A drop of water

Part 5

We’ve got to New York in a day. The rain slightly drummed on the window of our hotel room. I couldn’t sleep. Thoughts about what might happen tomorrow filled my head. The conference about the ocean problems was set for tomorrow. That’s why we came here. We’ve attended any such thing since the accident.
What will they say tomorrow? What can the say? Probably, another speech how everything is under control and we shouldn’t worry. But I don’t want to think about right now, so force myself to think about something else instead. And the first thought I have is about mum. What she looked like. How beautiful was her smile. Of course I don’t remember it; I just watched a lot of old photographs with her on them. And with time the image of her became one of my own memories. But the thing I actually remember about her is her smell. I loved that smell. She smelled of dandelions and of strawberries. And sometimes she smelled of books. Yes, new books. Though nowadays you can rarely see somebody reading printed books.  But dad told us that she did, and that she loved printed books.
- Hey, - I hear someone says to me. – Get up dear one. Or we are going to be late.
Reluctantly, I open my eyes. Dad stands before me and smiles.
- Come on. Get up, - he repeats and leaves.
- What time is it? – I ask Ann, who’s half ready.
- Half past seven. Get up, princess.
- Not that we are going to find out something new, - I growl, but get up anyway.
In an hour we are already there, getting up on the second floor. There are a lot of people inside. They are taking notice now, not when the ocean was dying. And I start to hate them even more.
We sit down and wait for the ceremony to start.
- Do you girls want some coffee?
We nod. So he stands up and disappears in the crowd. He looks so exhausted after driving here all day. And no doubt he didn’t have any sleep at night. I sigh. He definitely could use coffee. As we all are.
Dad’s back with 3 cups of coffee. I take one and settle down. Soon the ceremony will start and I’ll need a lot of calmness.
The curtain rises. The crowd goes silent. The person on the stage starts talking. But I don’t listen to him: it’s the same thing that I hear every day on TV. And after formalities he at last begins to share some real information:
- I know that everybody had a hard time after the accident. So I am, as the representative of the Global committee, here to suggest you the solution to our problem. It’s still under development and will take some time. But, it’s yet the best one.
He paused for a second to make sure everybody is listening and then proceeded:
- So we thought, if a machine destroyed our ocean, why not to try to restore it with another machine. What if I tell you that we can make a machine that will take some of the water from seas, double it and then make a new ocean.
The crowd went wild. Some cheered, some laughed, some just sat astonished. The person on the stage started talking louder:
- I believe that together we can make it come true. We just need time and money, of course.
- How very interesting, - I hear the voice says louder than others. And then I understand that it’s actually my voice. Everyone stares at me now. So I stand up and say even louder:
- I suppose the money you want are our money.
I feel Ann’s hand on mine, trying to make me sit down. But I feel the adrenaline rushes up my veins and in that instant I am ready to say everything I ever thought but never said out loud.
He laughs a mocking laugh:
- And you are what? A girl of eighteen?
- This girl apparently knows more than some adults. You claim to be The Global committee. So where were you when our ocean died?
His smile faded. The crowd looked at me without blinking and trying not to breath.
- You and your committee or whatever killed our ocean and didn’t even blink. You never think of anybody except yourselves. And I hate you! – I shouted and then after a pause I whispered: - I hope you have nightmares at night.
These last words drown everything from me. And I felt empty and tired and… so light. I ran out of the room, feeling tears streaming down my face.
When I ran outside I saw that the world was so bright. The fresh wind blew on my face. I breathed, filling my lungs to capacity. And then I did the last possible thing I could do: I laughed. For the first time since my mother died. And it felt so good…