will come.
Today, only this jewel was important.
