جشن خداحافظی

CHAPTER ONE

A goodbye party

Is somebody listening to this? If there is, hello.

There’s a party going on. There are four of us doing our Year of Sharing this year - four of us who are twelve years old. The party is for all their family and friends.

I keep touching my nose. That’s where they put the recorder. I can’t feel it in my nose, but it’s there. It will record all my words when I speak, and any other sounds which are near me. The recorder will go on working for one year.

Can you hear the sounds of the party? Music, talking, laughing, dancing. Is everybody happy?

The answer is no. Everybody has their Year of Sharing when they’re twelve, and half of them don’t come back. They die. This is a goodbye party.

Perhaps you think I’m afraid. Well, I’m not. I’m the only person here who has no friends or family at the party. I didn’t ask any friends to come. My mother’s too busy (as usual). I specially asked my father not to come - he would cry. I don’t want people to see him crying.

I’m going outside. I don’t want to talk to anybody.

I can’t count all the bicycles by the wall here - half the village is at this party! I didn’t bring my bicycle because I’m not going home after the party.

I would really like a car, not a bicycle, because I love to go fast.

I’ve seen cars in old films, but there are no cars in the world now - no cars, no roads, no factories, no big towns, just little villages like this one. In the old days, they say, the world was a bad and dirty place and animals were dying because of all those cars and factories. Was that really true? I don’t know.

Now the world is very boring. We live quietly in our villages, we don’t eat meat, and we make everything ourselves with our hands.

I’m sitting outside alone. I’ve always been alone and that’s OK. I’m clever, fast and strong and I’m not going to die in this Year of Sharing. I’ve always been best at everything in the village school. Now I’m going to be best among the animals. Here’s the doctor.

‘Hello, Richard. Alone?’

‘What do you want, doctor?’

‘I want to look at your nose and make sure the recorder’s OK. Look up. Look down. Good. After one year we will write down every word from your recorder and make a wonderful book for you. Richard’s Year of Sharing.’

‘Doctor, I don’t want a stupid animal like a cow or a sheep. I want something big, strong and fast, an animal which is not afraid. A clever animal like me.’

‘You’ll get the animal which is best for you. Does your nose hurt when I touch it here?’

‘No.’

‘What can you smell when I open these bottles?’

‘I can smell. leaves. Milk. Blood.’

‘OK, your nose is fine. Richard. life is easy when you live with people, you know. You will find it harder with animals. I don’t know if you’re ready. Remember, it’s life or death.’

The doctor’s gone. The sky is beginning to get dark. When it’s full night, they’ll take us - the four of us - to four different animal families. Good. I don’t belong in this village. I don’t think I belong with people. Not people in today’s world.

In the old days people were everywhere in the world. Millions of them. They were free to go where they wanted and to do what they wanted. Now there are walls round our villages and we can’t go out, and only animals are free. Oh no!

‘Let me just shake hands and say goodbye, Richard.’

‘Dad, you said you wouldn’t come.’

‘I’m sorry your mother couldn’t come. She had to meet some very important people from all over the world to talk about animals in danger. It was very important business. She wanted to come and say goodbye to you but.’

‘Don’t try and explain. She’s always the same. OK, shake hands and go.’

Dad’s gone. It’s dark. There’s no moon tonight. The stars are very bright.

Soon a doctor will give us something to put us into a deep sleep. When we wake up, we will be with an animal family. The doctor will give me a special smell; I’ll smell like a baby in that animal family.

Isn’t that terrible? Perhaps the animal family don’t want another baby. but they will smell me and they’ll love me. Is love just a special smell, for animals? It’s all wrong. I don’t like doctors.

Everybody is crying now. Can you hear them? There’s no laughing or dancing any more. Here’s the doctor coming. In a few minutes I’ll be asleep. Goodbye, village. When I see you again, I won’t be a child any more.

I can’t wait!