BLUE PLANET
AN UNEXPLAINED TASTE
“You didn't go on an adventure Venera?” Vla asked Venera in wonder as she cleaned up her pile of clothes that had been washed and dried on the bed. “See this afternoon the weather is very bright out there.”
Venera shook her head without turning her eyes towards Vla. His body propped up on the bedroom window sill felt heavy. Extremely heavy.
“Why? Are you getting tired of walking outside?” ask Vla again.
"Ah, but that's impossible, right?" Vla then laughed, laughing at her own question.
Venera simply returned to her head, without a sound.
Vla glanced at her best friend in surprise and suspicion.
“What's Venera? Why are you keeping quiet? You've been scolded by the Board of Trustees, haven't you? What else are you doing?” tanyanya.
Venera took a deep breath and threw it away slowly.
“Nothing, Vla..” finally Venera replied despite sounding very uninspired.
“Then... why?" Vla frowned. "Have you never missed your afternoon adventure, Venera?”
“I ... is lazy.." replied Venera slowly, still without spirit.
“What? You... lazy?" Vla widens her eyes in disbelief. "Venera I've known all this time, can it feel lazy?” he was amazed, thinking Venera was just joking and a moment later he would turn his head and laugh cheerfully as usual. But apparently not.
Venera nodded.
Vla speechless. And resumed his work of tidying up clothes.
Venera took a long breath again. As much as possible to hold back emotions not to feel upset at Vla which seemed to continue to force her to answer her questions.
Emotions that do not really need to exist. Because all this time Venera is actually not a venusian who is easily angry or upset. He himself does not know why at this time small things can feel very disturbing.
His eyes were still looking far ahead.
The view outside the window was very unpleasant. I don't know why it all seemed so bad in his eyes.
The sky looks pale and gloomy. The air feels hot and crowded. It even seemed eager to tell the little garden outside the window that the grass, the stones, the trees, the little flowers, all looked dry, arid, ugly and annoying.
“Mmm... me and other friends want to play with young Unicorns,” said Vla after finishing her clothes and staring doubtfully at Venera who was still behind her. “Tadi Voxy saw some of them coming to the edge of the prairie Hespherus House. You want to come, Venera?”
“No Vla. I'll just stay here" Venera refused, trying to talk as smooth as possible.
“No…?" ask Vla carefully. "But... You really like them? Those pretty unicorns?"
Vla turned around slowly, and smilingly looked at her best friend. Then reply, “Maybe next time only, Vla.”
Vla was stunned for a moment. Expose his eyes.
“Yah... then..err. Until later, Venera,” said Vla while moving slowly with the tail of the eye still observing Venera. He felt surprised and did not understand the forced smile on his best friend's face. It's not like a smile.
And he's not like Venera.
~o0o~
“Venera, shouldn't you just go to the Health Room? It's been a few days since I've seen you excited about eating your meal,” Vla said as they walked together through the hallway of Rest Room after dinner.
“No need Vla, I'm fine, kok,” Venera replied while shaking her head.
“Nothing is okay if until the morning you can just fall asleep Venera,” Vla stares at Venera full of question marks.
“Ah... sorry Vla,” sahut Venera while staring at Vla with a sorry face. ”I interrupted your sleep huh?”
“Of course,” replied Vla. “You kept sighing and rolling around in and out of your bed all night. Which Venusian doesn't wake up hearing such noise?” Vla shrugs her shoulders.
His friend would never be satisfied with an answer if he suspected something was covered up. And right now Venera is covering something up.
“So... What's the matter, Venera? Are you having any problems?” ask Vla again.
“Hmm, no, Vla,” Venera replied while avoiding Vla's gaze. “I... just being bored.”
Venera approached an empty long chair located in the corner of the room near the large window, which opened directly towards the vast meadow. The place he liked the most while sitting in the Rest Room.
“Bored?” Vla furrowed her brows. “Bored because what?” he was surprised to sit next to Venera.
Venera simply shrugged, puzzled as to what to answer.
"How can you be bored, Venera?" Vla frowned. "You mean, bored as the time the Health and Food Management Board serves that meal - that's all for our dinner? Or like when we are sewing a wide fabric with one color that is not finished? Or..."
"Not bored of such things, Vla," Venera chuckled and smiled at Vla.
"Then?" ask Vla curious.
“Hmm. I don't know, Vla.” either Venera. “It's hard to explain something while you're not feeling it like me. Yes, right?”
“Hmm... true too..” murmured Vla.
They were silent for a moment.
"Then, now what do you want to do to overcome your boredom?" ask Vla again.
"That's what I don't know..." Venera shrugged her shoulders.
Vla just kept quiet, decided not to ask anything more even though he was actually very surprised at Venera's attitude lately. Yesterday he said he was lazy. Now he says he's bored. Something seems to be happening to Venera.
~o0o~
Venera lay still on her bed. Trying not to move too much so as not to wake Vla up.
For three days he did not come to the park. Apart from still being annoyed at Marxists, he also worried about his health.
Venera had thought that if he did not breathe air in the park for several days, his health could recover. But apparently not. He even felt more sick.
He can't do anything as fast as he usually does. His body was unwilling to obey his brain. His brain cannot think clearly. It feels weak and can't do anything.
His daily tasks became slower he worked. The results were not as good as usual, to the extent that the Skill Supervisory Board was surprised to see him who usually always got the best value in Eosphorus Dormitory. He also often cannot focus on listening to what other venusians say to him.
The inexplicable feeling he knew was not at all lazy or bored as he told Vla.
This must have been the result of a strange illness he had gotten from that mysterious garden.
Venera felt she could not hide her condition any longer. Sooner or later he will be found out. And what if his health continues to deteriorate so that he is not allowed to come to the park again?
Even though Venera felt that there was still much he wanted to ask Marxists.
About Mars, about life there, about everything.
And they should be able to investigate further what and how the mysterious garden they came to was.
Maybe he should go back to the park.
~o0o~
