“Going on Alone” – Kadia Coopersmith Round One

Everything was going good. We were packed and ready to leave for Harmony. We even had Xaviar excited about the move. The flight left in three days. We were so close…

 George had to work late that night but called to tell me he would be late so I wasn’t worried when it was midnight and he still hadn‘t showed. And then came a knock on the door; a knock that changed everything. It was the police chief. Something had happened. There was a car bomb…I didn’t hear the rest, I was on my knees sobbing. One minute I had everything and the next I was a single mother. My college sweetheart – my love – my life, was gone.

The chief tried to say something – I couldn’t listen. I was sick, scared, dizzy. I ran upstairs and promptly hurled into the toilet. I sat there, leaning my head against the cold rim. I was alone. Me and Xaviar. Alone.

I could hear Xaviar waking up in the room.  I sat back.  I had to get it together.  For his sake.  I wiped my mouth, threw water on my face, went out and held Xaviar.

“Daddy?” He asked. I swallowed and kept myself together, “Daddy is going to be home late tonight honey. It’s just us two tonight, okay?”

“Okay.” He was used to his father’s late working hours. I would have to tell him the truth eventually, but not now. I just couldn’t handle it.

I went down and settled Xaviar in the living room. I noticed that the chief had left. I guess he knew there was nothing he could do. I went to the kitchen and made myself coffee, just something routine to do to let my mind start processing again. As I let the water poor through, my mind slowly began to work. I thought of Harmony. George had never told me why we had been chosen. Was it because of him, or me? If it was only because of George…no, I wouldn’t think like that. It had been George’s dream that Xaviar would have a future. And I was going to do everything in my power to make that dream happen. In three days, we *would* be on the flight to Harmony.

(note: I did not want George to die, I just had no choice. For some reason he became glitched and nothing I tried to do would fix him. I tried reseting, deleting, pretty much everything I could think of. So I had no choice but let Kadia go on without him.)

************

In Harmony

I held Xaviar and stood in front of our new house. It had been a long fight to get us there, but we were there. It was ours. I was the new environment administrator. I had to falsify a few documents and tell a few lies, but so be it. I knew about gardening and the environment. I would make it work. I walked up the pathway and into our orchard. Our home housed the main garden of the colony. Luckily I had grown up on a farm – before the soils became so polluted that nothing would grow - so I did know how to grow things. I held Xavair and stared up at the fruit tress. They were amazing – what you only saw in pictures in history books. They were so green and healthy. There were no decayed leaves, no rotten branches, not even any bug infestations. I realized, though, with some anxiety, that there were also so many trees. How would I look after them all, and the regular garden, all by myself? No, I decided, I wouldn’t worry about it. I would make it work.

Xavar squirmed in my arms, looking around him. I smiled at him, “What do you think?“

He squinted up at the clear sky, “Bright.“

 I laughed, “Yes, very bright. That’s what the sun looks like without smog.“

I set him down, and, taking his hands, let him take his first steps on real grass. He giggled and followed me. Yes, I would make things work.

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