So someone suggested to me I should start posting my creative works here. Maybe get a following. Maybe force myself to stay on some sort of schedule. In either case I hope you will find some purpose in these works. It was my MIL who once said if you're going to write, make sure you have something to say.
So without further ado, here's what I got to say:
When Wars End
So without further ado, here's what I got to say:
When Wars End
There is always war; somewhere. Some are just lucky enough not to
live there at the time. To the city dwellers still snoozing their alarm clocks,
it didn’t feel like a country at war. The sky was still dark, peppered with the
few stars that filtered through the city lights. Store shutters jerked open,
creaking as though awakened from a restless sleep. Eventually the sun made its
welcome appearance among the yawning celestial objects- ready to retire from a
night’s shift.
None thought this war would take long, if they thought of it at
all. One side had morality to their advantage. The other, had morality and
numbers. But after 10 years and no side more the winner, both countries began
to feel the strain of limited resources. In the past, a great power would sweep over a decrepit empire until it
too became decrepit and was conquered. Today wars were fought between
superpowers in their prime, at least the wars worth reporting. But the
essentials of war were unchanged. Today’s countries at war were both
used to gluttonous and pampered lifestyles. Clothes were made in ever bigger
sizes to accommodate, while soldiers (out of sight, out of mind) ran low in
supplies.
That was when LongLast saw an opportunity for wealth and made its
valiant effort to help redistribute resources from gorging mouths in safety to
troops under constant threat.
“Look great and
eat as much as you want.”
“New
non-biodegradable solution for when you’re craving more after meals.”
Unlike most diet fads, this one worked, and importantly didn’t
require anyone to move a muscle, unless it was in their jaw.
Longlast made huge profit margins, in the meantime. It became a
house staple. Doctors hailed it as the wonder food to feed the nation. “A cure
to obesity!”
Longlast expanded their market worldwide and even found a demand
in the nation warring against their homeland.
After such an ongoing successful business, Mr. Long and Mr. Last
joined in conference to discuss expansion plans. “Our goal was to help our
troops, how are we doing that if we give the same product to the enemy, so they
divert more for their military force?”
“Brother,” Long pulled Last in close and walked him to the
floor-to-ceiling windows.
“You remember when we were younger? That little town we grew up
in? The 1st time I flew in a plane was when I realized that at 30,000 feet I
couldn’t tell the difference between that hopeless little place and the big
cities. You’re thinking too small. We’re all one, in the end,
aren’t we? There is no enemy really.” Long chuckled and gave Last a wink,
“After all, it would only be fair for your name to come 1st in the brand this
time, eh?”
Mr. Last stared out the window at the empire they had built. It was only a number of years ago he spied
out a different window- smaller without a view- wondering if he’d ever find a
job that wasn’t at the rundown supermarket. The rundown supermarket, where the
only thing super about it was it still stayed in business where nearly all
other ventures collapsed.
“I’ll chew on it” said Mr. Last at last. Money had no
allegiances and under the new name (because politics and marketing) LastLong
expanded to enemy territory.
When LastLong came to the market, the leaders couldn’t be happier.
They read all the health reports about LongLast (LL) but couldn’t get access to
the patent documents. Now they too could depend on more supplies going for
their war effort.
Unexpectedly there was another benefit to the product found
worldwide: population control, especially of the lower classes who were loyal
LL shoppers-- mostly because of cost, longevity, ease of transport and
lack of other products sold in their areas. Scientists noted the rise in the
upper and middle class, decline of the lower class and touted LL with even more
rigor for closing the gap between the rich and poor. Due to its sweet taste it was also highly addictive. Then again sugar,
alcohol, and cigarettes always shared a separate fate compared to those
other ill-fitted drugs.
Unbeknownst to the makers and suppliers, LL began to
cross-contaminate other food chains. It was only when the elite were diagnosed
with malnutrition that the cries of protesters, who had long been outspoken
regarding their decimating populations among the lower classes, was taken up by
lobbyists in suits. Papers were scrutinized and found to have conflicts of
interest (though these were always reported but not found to affect the
research). Independent research was conducted, retracting much of the
interpretations found in earlier statements.
Mr. Long and Mr. Last could not much reflect on this state of
affairs as they too were being treated for malnutrition.
“We couldn’t know” they thought as their bellies ached and they
slacked in their bed exhausted-- even after a full night’s rest.
The world was dying from malnutrition and starvation but everyone
ate at least 3 meals a day. In fact, more bellies were filled than before LL.
With leaders hooked to IVs reports and updates were slow in
coming. Still there was dusk and there was dawn, despite the problems of
humanity. Soldiers received little news from their loved ones, if they were
still alive to send news. After many months of silence from their governments,
the two leading generals met with booming voices and laughter. Soldiers became
hopeful about peaceful resolutions. Some looked over enemy lines to find an image not unlike their own gazing back. Had the generals not been
in uniform, passersby would not have been able to tell one from the other. But
in the end talk was moot, both pointed to the last papers they had been sent.
“We have our orders,” they buzzed and the stampede of bullets
resumed.
When next it rose, the sun laughed over the steel empire shining
beneath. And somewhere in the middle of nowhere, a lone supermarket closed its
doors.
Copyright YZ
