The possibility of better (a story about Gaia)

The possibility of better

1. She peered into the mirror and ripped another gray hair from amongst emerald locks.
2. “I’ve had enough of it, Chronos!” she snarled at her spouse, who the humans called Father Time. “I’ve given them everything! And what do they do? They abuse my gifts and forget my names. They used to worship me, and now what do they worship? Plastic? Oil? Those tiny screens they’re always looking at?” Mother Earth—who’d gone by many names over the years: Gaia, Dhéǵhōm, Hòutǔ, Asase Yaa—gestured at the tired lines around her eyes, the brown seeping through the glittering blue of her gown, the mottled green of her skin, where once it had been smooth and unbroken. “I’m going to put a stop to this, even if it means I have to wipe them away and start over!”
3. The old man felt sorrow at what the humans had done to his partner. Still, he felt sympathy for humans, with their tiny lives and limited understanding. “Now, Gaia, surely you can’t mean all of them.”
4. “Surely I can! Look at what they’ve done to me!”
5. Chronos took her hand. “It’s late, Gaia. Let’s talk more tomorrow.”
6. She exhaled a long breath. “You’re right. I’m exhausted. Let’s go to bed.”
7. Chronos lay awake for a long time, until he was certain she was asleep. Only then did he sneak to the telephone down the hall.

8. “Destiny? I know it’s late, but I have something important to ask.”
9. He explained the situation
10. Destiny’s reply was slow. “You know our life threads are more rigid than human ones. It’ll be hard work, and it’ll take time.”
11. He grinned. “Well, if you can put in the work, the one thing I can give you is time.”

12. The next morning, Gaia woke slowly, her body stiffer than usual. She opened her eyes to discover herself on a beach, her body no longer blue and green, but a rich chestnut brown. She was human.
13. “Chronos! Destiny! I know it was you!” she hissed. A gentle laugh whispered past her ear, and then she was alone.
14. “Fools,” she muttered. This mortal body needed stretching, so she decided to take a stroll along the water’s edge.
15. Every step she took only strengthened her rage. She saw one family littering. Two young humans threw rocks at a seagull. And countless others buried their heads in screens, never even bothering to look at the wonder of her ocean.
16. She was so wrapped in her fury that she didn’t see the boy until she stumbled over him.
17. “Sorry,” she said, more out of habit than any real sense of regret. He probably deserved it.
18. “It’s okay, ma’am. Just please be careful. This turtle’s hurt.” The boy indicated the turtle cradled in his hands.
19. Gaia peered at the turtle, then the boy. “I suppose you caught him in this fishing net?”.
20. The boy looked startled. “Of course not! I’m trying to help him. Some fishermen must have left their nets, and he got caught. Someday, I’m going to invent fishing nets that dissolve if they’re left in the water too long. Think how many turtles that’ll save!”
21. A smile tugged at her lips. “That’s a good goal.”
22. “Thanks,” he said. “My mom’s a marine conservationist, and she taught me all about oceans. I love everything about them, but turtles are my favorite.”
23. “But doesn’t it all feel pointless?” Gaia asked. “You might help this turtle, but humans do so much damage that you can’t really make a difference.”
24. The boy’s eyes flashed. “That’s exactly the kind of attitude my mom says we don’t need. Anyone who’s given up on making things better won’t make things better. There are all kinds of people trying to clean the oceans and save animals. And more people start helping every year. Things can get better, and I’m going to be part of it!” he finished loudly.
25. “Huh. Well, you’ve given me a lot to think about, young man.” And with that, she walked off.
26. This time, as she walked, she noticed different things. The family who picked up the trash left behind by the group next to them. The people wading in the water, marveling at the vastness of the sea. And the children giggling over shells and crabs and all the infinite wonders of her world.
27. As she reached the end of the beach, she whispered into the strands of time flowing past, “I understand now, Chronos. I’m ready to come home. Let’s start working to make things better.”