Entry #41

2009
by Canterbury Soul


Where am I?

Why am I here?

Who am I?

I gaze at the CNN TV. The newscaster rants about the gloom in recent history:

- 2001, 911 attacks; 2002 to 2003, SARS; 2003 to 2008, H5N1 deaths; 2004, Indian Ocean tsunami; 2005, Katrina struck U.S.; 2008, Sichuan quake, global financial meltdown. Now, more bad news. There are official reports of an unknown pandemic across the nations which confound medical experts with its agent – a neurological virus that can apparently inflict serious…

She becomes silent and appears baffled on screen. She takes stock of her surroundings for a while. She mutters:

- Wh…Where am I? Wh…Why am I here?

She stands and leaves the newsdesk.

I feel a tug at my sleeve. I turn to my right. A little girl is holding my hand. She asks:

- Daddy, Mummy, where’re we going?

- I don’t know her. Do you? says the woman next to her.

I have no idea who they are. I shake my head before observing the multitude. It seems I am moving in the same direction like the rest, up these escalators. I see armed soldiers with maroon helmets guiding the human traffic. I pull one close and ask:

- What’s happening? Where am I going?

- Do you remember anything at all? Anything?

I stare at him. He looks at me. There is a long pause.

- Yes. It’s 2009.

- Good. You are heading for hope, says the soldier, smiling.