Lee Fountain

NANA

The year is 2030. Joe, a middle-aged man with rugged features is looking at his field. The field is void of most vegetation. His home is next to a beautiful lake, teaming with fish. He picks up a clump of dry dirt and crumbles it in his hand. He looks up to the sky and quietly says to himself "A little rain would be nice." His voice is deep, soothing , and drawn out. He continues his stroll through the field with disappointment. About 100 yards away, a van suddenly appears and slams on the brakes. The sliding door flies open and an elderly woman can be seen stepping out of it. Her eyes are like saucers, the skin around them cracking like the ground of his property. Joe watches as the terrified old woman takes tiny, quick, surprisingly careful steps away from the van. The passenger, a middle-aged woman, leans out of the window and shouts at the old woman " I’m sorry, Nana! We just can’t afford to keep you!” The driver reaches his arm out of the window and tosses a small, ornate plastic box. The box hits the old woman in the head and she falls to the ground. Joe runs up to help her shouting at the man "Hey! What the hell are you doing?" As the van drives away the passenger shouts back " We love you!” The passenger then quickly ducks her head back into the van as it speeds off. When Joe makes it to the old woman he notices a small cut on her forehead where the small, plastic box had hit her. He then looks at the van, still speeding away and shouts "Hey!" livid at what he just witnessed. She is moaning in pain. Joe reaches down to touch her wound but stops. He thinks to himself "I know I got some first aid back at the house." He looks at his home which is a few hundred yards away. "Well, I can’t leave you out here." he says to the elderly woman. Suddenly she mumbles something through her barely opening mouth. Joe responds "What?" in which she reply’s "Pearls..." Joe looks around. He sees the ornate plastic box on the ground and walks over to it. When he picks it up he stares at it for a second. The old woman continues to moan as he puts the box in his pocket. He then makes his way back to her. He looks back at his house and let’s out a deep breath "Here we go." he utters. Joe then picks her up, carrying her towards his home.