Harbingers—It’s Nice to Have a Choice
15 January 2020“Harbingers” is an ongoing series of articles, stories, and reflections by Bhante Sujato on living in the age of global warming.
“Well, at least you get a choice, so fess up.”
“Oh my god, don’t!”
“But I want to.”
Sharon laughed. Her big sister wouldn’t let up.
“Who is it to be? Anthony or Scott?”
“You know it doesn’t even work like that, right? I mean, just because I choose one of them doesn’t mean anything’s gonna happen.”
Mags just giggled and chomped another handful of popcorn. On the screen, the heroine leaped over an impossible chasm, landing in the middle of a group of burly soldiers, who she promptly demolished. The sisters whooped, “Go, girl!” It was a silly YA adventure, but a fun diversion. The theatre was full, which, given the crappiness of the film, was probably a world first. But no-one was really there for the story. It was hot outside, and the kids were getting some relief in the air-con.
“Now, let’s break it down. Scott has history. He’s a jackass, everyone knows that. After what happened two summers ago? Please. And BTWs, not that cute.”
“As if I would be so shallow. Mum and dad like him.”
“Another point in Anthony’s favor.”
“He is cuter.”
“Right!”
“I mean, it’s a low bar.” They giggled some more. Some guy yelled at them from a few rows down, “Shard the fargub or shaaz ya wooza!” A couple of well-aimed popcorns put a stop to that, but anyway, they settled in for a few minutes to watch the film. The heroine had been captured and bound in the villain’s lair. It looked like all was lost. But wait! It was a ruse all along! She had arranged to be trapped and forgotten in the corner, where she listened in on all their dark plots.
“But with Anthony, it’s just, I never know what he’s about. He comes across like a nice guy, but I don’t know if there’s a lot of there there, ya know?”
“Yeah, nah. It’s like, he’s all Mr. Virtue one day, but when anything gets serious, he always seems to be somewhere else.”
“Like, I don’t want to make too big a deal of it. I mean, everyone does it. But it is my first time, so.”
“God, you innocent virgin,” laughed Mags, loud enough for a couple of rows to hear.
“Shut it, or I swear …”
“Yeah? You swear what, exactly?”
Sharon tipped the bucket of popcorn over Mags, and they both collapsed in hysterics. Meanwhile, the heroine escaped from her bonds and wreaked bloody vengeance on her captors. But it was bittersweet, for her beloved had come in a doomed attempt to save her, only to be ambushed by the villain, who escaped leaving the beloved dying in his heroine’s arms. The poignancy of the moment was sadly lost on the two girls.
“Well,” said Mags when they had recovered, “you’re eighteen. It’s your choice.”
“Too bloody right it is.”
“And you’ll have to live with it.”
The sequel had been set up and the credits were rolling. They got up, rather reluctantly, and filed out to the foyer. They knew it wouldn’t be pleasant outside.
But things had gotten worse. The fires were coming in fast. The sky was red, and ashes blew horizontal. They looked out the window of the cinema, unsure what to do. The kids from the movie slowly gathered. As they watched, the mid-afternoon sun—that blazing unstoppable Australian sun—went dark and vanished altogether. The red turned to black. The ashes were now glowing embers, swirling in the gloom. Without warning there was a crack; something had exploded. The kids looked at each other nervously. The sisters held each other’s hands. Then another crack, and then, right in front of them, lightning smashed down on a telephone pole. They leapt back, suddenly terrified. There was a roar, like a sucking sound. It stopped for a second. Then of a sudden, fire surged above the buildings. Like a wall of liquid nightmares, all black and burning, it ripped through the town, levelling buildings, tossing cars in the air, annihilating everything.
They watched in frozen horror, unbelieving. Then the window smashed and the fire came for them. Screaming they ran. Some of them made it back inside. Sharon was crying and shaking, holding her sister’s hand. Then she turned and saw: it wasn’t her sister. She’d grabbed some other girl’s hand in the rush.
“Mags,” she yelled. “Mags!” The doors to the cinema were shut, and no-one else was getting in. “Mags!” She pushed through the crowd, searching. She couldn’t find Mags.
The cinema was maybe the solidest building in town; somehow it survived. When they emerged an hour or so later, the rest of the town was gone. There was nothing left, just smoking wreckage. Mags was gone, all the kids outside were gone. They never found the bodies; there’s not much left from a thousand degree firestorm.
After the roar and the chaos, a peace had settled over the place; the peace of nothing left to lose. The kids stepped out front of the cinema. The air was breathable, as long as they used their masks, of course. And light was returning, still red, but enough to see.
It happened so fast. She knew it was going to be a hot day; when it cracks fifty, it’s never pleasant. It’s not as if they hadn’t seen that before. When she left her house, though, she thought she’d spend a couple hours in the cool. She just wanted to have some fun. She never thought. The fire took everything: her house, her sister, her family, her friends, her town. All in a few minutes of insane inferno.
One of the kids checked the news on their phone, and put it on speaker for them. “This just in, a message from the office of the Prime Minister, Scott Morrison. Given the extreme conditions over much of Australia, the election scheduled for tomorrow is cancelled. The Government regrets that with the disbanding of all emergency services, it is not in a position to provide aid for citizens affected by unpredictable weather patterns. Speaking from his home in Honolulu, the Prime Minister expressed confidence that the situation will return to normal, and reiterated his position that the Government cannot be held accountable for disasters that no-one could have forseen. His hopes and prayers are with you in your difficult times. In the meantime, however, he announces that the Constitution is suspended. No elections will be held until the safety of the people is guaranteed. As of now, Australia is under martial law.”
“So I suppose I don’t get to choose after all,” said Sharon, to nobody in particular.