My mother, on the phone, drops a bombshell.
"You do know that because of the global warming, all these polar bears and penguins in North and South Pole will be extinct by 2030, don't you."
She said that in a so matter-of-factly way. She didn't even leave any room for me to state that I don't believe in global warming. This declaration shut me up completely, I couldn't even say,
"No, I didn't, mum."
or,
"No, that coulnd't be true."
It only made me produce this great grief for losing all the penguins in South Pole (mum, there is no penguin in North Pole,) and 20 odd years from now on I will be looking at the pictures of Emperor penguins with deep nostalgia, begin weeping like a camel in a night in a desert, encouraged by possible menopause rather than a dry sandy breeze.
It was a sad vision to have. No penguins in the world, and me menopausing like actual woman and sobbing over the fact of no penguins. That is sad. It would have been not too bad if that was about to happen when I was seniling and was looking at the pictures of Emperor penguins and cry like a careless child while dribbling saliva mixed with sedatives from the corner of my mouth. Then that would be all harmless because, all I have to feel then is a guilt in a fog, for causing the greenhouse effect by eating burgers and drinking coke. Burrrrp.
So, I squeezed aching heart to say just this.
"Mum, I am sure some people would think it is feasible to keep them in a giant freezer, rather than seeing them go."
Mum just laughed at this, light heartedly.
