LEMON HEAD (English version) #Wattys2016

16.THE PARK

Finally we had to deny the contract with the discography because my mother wasn't the only who didn't agree with it. At the beginning we were a little cheerless about it but at the end we convinced ourselves that we'll find a second opportunity in our way.

We also kept playing everywhere and we even tried to compose for a future but the truth is that we weren't too good at it and we didn't get to write even a whole verse we liked.

Beside the Green Bar, we sometimes played and sang in the streets too to see if someone let us some money on the guitar case, but sometimes we also did it just for nothing.

We found a huge and very green park on the edge of the town soon. It was called "Park of the Oblivion". We loved it and it became our favourite place beside of "the local". We fell in love specially with a little zone on the west of it, where there was a little pond with fishes and ducks and, next to it, there was one of the biggest trees I've seen in my life. I couldn't tell what kind of tree was it, I've never understand about that, but it had a tough trunk and strong and thick branches. We spent so much time up to them reading, playing, doing our homework... Or even napping! We cottoned to it as much as the other kids and teenagers who also spent long afternoons climbed up to that tree. That tiny piece of world was our secret place, our territory, and that tree was our tree.

That's why one Sunday morning Robert called me at 7am. It was too early so I took my mobile phone already moody.
-What do you want? -I skewed to him.
-Leila... Uhhm... Haven't you found out it yet? Well so my grandfather uses to go to a walk every morning very early and today he got by the Park of the Oblivion... -he was talking so fast, too fast, he was getting me so nervous.
-And? -I said to see if he calmed down and finally told me which was the problem.
-It was closed. He had found out that they want to build a huge parking there so people will can park at the town's entree. They will also build a hotel there -now his voice sounded sad, muffle.
-What? -I suddenly jumped-. Does that means that... they're going to demolish everything?
-Yes, including the tree.
-What should we do?
-I don't know, I already have told it to you, Stella and Robert. Now I'm going to call Mariah and Charlie and we think about it, okay?
I assented. I layed in my bed and, although I felt really sleepy, I knew I couldn't fall asleep again.

Specially twenty minutes later when my house's bell rang. Mum went to see who was there.
-It's for you, Leila! -she screamed.
-Okay, I'm comming! -I answered.
I got dressed up quickly and ran downstairs. In front of the door there was Stella. She didn't say even hello but:
-Come on, let's go!
-What? Where?
-To the Park!
-But I hadn't even had breakfast yet!
But she caught me by my sleeve and after asking my mother's name to me and with so much forwardness she screamed inside so my mother could hear it:
-Bye, mrs.Amy, see you later!
And before my mother could aprove it or not, we were already walking.

Stella bought me a cupcake in a bakery so I could have breakfast. When we arrived to the park we saw everything closed and there were workmans starting their job. Stella went to a man who was eating and resting outside it and said:
-Good morning, sir. What are they doing with the park? -she pretended that she didn't know it.
-Oh, they're going to destroy it. They want to build a parking and the hotel in the town's entree.
-It's the townhall who had decided that, right?
-Yes, miss -he said with a fake smile.
-And haven't they consulted it with the population?
-I guess they found it unnecessary.
-Well, thank you so much, have a nice day.
And we walked away from him.
-And what do we do now? -I asked her, talking for first time since we had left my house because I had been to confused trying to guess Stella's intentions. By the way, that girl's personality was very impulsive! But that wasn't the only thing that proved it because she answered:
-Now we go to talk with the mayor. Wait, I'm calling the guys.

We all met at the central square of the town wich was next to the town hall. We went inside it and Stella asked for visiting the mayor to the receptionist.
-You? Why? What do you want?
-It'll take just a few minutes, we have to complain about something important.
The receptionist hesitated at the beginning but she finally accepted. We went to the third floor with the elevator to the mayor's office.
Mariah knocked on the door untill we heard a "Come in!" from inside that room. He looked at us surprised at first and said:
-Hello, guys, how can I help you? -trying to sound friendly.
-It's so unfair what they're doing with the Park -Stella said getting to the point.
-Why?
-Because it's a very special place for the children, teenagers, youngsters, adults and aged people of the town! There's always a lot of people there and I'm sure we aren't the only ones who LOVE that park and don't want them to take it away from us just for an absurd parking and hotel. I'm sure there are a lot of people who disagree with it too.
-Prove it -he said, sounding defiant.
-Fine.
And we got out of there, following the determined and now angry Stella.