
Looking Back In Fifty Years
Jesse and Jenna listened to Grandma’s recollection of the wildfires around Table Mountain, from fifty years before.
“At first, the weather changes were mild,” she said, breathing heavily through the oxygen mask. Her hand reached to her face to readjust it.
“There was a girl, about your age, begging the world to change their ways before it was too late. Some thought she was a brave hero. Others, unwilling to change their destructive lifestyles, made fun of her. A choice humanity could ill-afford.”
“When did you realise that something was wrong?” asked Jenna.
“It was a warm summer night. The South-Eastern was blowing away everything in its path. Locals called it the Cape Doctor.”
“Why?” Jenna asked.
“We believed that it blew away any signs of pollution. If you had ever been in its way, you would understand why,” she laughed.
“That evening our cat became restless and woke us. Thick smoke already filled the apartment. The heat was unbearable. The natural reserve behind our building was ablaze.” The girls gasped. “The sound of the fire was deafening. There was no time to waste. Grabbing your mom, who was a toddler, and the cat, we evacuated. We yelled to wake others.” Grandma took a long sip of her tea. “Sirens and flashing lights were everywhere. Grandpa ran to help to put out the fire. Every time someone entered the makeshift shelter, I thought it was him. We never saw him again.”
Grandma kept quiet for a long moment. She looked up at the girls. “The fire engines were no match for the burning fynbos and strong wind. It took days for the fire to be put out,” she said. “It was the first of many fires around the fynbos areas. The leaders were warned that global warming would cause wildfires and other disasters. They wouldn’t listen…” Grandma rubbed her frail hands together, deep in thought.
“Now we have to wear these lovely accessories,” Jesse smiled to lighten the mood. She pulled at her sister’s oxygen mask.
The girls helped Grandma into bed. She fixed her mask into place again.
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To Leave Comments - Please SignIn with GoogleHi Marianna – I really enjoyed reading your thought provoking story. It was a difficult reminder of the parallels within our current real world situation, but it’s great that you are prompting more awareness, and igniting this conversation. Nice work!
Thank you for your comment, Chris. I appreciate it. I am glad you enjoyed reading it.
Wow. Grandma’s approach is great to make her grandchildren aware of the effects of global warmings, such as wildfires and other disasters. I even smiled while reading. Good job, Marianna.
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To Leave Comments - Please SignIn with GoogleLotchie,thank you so much for your kind comment. I’m glad you liked the story!
You’re welcome, Marianna. You deserve it.
Wow! This story is so lovely. The beginning of the second paragraph is just like a writing prompt that I’m thinking of choosing. Writing at least a thousand words on it is where the challenge lies. Well done, Marianna.
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To Leave Comments - Please SignIn with GoogleThompson, thank you so much for your comment. I chose not to include the name of the ‘young girl’ (although I’m sure it is obvious who I was referring to ? ), because hopefully there will be more young people standing up against the destruction people are causing. Good luck with the story you want to write! It is such an important topic.
Yes, her person seems familiar only I can’t remember her name.
Hey Thompson – Her name is Greta Thunberg. You might want to read the new story by @Christer Norrlof, which tells us a lot about her.
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To Leave Comments - Please SignIn with GoogleYes, Christer has a great story on Greta. I found it very informative. I didn’t know much about her family-life or how it all started for her. I enjoyed reading his story very much.
Thanks, Marianna!
Thank you, Fuji.
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To Leave Comments - Please SignIn with GoogleIt’s so scary to think this as a possibility in a future for all of us and you depicted that wonderfully, Marianna!
I agree, Greene, it is scary. Thank you for your comment. I appreciate it.
Chilling story, Marianna.
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To Leave Comments - Please SignIn with GoogleYour story is much like a survivor’s memories of a war situation, having to break up and leave in the middle of the night, and later living like refugees far away. It’s a powerful presentation. I also learned something new in your story. I had to look up The Cape Doctor. Are you in South Africa?
Hi Christer, thank you so much for your comment. Yes, I am in the beautiful Cape Town in South Africa. I work a stone-throw away from the foot of Table Mountain. The Cape Doctor is a force to be reckoned with. If you ever have a moment, look up some videos of Cape Town’s Southeaster. In many videos you will see one of the main bus terminals in town, where people try… Read more »
Oh and I meant to add, I’ve been there many times trying to safely cross the street so I speak from experience when I say it is hilarious 🙂 It is literally easier to crawl than walk. When you are there, you cannot help but laugh, probably out of desperation too LOL!
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To Leave Comments - Please SignIn with GoogleYour story gave me a frightening look into the future of our planet if voices go unheard and action is not taken, Marianna. The winds you describe sound horrendous. I remember having to hold onto a lamp post as the wind took my feet from under me, one very windy night walking along Brighton seafront. But that is nothing to the winds you experience! A great story, well told.
Thank you so much for your comment, Linda. The scary thing is that when the wind blows like that, the fires spread so fast. People I know had to be evacuated (more than once) because of Table Mountain burning. The fire came right up to their homes. Thankfully their homes did not burn. In 2017 the Cape Argus bicycle tour had to be cancelled because the wind blew the bicycles over. This… Read more »
So disappointing for the participants but those winds are really dangerous. Thanks for sharing the clip!
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To Leave Comments - Please SignIn with GoogleHi Linda, you are welcome! Yes, some of the participants came from overseas and other parts of the country and they practice all year. I can imagine how disappointed they must have been.
Hello, I really liked the use of South African words and expressions. Fires are increasingly becoming the world’s climate change reality and your story describes eloquently the human cost of the fires from the burden of needing oxygen tanks to breathe to the loss of life because they can spread so rapidly and unpredictably. And if we aren’t burned by fires, we’re inundated by floods. When will it ever end.
Alan, thank you for your kind comment. I’m glad you liked our local lingo ? It is sad how often, after these natural disasters, people have nowhere else to go and have lost everything they owned, not to mention the loss of life of people and animals.
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