Summer of 76

Posted on 01 Mar 2016 @ 3:51am by Lieutenant JG Lenaris Marika

538 words; about a 3 minute read

Bajor, Musilla Province, 2376


The two young girls sat looking out to the beautiful purplish tinted water of the lake. It had something to do with the minerals in that particular body of water. Their feet dangled from the platform about an inch or so from the surface of the lake.

Holding hands, they gently hummed a Chinese folklore song they had just learned the previous night. The smaller Asian girl, lay her head on her friend's shoulder and frowned. “You got it wrong again. It goes up up down up.”

The other girl shook her head and wrinkled her creased nose. “But it sounds better with an up down down up.”

“But you can’t just change them Marika. You have to keep them the same.”

“Says who? Why should it have to stay the same? Why can’t they change?” Straightening her leg, the young Bajoran looked at her toes and wiggled them a little. She wondered if toes got wrinkly in water.

“I donno… old people I guess. Dad says it’s important to preserve our heritage, our traditions.”

“Mom says the same. But my dad lets me change the tunes when I think their better. He says everything changes, even the past. I’m not sure how the past can change, but I’m just glad he let’s me change the songs.” Dropping her leg back down, she picked up the waterskin they had brought, and took a big gulp, some of the water dribbling down her chin. She quickly wiped it and offered it to her companion.

“I’m good. Thanks.” Looking out at the sunshine reflecting on the water, Yui thought she saw a silver fish glitter and swim away. “Marika … my father asked for citizenship. For all of us. He says he doesn’t want to go back to earth. That this is our home now.” She tried to catch a glimpse of the silver fish again.

The other girl took a moment to think about what that meant, a huge smile slowly creeping up on her face. “So… that means I get to keep you? Forever?” The thought of one day losing her friend had crossed her mind a few times. She had always waved it off, not wanting to think about such a somber possibility.

With the infallible certainty of one so young, Yui nodded. “Forever!” Lifting her head from her friends shoulder, she turned to see her face. What greeted her was a smile wider than such a small head should be able to hold. She smiled herself, love for her friend swelling up in her small body.

“Good! I’d hate not to get the chance to apologize.” Slowly, she turned towards her smaller friend, her smile turning to a mischievous grin.

“Apologize? For what?”

Before she could completely register the change in her friend’s traits, Yui found herself in the lake’s cold water, arms and legs paddling to get herself back to the surface. Marika’s laughter greeted her when she broke the surface, floating close by, having dragged Yui along, when she threw herself in. The grin was still there, perhaps even a little wider, if that was at all possible.

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