Three weeks have passed since the nuclear bomb struck the US. Estimated death toll about 5 million. Remarkably, the Americans had the same idea as us and built their own dome, but obviously not everyone was as lucky as us. These weeks have been a hell of a lot easier for me, not only due to the nuclear threat being almost over due to technology my father invented to neutralise the radioactive material floating its way over to us via the gulfstream, but I had been deemed mentally stable and I got Mattie and my friends back. For now, I remain the mayor of the greenhouse, but it’ll be back to normal once we are able to leave. I’m not sad that I’ll be losing my position; I’m not really into politics, it bores me, but I realised it would be an amazing thing to put on my university reference… “I saved the country from certain fatality by radioactivity poisoning.” That’ll get my a place in uni right?
I stand dressed in a black suit looking out of the large French windows in my office. I could see the public assembling around a green piece of land.
“Ready?” I hear a voice from behind me
“I guess so.” I said, not turning around
I felt arms go around my back and hug me. Leaning my head back, I kiss Mattie, at which point I turn around and take a deep breath. Mattie looked stunning. It’s not often she wears dresses, but considering the occasion, it made sense.
“You look very smart by the way” she complimented
“And you look beautiful” I responded with a small smile, to which we kissed again.
“Don’t forget your notes, and remember the techniques we went through.”
“I’ll remember”
We walk hand in hand out of my office, through the town hall and outside towards the mass of people waiting. A pathway was made for us as we walked towards the green area. I could see my mother and my father standing near the large red ribbon set up. I could see they were trying to hide their emotions, as I was. When I arrived to the lectern, which had microphones installed onto it, I let go of Mattie and too my place in front of the community. Before talking, I took a breath and placed my notes on the top of the lectern and took a swig of water to clear my throat.
“Today we are gathered here to celebrate the opening of this special garden. As we all know, a month or so ago Lily Gardner tragically lost her life whist mountain biking. Lily was an amazing girl who cared deeply for her friends and family. She had always a flair for writing, soon to graduate from university with a Creative Writing degree, from which she would spend her time writing play-scripts, novels and poems. Not only this, but Lily was a keen supporter of wildlife and conservation, writing articles for conservation charities such as Endangered Species International and the WWF. So when thinking about how to honour her, I decided that this garden would be highly suitable. So I am proud to present Lily’s Paradise.”
Stepping down from the lectern, I took the pair of scissors and cut the ribbon, allowing people to visit the gardens. The lush, green grass was trimmed to a perfect height bordered by plant species such as roses and petunias. The grass led up to a large magnificent and majestic fountain which pumped and recycled tens of gallons of water. The most touching feature for me were the lilies which lay in the pool of the fountain. I stood by the edge, joined by my parents and Mattie. My father put a hand on my shoulder, I’m assuming proud of what I have achieved and the tribute to my sister. A tear jumped into my eye as I smiled at the expanse of greenery. I decided the dome that I nicknamed “the greenhouse” would actually serve as a greenhouse under the title of “Lily’s Paradise” where people could walk and have an enjoyable day out. I hired a team of gardeners to keep the area in good shape while I was away and a team of scientists will be taking on the role of weather maintenance. The all clear was given for people to leave the dome via teleporters and the exits, if they wished within the month.
I feel I’ve learnt much from my experiences in the last month or two, how relationships can mould the way people behave and that some people are utter arseholes who only care about the lucky few. All in all though, the biggest thing I learnt was from my late sister, which I could see engraved on her memorial plaque. It said, “Life is like a rollercoaster, there are twists, turns, ups and downs. Sometimes, it can make you feel sick and it always throws you in a new direction; but if you haven’t enjoyed the ride at the end of the day, you’ve wasted your money.”
