"   Does it ever cross your mind," the girl of nine asks,"that the world may come to an end, and we would be nomore?"

"No, people just say it to confuse our minds," theolder woman replies with a thin smile, knowing what will become of theirconversation, "especially those young like yourself."

"Ibelieve the world will come to an end."

"Don't worry yourselfwith such foolishness. It is nothing more than a marketing scam to steal away thelittle profit we have."

The damsel shook her head. "I see it. Itwill be beautiful. And only those rich in the heart of nature will continue; Iwill be one of those."

The woman decides to play along, her eyesfilling with sorrow. "Beautiful? How so?"

The girl smilesdeeply, showing the space where her two teeth have recently fallen out. "Itwon't be pretty at first. Mother Nature will be very destructive with all thetechnology that humans built. But once she stops the pounding storms, all will bequiet, and beauty will evolve once more."

"Why will MotherNature have this tantrum?"

Her smile is lost. "She wants theworld green and blue, not black and scary. She's sick of the disease that hasplagued her beauty. She wants to destroy what has been destroyingher."

The doorbell rings.

"And how will the world lookafterwards?" the woman asks, ignoring the bell.

"You know how Ilove nature so much, how I love to squeeze and cuddle creatures, even the roughand slimy ones? Well, that's how it will be with frogs leaping from rose petal torose petal. Nature and all its animals will come together and reshape everything.And I will ride upon the biggest elephant leading their journey tosuccess."

The doorbell rings again.

"And how do you knowall this, honey?"

Her smile is larger than ever. "I can feelit." She adds in a whisper, bringing her face close to the woman, "Ican see it." She gets up, a handcrafted white cane in hand, and walks to thedoor. As she opens the door, she cries excitedly, "I can see it, Mama! I cansee it!"

The mother glances after her child, then at the woman whoseface is splashed with white and worry sitting on the sofa. They gaze at eachother, both knowing the truth of every day.

"She can see it,"the mother fi-nally speaks. "She can see it."