Why am I writing this? I know how it started but I can’t say how it finished. Is this the most important moment for humankind? All of these questions come to my mind now that I’m going back to the primordial matter, and I will cease to be me.
Having been many things that start and finish in a moment, I wonder if I will be something now that I’m about to end.
I hear shouts in the streets, hallucinated words, the crying of the dying and drunk men singing.
I had never seen or heard anything like that and I will never do again. Everything started in a simple way. It had been a day like any other, when workmen went to work, wearing their overalls and their packed lunches.
They did something they call work where you move your fingers and muscles until the clock on the wall tells them to stop.
Nobody noticed the sun, rising on a side and going down the other, as it had been doing for billions of years. Primitive man worshiped it, the Inca made a toast of chicha from the highest points in the Andes, while some others offered the flesh and hearts of men.
Our father sun had decided to eliminate us, perhaps because he didn’t have any more chicha and hearts.
He would leave our toasted ashes in the cosmic cloud, as a reminder of the children of the sun.
On that particular day, the news travelled fast everywhere. I had just got dressed, when the radio program was interrupted. Someone said: “Attention! Attention! Extra! Extra!!! Extra!!!”
I thought they wanted to sell soap for washing clothes.
“…northern lights in all regions, including the tropics. Several observatories around the world have tried to explain the phenomenon as a dense fog has descended over the earth, and the seas have receded. We’ll keep you informed of any more developments.”
I heard more news while cutting my sausages. A plane had fallen down in the sea and a coach full of football fans had crashed in the mountains. The maid appeared by my side, looking worried.
“You must see this,” she said.
On looking out of the kitchen window, I noticed dense fog in the street. The neighbouring houses had disappeared, while shadows moved within the clouds like lost angels, and cars drove slowly in the whiteness enveloping the world.
I had not paid much attention to the news that morning, but as the maid went back to her duties, I listened to the radio again. I would look for the northern lights in Wikipedia before leaving for my job.
The local television station had been put together with the national radio as the world had never seen anything like that.
Everyone talked at the same time in a studio full of people, before a little man imposed the order.
“We bring you information about the rare things happening to the world,” he said. “Fog has invaded the country, and airplanes have been declared in emergency. We don’t know what has happened to them.”
A scene of total chaos appeared in the screen, as motorists crashed with each other in the harsh conditions, and then I noticed lights amidst the clouds.
That had to be the northern lights.
I had forgotten all about my breakfast as I heard the news again. The White House had declared the USA in state of emergency and rumours circulated that a terrorist had planned the whole thing.
It might be a perfect excuse to stay at home.
Reverend Marcos came in the screen speaking of God's power to stop all the tragedies.
"I must comfort the people," he said.
As the lamp in the lounge moved, I thought something had to be wrong but the man kept on talking.
“Attention,” the presenter said. “We have had a small tremor. Attention!”
Leaving my chair, I had to hold the table to keep my stability,and as I made my way through the lounge, the whole world moved around me, clouds of dust rising in the air.
