1 The life in the past

"Hey Rin, stop having that childish dream and get a real life !!!" that's what I was told by my childhood friend, we have been together until now, we are university students, it's true we are good friends but we are always arguing about this

"Do you call locking myself in that tiny screen a real life?" I answered, without even looking at me, she continued typing replaying to her "online boyfriend"

"better than being the only girl who hates having phone and almost never use it, everyone says you are weird Rin" I sighed putting down the cup of juice that I was drinking

"i just want to have the same life as my late grandma's life, is it wrong for me to dream about a life without phones and technology?" that's when my friend looked at me for a moment, a second later a message was send to her as she quickly looked back to the screen

"no one can live without a phone Rin, you are my close friend, I want you to wake up already, if you don't start using phone now, your life will be over, so please Rin give up on that dream and get yourself real friends online, you can get a boyfriend as well, I will teach you" I stayed silent not knowing what to say, because the part about "my life will be over" was true, I can't deny that I know after university, to get a job I will need a certain experience with technology, I know that technology became like air to everyone even at the supermarket and the library, even my parents who I barely see then talk to each other got infected by this virus called "internet" and when I asked them why are they using it they just answered by saying that's it's important for our life.

i excused myself, threw the plastic cup and walked outside looking to the clean sky, wind was gently blowing as my hair flew, now that I think about it, when did I start dreaming about having real life? ah it must be by the time when grandma told me about the beauty of real nature, not those plastic trees and herbs that humans started using because they don't have time to grow plants.

Since I was born, my grandma is the one who took care of me, because my parents were *busy*, I used to go out for walks with her as she told me stories about the life in the past, when we pass by a park, she would have that nostalgic look in her eyes

"this park used to be full of children, I used to play a lot with my friends, I even met my late husband while playing in the sand box, even my eldest son used to play here for hours and come back home with dirty clothes, hearing their yells and laughs was so amusing and playing with the little kids and babies was so much fun..." I couldn't actually understand her because in front of me the park was totally deserted and everything was broken, when we pass by some trees I would say "beautiful" and she would shake her head

"this is not beautiful my dear, this is just artificial trees that does nothing, real beautiful trees, used to stand tall to clear the air and provide us with clean oxygen, there was sakura trees, sakura is a pink flower with a relaxing smell, the way how the petals dances when wind blows was so astonishing, there was orange and apple trees in the neighborhood and I would go get some, they were super fresh and delicious..." I looked to her clueless as she smiled staring in the distant, I didn't even know how real flowers looked like and the only fruit I tasted was the one that was made in factories that is tasteless.

By night, I would sleep with her as she tells me stories about her childhood, how fun it was to study, to go to school and meet friends, how she used to do mischievous things, to get caught by the teacher, to laugh afterwards with her friends who always were by her side.

She would tell me stories about how she met my late grandpa, how she fell in love with him during high school, her best friend being the cupid between them, she always said

"those were my sweetest moments in my life, having a best friend and falling in love with your grandpa made me extremely happy, those memories are carved in my heart and can never be forgotten, I wish you would know how sweet those moments are my dear" she would caress my hair while having a warm smile full of happiness and kindness that I never got from my parents, yet she always had this sad look when she watch the rest and when I ask her why is she sad she would pat on my head gently and say while looking outside

"the world today, is cold, is colorless even people's feelings started to fade away, I bet most now don't even know how great it feels to have friends or for mothers how precious it feels to have a child, even kids are deprived from their parents real love" she looked at me tears sliding down her cheeks, but because I was still young I would just hug her. she talked about the times she spend traveling with my grandpa to forests and to villages, climbing mountains, going to beaches during summer, watching the night sky decorated by shiny stars that can't be seen anymore because of the light coming from phones and laptops and TV...

Today, remembering my grandma's stories make me think that she had an imaginary life that I can never imagine, I even doubt that village's still exists, I'm sure everything was consumed by the virus that was lunched 30 years ago. I went to the roof and looked into the distant where only buildings with TVs and people holding phones could be seen

"I think it's time for me to give up, I'm sorry grandma but your wish that I would have the same life as you is impossible to achieve today, I believe I'm the only person left who knows how bad technology is but I will always remember your stories"