The old woman got up with a start. She had only dozed a moment, her dreams never quite taking shape this nap, but sometimes she felt she didn’t need them. Especially when more pressing matters were at hand.

“I hear you” she cried out the open window “ Thankyou”

The sun peeked out from the clouds and she stared at it directly. The radiance filled her and she closed her eyes and sighed.

The old woman, dressed in a knitted purple woollen dress, grabbed her straw hat and cane basket and made her way out of her mud brick house. She ambled down the pathway. Two mixed breed dogs bounded up to her and bounced around her with joy.

“yes, yes I know” she said as she negotiated the blissful canines, “ but I don’t want your kill, you know that”

The dogs barked at her and ran off, through the long grass.

“ you better not bring it in the house” she shouted after them.

A bark came back at her in acknowledgement.

“Ok” the old woman shook her head and smiled.

The vegetable garden was only forty yards from her house but it seemed to take an age these days to arrive. The gate was open. She shook her head again and made a little clucking noise.

“ you should be careful my lovely’s” she called out to the garden.

The plants shook. Leaves rustled and the lemon tree near the gate gave a flick of a branch and a lemon fell into her basket.

“why thankyou” she gave the tree a gentle smile as she continued to the zucchini plants, who were quivering their newly opened flowers.

“NANA”

she heard the voice but didn’t look around.

“BILLY?”

“Yes Nana, its me”

“where are you, I hope your alone” she bent over the zucchini plants and flicked the flowers gently. Pollen clouded off and spread across the patch as she softly blew.


“Yes Nana”

“yes... of course silly me, I forget these things”

“Nana?”

“Yes”

“what’s the internet?”

The old woman stopped.

She raised her head, and her eyes widened. She sighed.

“ I heard that they wanted to resurrect the internet”

The old woman stood up. She looked again at the sun. The clouds had built up and were now partly concealing it. She watched as the last beam disappeared.

The zucchini flowers closed around her.

The old woman huffed.

“Nana?”

“we don’t need it Billy”

“ but some say they do, that its an unfair advantage to not have it, that everybody should have the opportunity to speak over cosmos”

“well, it was a way that the people of the world had their opportunity to develop what we have Billy, but it was abused”

“abused?”

“ohhh…It’s a long story, but it’s the reason why Nana had to leave, and why we have to be careful”

“But Nana, the people seem so disconnected, and they say they remember a time of great excitement, a time of exponential connections…”

“and then they hunted us Billy, they realised we already had this without their technology. They got jealous. All the posturing of an ego-less self and becoming one, gave way to our prosecution. I don’t know if you understand yet, you are still young”

“I understand Nana, its in your heart”

“Then you can feel my fear, my running , my hiding, and that damned competition”

“Yes Nana”

“But I became stronger through this you know, the more of us who were killed in this event, the stronger the rest of us became. They didn’t realise that. They didn’t realise that energy would always find us”

“ I understand Nana. And you know the competition never meant to harm anyone, I can feel that”

The old woman sighed she looked back the sky and the sun emerged from the clouds. She smiled and sighed again.

“I know, they meant no harm. You are right, it wasn’t their fault. It was innocent enough but it started the damned Indigo Wars.” The old lady spat on the ground.
“I still feel a little knot about that damned Indigo War Writing Competition”

“I know Nana, I feel where my guts will grow”

“Anyway, Don’t you hurry out you hear, you still have three months till your ready to see this world, and stop eaves dropping, enjoy this time, you wont have it again for a long time”

“yes Nana, I hope your still around when I can speak”

“Well, that would be nice”

“Mums awake, bye Nana”


The old woman smiled. She looked back down at the flowers. They all were open now, facing her, shaking slightly.

“yes, yes, ok. I am back my lovely’s”

Originally posted by 2theC
It’s a long story, but it’s the reason why Nana had to leave, and why we have to be careful”

Quite amusing, and poignant at the same time.

We have to be careful here. Agreed.

Very well done. Thanks!

I really 'felt' this story, a connection to Nana, to her gardens. A beautiful story and well done.

Thankyou

It was a beautiful story and makes me miss my grandmother. I could feel the garden plants as she spoke to them, what a wonderful connection. Thanks for sharing it.

I hope you do well in the contest,

wupy

Captivating stOry 2theC!

THIS. Entry will briNg thE best. BehavioR out of. uS. Thanks. To GrandmaS. HerE.

Hearty. Tale!

I feel greatly chastised.

Having wrought upon this gentle earth the great war begun from a simple writing contest will forever be my claim to future infamy. Oh, the humanity... but enough about me.

The story was well grounded in visual effects. My mind's eye saw a dusty path and the old woman trudging down it. The war itself is mostly understated, but still present in the conversation between Billy and Nana. The focus primarily a criticism for the contest itself, which is fair.

It's always best to write what one knows and feels.

Originally posted by masqua
I feel greatly chastised.

Having wrought upon this gentle earth the great war begun from a simple writing contest will forever be my claim to future infamy. Oh, the humanity... but enough about me.

The story was well grounded in visual effects. My mind's eye saw a dusty path and the old woman trudging down it. The war itself is mostly understated, but still present in the conversation between Billy and Nana. The focus primarily a criticism for the contest itself, which is fair.

It's always best to write what one knows and feels.

Thankyou Masqua,
no chastising intended, it was just the first thing that came about, about the first i heard of any war...
and then it was, well what if...