How to survive a (man-made) natural disaster, by Sophia, aged 9
- Don’t rely on the grown-ups
The climate change scientists warned that the wave was coming. But that was before the government silenced them.
Our parents were all too busy arguing about Brexit to help.
“Dad?” I said, “Can we move to the Midlands?”
“Is this about that tsunami nonsense again?” he laughed, stuffing yet another loaf of emergency No-Deal-Brexit bread into the freezer. “It’s scientifically impossible, Sophia.”
We tried talking to the teachers, but they just said, “back to your times tables!” As if Maths was going to help at a time like this.
Then we went all Greta Thunberg, marching with banners, but the grown-ups still wouldn’t listen. Grown-ups are like that. They make up their minds and then they lock them, click-clunk.
I started talking to the moon at night. “Earth needs help,” she said. “You children must be brave. Save yourselves and then save Earth.”
2. Plan
The climate change experts helped us, sharing secret updates on Chitter (children’s Twitter). All over Britain, children made plans.
We gathered tents, camping equipment, and food stolen from our parents’ Brexit stockpiles, and stored them in one of the outbuildings at Clyne Farm.
“It’s nearly time,” said the moon. “Be ready”.
3. Stick together
We were at school when the siren sounded, in a frequency only children could hear. That was our 15-minute warning. Two boys pretended to have a fight to distract the teachers, and we all raced up the hill.
We huddled together, hand-in-hand, overlooking Swansea Bay from Clyne farm. Jack, my little brother, squeezed my hand so tightly it went numb. When I looked down I could see that he had wet himself. Some kids sobbed. Others prayed.
From Kilvey Hill to Three Cliffs, children watched the wave come.
It was almost beautiful, if only it wasn’t real. I held my breath as the sea retreated and disappeared. For a few moments, the sand glistened like gold in the sunlight and the houses below looked like sleeping lambs. The farm animals fell silent. Even the wind stopped. And then it came. Like a wall of soldiers riding into battle, it thundered towards the city, towering above even the tallest buildings. A moment of darkness as it blocked the sun, and then it exploded with a roar, destroying everything.
4. Have hope
It’s day 5. We’re waiting to be rescued, but we have enough supplies for now. I can’t think about Mum and Dad. Jack cries himself to sleep every night and I hold him close and sing the song that Mum used to sing, but I can’t remember all the words and I wish I had asked her.
Floating debris batters the banks of our new island. Reflected in the water, the moon smiles at me. She washed up one of our old banners yesterday, as a gift. Its message, scribbled in childish writing, spurs us on:
“When your children act like leaders and your leaders act like children, you know change is coming.” Mikel Jollett.
