It's
a Cricket!
Andrés Díaz Marrero
Term of
use
Adriana and Isabel met
underneath the mango tree, as they had planned. They brought
with them some toy tools. A hammer, a handsaw and a pair of
pliers.
-Let's go to work! - Adriana said, and began to strike the
trunk of the mango tree as if she were nailing. Isabel
started to play like if she were sawing one of the
branches.
- Help! Please help! Somebody is knocking down my house!
Help! please help! -someone said
Adriana and Isabel both stopped playing. They watched with
awe a small cricket that gestured while yelling and crying
for help.
- A Cricket that speaks! - Isabel exclaimed.
- Of course I can speak! I can speak and sing and jump, as I
please, but that is no reason for knocking down my house.
-The cricket said.
- I am sorry Mr. Cricket! We were just playing carpenters!
These tools are not real; they are toy tools made of
plastic. - Adriana argued.
- That's true. This handsaw is a toy. It's not for cutting
wood. It just makes noise - Isabel added.
- But, the blows of the hammer and the rattled of the
handsaw are real; and they scare me. They scare me a lot. I
thought the story was going to be repeated. -The cricket
replied.
What story? - Both girls asked at the same time.
- I was living next to a creek, in a place surrounded by
flowers and leafy trees. Then came the "land developers" who
bought the land to construct houses and shopping malls.
They cut down the trees and level off the earth to construct
buildings and factories. Most of the trees and vegetation
was replaced by asphalt, brick and concrete. Without trees
and vegetation there was less rainfall. Most of the birds
and animals went to live some place else. Many people got
sick because there was not enough potable water.
- Water what? - Isabel asked.
- Potable water it's water that is fit for drinking. It's
water that people can drink without fear to become ill. -The
cricket answered.
- Please, go ahead with the story - Adriana begged.
- Well, I was saying that most of the birds and animals left
the place and that people became sick because lack of fresh
water. Workers moved to healthier places with their
families. The factories were shut down. The shopping malls
were closed too because there was no one to work or to shop
for goods. After a while, the place became a ghost town. In
spite of it all, I decided to stay. I did not want to
leave… I was born there! Then… something frightful
happened.
- Adriana, Isabel! It's bath time. It's time to get ready!
Your parents will be here soon -That was grandma calling
them. Both girls were cousins. Their grandmother took care
of them while the parents worked.
- We'll be there in a moment grandma! Give us a little more
time -Adriana pleaded.
- Ok, but only five minutes more. - The grandmother
answered.
Please Mr. Cricket, finish your story before we go -Isabel
asked.
-The frightful thing that happened was… that a
hurricane struck our place! The windstorm and the large
amount of rain that fell caused a giant mudslide that wiped
out the whole town! I barely escaped being buried, by
jumping to a piece of stick that floated down the flooded
creek. And, well… I am here, and you want to knock down
my little house?
- We are very sorry, Mr. Cricket! We would like to be
friend's -Adriana said.
- That's ok! I already forgot about it. Yes, I forgot it! It
was only a scare. - The cricket replied.
- Mr. Cricket, we needed your help! Our parents are planning
to cut down the trees that are at the back of grandma house.
- Isabel said
- Yes, the ones on the foot of the hill. - Adriana
affirmed
- Please Mr. Cricket! We want you to come with us to our
grandma's house. We want our parents to listen to your
story! We don't want the same to happen to us - Both girls
pleaded.
- I cannot. I never speak to adults. I only talk to
children. - The cricket replied.
- But we need to warn them! - Isabel begged
- That, I leave it to you. - The cricket answered, leaping
away from them with a big jump.
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