Story What will today bring?
Author: Chrissi Nerantzi
Something is burning my eyelids.
I open my eyes and look around.
Where am I? Sea, sun and hot sand. A beach?
What is all that noise?
How did I get here?
Where are Mummy and Daddy?
Where is Hope?
The noise is getting louder and louder.
I want to go home.
I close my eyes and imagine.
It all came back to me.
Broken houses. Broken people.
Trying to swim, in the water, clinging on… a piece of wood. Mummy, Daddy? Hope?
What happened next?
I can't remember.
Who are these people?
Why do I not understand them?
A little girl gives me her teddy.
I am holding on to teddy.
With both hands.
I am looking around. And around.
Where is my Mummy? Daddy? Hope?
My eyes fill up, like the sea.
They become the sea.
Where are we going?
I am in a room with pictures.
Happy pictures.
Mountains of toys. Clothes. Food.
Girls and boys with sad eyes.
Where are Mummy and Daddy?
Hope? I still feel their warmth.
But they are not here.
I run out of the room.
I keep running and running.
No familiar faces. None.
People are crying, others laughing.
“We made it,” they shout.
I hold on to teddy.
I hold on and look around.
It is just me.
Nobody I know.
Nobody.
Suddenly a familiar voice reached my ear...
I turned around.
My eyes lit up.
I run. With teddy. It was Hope.
My heart started beating again.
She squeezes me hard and doesn't let go.
We look out to the sea.
Hope shows me a picture.
We just sit there.
In silence. With teddy.
It got dark and then light again.
“What will today bring?” I ask Hope…