On the planet Aridian, no one knows the colour green. Aridian is a vast desert, where the relentless heat of the sun is scorching, the land arid, the water scarce and the soil covered by a thick layer of dust makes it a barren place where plants can barely grow and develop, and the few that exist are weak with thorns and a sad greyish colour.
The absence of the colour green is not only a characteristic of the planet, but also a symbol of the hopelessness of its inhabitants.
In this desert, people live in underground tunnels to protect themselves from the extreme heat, winds and dust. Life is hard, and every day is a struggle to find food and water. The few inhabitants of Aridian are survivors, and they have forgotten that their world was once full of life and colour.
In this place, a girl named Mina lives with her grandfather in one of these tunnels. One day while looking for something to entertain herself and exploring the darker corners of her underground home, Mina found an old, crumpled piece of paper with a nearly worn drawing on it. On the drawing was a small, leafy tree, an unfamiliar plant with leaves of a strange colour. Intrigued, Mina took the drawing to her grandfather and asked him what was on it and what the unknown colour was.
Her grandfather, with the nostalgic smile of bygone days, told her the story of the drawing. -This drawing was given to me when I was a child by my grandfather, who had previously received it from his grandfather. He told me incredible and unknown stories about Aridian, he told me of tall trees with abundant green leaves growing in the earth, of rivers and lakes full of crystal clear water, and of a clear sky. Green, that's the colour you ask me about, is the colour of life, nature and also of optimism.
Mina listened attentively as her grandfather continued to narrate. -In my grandfather's stories, the climate was different, there were plants growing everywhere, and the trees were home to many animals. The colour green was the symbol of beauty and happiness.
Mina's grandfather sighed and looked at the picture sadly. -But in time the trees ceased to exist, people turned to destroying instead of creating, and nature began to die and become sick. The planet changed and gradually became a great desert. The winds became stronger, dust covered the plants and the colour green disappeared, and with it, almost all life on the surface.
Mina was fascinated by her grandfather's stories and from that moment on she began to dream of a different world. A world where green would once again be the predominant colour and where plants would grow in every corner of the planet.
Mina looked at the drawing with new eyes, understanding the importance of the colour green for life. -Grandfather, what was the name of the tree?
-This little tree was called "Hope", and it is a sign of life that represents the possibility of a better future, and keeps us alive with the illusion that if we can bring back the green maybe we can bring life back to our world. We must hold out hope Mina, that one day we will be able to bring colour back to Aridian.
In that instant Mina decided something, one day she would find a way to make the trees grow back in her world and in this way bring back the joy and illusion to her people 💚.
“This post is taking part in the t2 x Bonsai x Stack writing challenge”
