The doorknob twisted open with one sharp turn, revealing a small, wooden room. A shoe cabinet stood on the left of the room, followed by an old table accompanied by 5 chairs. The rest of the house was not much better, with furniture that appeared to be hundreds of years old, and a house structure like an abandoned cottage. However, there were also contemporary aspects like cables, chargers, and microwaves. It was not remotely luxurious and just passable, yet somehow it emanated a sense of tranquillity.
The bedrooms seemed to invite us, similar to how the calming ambience of a 5-star hotel would. And as I expected my mum, dad and brother all settled into a nap. I strongly considered following their lead as the train ride from France did indeed make certain changes to my mental and physical capabilities and it urged me to slump into the couch and stay motionless. I thought better of it decided to take a look around.
I sat against a tree, scrutinising the city, a village. The verdant lands and lush green plants enveloped the village. And the more I looked around, the more I noticed how everything fit together. The houses were all small wooden cottages, although they were shaped differently. The rivers glistened under the warm and pleasant sun. A small breeze would pass by every now and then, and the smell of nature wafted through every nook and cranny. It was until now I realized I preferred this over the 4 and 5 star hotels at Denmark, France and Italy.
I decided to simply sit there and appreciate and honour the work of our ancestors, that were smart enough to design this verdant city. My thoughts focused on halcyon reminiscences, of a beach long ago, where I sat there listening and relaxing to the calming waves. Another image came across my mind, depicting birds chirping at each other in the distant land of Fiji. Then recollections of the ocean appeared in my mind.
It was not how one would expect it. Not a colourful seabed gilded with shimmering sunlight, not even the natural blue colour of the sea was there. It was a distant memory of a sea polluted with garbage. The results of humanity with no qualms for littering and the health of the ocean whatsoever.
Yet before me was a city of nature. I wondered how long this city would last before human egoism took over. Or maybe society would improve and there would be more altruistic thinkers. Yet these matters will only accelerate or decrease the speed of pollution, as technology advances, waste and rubbish was inevitable. Perhaps a regressed society was the best, a society of respect towards mother nature. Even so, it has its flaws, and in this case, I thought, technological advancements is linked indirectly to being civilised, and modern day customs, which is then the cause and effect of other developments of human society which together shapes humanity today.
My own guilty conscience realised that I could live my life in a place like this, away from pollution, away from matters that do not concern me. Alas that would have been great except for the fact that many generations after me, my descendants may not know what a verdant hill and fresh cataracts are.
The setting sun shone high above me, as I realised how late it was. The sky was now in mellow colours of red and orange, the reflection of mountains in the pellucid waters were also tinted with red. I stopped contemplating about these matters and decided simply to pay more attention to insignificant, quotidian matters that could help preserve nature.
