Today, the sky is clear enough to see the nearest town from these mountain tops. Every kid from the village was laying flowers on their hands, waiting and expecting, as it is a major component of our everyday existence.
Even though I'm young, I quickly understood that we can not make a lot happen, we just wait until stuff happens to us: wait for people with electric cars to show up, expect people's eyes to become friendly enough , and maybe offer us some money.
My name is Saïd. My life consists of collecting flowers in the morning, bringing them here, waiting for tourists to take a break at the roadside so we can offer them, and hopefully... receive some money.
Ever since the government stopped helping us, kids from other villages started fighting with us a lot more. Everybody was eager to get something for his parents at sunset.
Things are spiraling out of control—petty theft has turned into outright robbery, and adults got bit by bit involved in kids' hostilities.
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As soon as the little van appeared, everybody got up and headed towards the road. After a fierce fight, Saïd secured his spot on the front so he could peacefully watch the van approach.
Hopeful eyes were on the little van, waiting and imagining: the number of people, how they look and how much money they have.
It finally stopped.
The crowd retracted bit by bit as the van loomed larger before those tiny eyes, then the door opened like a temple gate leading to the unknown.
Until that moment, only darkness could be perceived. Inside, aged , badly bronzed legs were agitating.
Those repulsive limbs began to emerge, and the little crowd shrank back to hopefully attract some mercy out of those monstrosities.
All the efforts didn't improve the sight… Attached to those limbs was the greatest horror of all: their faces!
In a blink of an eye, all the creatures lined up. Each kid meticulously scrutinized
their appearances: bruises, patches of blond hair clinging to their decaying skin. They were trying desperately to catch any sign of sympathy.
The tourists kept looking with a degrading stare, as if expecting some form of worship.
Saïd, in contrast, seemed detached. This time, it felt like his dream had reached its end.
He had waited so long for that young blond lady he'd seen online to appear, and fly him to his dreamland. Now, Saïd understood that all he was getting were those expired pieces of meat. A mass of anxiety formed inside as he kept smiling and handing out flowers.
He hated every day of this unavoidable burden, yet he returned, hoping she would come someday.
Today, Saïd knew his only reason to return would be for money.
His movements slowed; he cared less and less about the tourists as everyone now pushed him aside to get in front.
....What now? Does this even matter? I'll live the rest of my life for this little money?….
Saïd ironically remembered his uncle gibberish on the dining table; gibberish he couldn't understand and his mother didn't seem to care about. The Only phrase that kept ringing inside his head was:
.... All those ladies are stuck inside a factory unable to live, or think, or even have some time for themselves, all we're going to see is there liberal corporate overlords who are allowed to live and travel…"
But none of that mattered now: his uncle had been chased out of the house, Saïd would probably never see the blond lady, and he still needed to bring some money home each sunset.