The Hopefiled Siblings' Adventure - A Short Eco Fiction Story

2. 𝑼𝒑! 𝑻𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑮𝒓𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒚𝒂𝒓𝒅 𝑭𝒐𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒕

The graveyard of the Oasis actually had no real "grave", even if there was a "yard".

In today's society, by 2072, the old cemeteries and their large piles of bones no longer existed.

With the Ecocentric Holistic Revolution, everything had become seeds, life, and recycling after death. This also applied to the people: once deceased, a person was cremated (and rarely buried) in this very corner of the forest where the siblings were now slowly putting their feet after a long time.

They still remembered how it felt to walk there, barefoot and light-hearted, with the moist touch of the grass on their feet tickling between their toes. They used to chase themselves and laugh among those plants in a golden-light atmosphere, with their grandpa watching them and chuckling.

For each burial, the relatives of the deceased had to make an offer of seeds to the guardian of the cemetery, who for many years had been right him, Grandpa Abe.

People offered him how much they wanted and what they actually had, because after all, living in the Oasis meant an unbreakable link to what their land offered them seasonally.

So, even the less fortunate or less capable farmers had the opportunity to bury their loved ones with dignity.

If you didn't have enough seeds suitable for the graveyard soil and if Abe couldn't make an exchange, you opted for an already existing plant.

This was the case of Mrs Lilian Pipswood, buried under a lily tree, who bore her name and reminded her husband of her scent, her love for those flowers, and above all the unforgettable smile she made when he gave her a bouquet.

To the point that even today, every time he came to take care of the tree, Robert would pick up some to take home and have her close again.

During a ceremony, handed down in history from a Karajá | Iny indigenous tradition, the ashes of the deceased were sprinkled on the damp ground during a prayer-song in which all family members participated in chorus.

And researchers of the Holistic University showed that the ashes of the deceased (or their corps), were a great fertilizer in that unique soil dedicated to those who are no longer there.

 ~ A tree per person ~

That Graveyard Forest was one of the virtuous circles of post-capitalism: for every deceased person, new oxygen and therefore new life was brought to Mother Earth.

The custom of regular and intergenerational care by the living relatives to make the tree-tomb grow and bloom was also a powerful ally to overcome mourning.

Since 2072, thanks to this system, different fruit trees, evergreens, and other unique species were planted, for a total of 76 trees in the Dalet Oasis alone, honoring the souls of fellow countrymen of the Hopefield siblings.