Hope...

"I can breathe today, can't I Mommy?" she asked aloud,

still lying on her bed, enveloped by the thick protective filter sheet. It was the new day of 2200. A year that many of the kids in Yokoma, like Lara, have been waiting for. She had never breathed in the sweet, fresh air that her mommy always spoke a lot about. While born in this world, she noticed everyone around her was wearing translucent masks that suited their faces. Later on, she constantly wore the same mask as her parents. A few years later, Lara learns about this mask. An air entrainment or venture mask. People called it an oxygen mask. Preset oxygen for breathing. Lara's mother told her that, like a mother who protects her child from birth; Earth has been protecting all living and non-living beings. But what did humans or Earth's children do to their mother nature? They exploited it to the maximum. As a result, it was Mother Earth's punishment for humans' cruelty to nature.

"Mother said Lara, as we were all part of the Earth. We have to face it.

Mom, will this be over, or do we have to face the worst stage of its effect?

No, my dear, year by year, human beings, including us, understand our mistakes, and we are finding solutions to them.

Lara said So, Moms, will the Earth forgive our mistake?

Yes, my child definitely forgives her mistake because of how long a mother will show her anger to her child. So we will get our Earth back, our home back.

Lara's mother told her they had breathed the fresh air during childhood. They were unlikely to believe that there existed an earth where people lived breathing the air sans any purifier or compression. Lara once tried to inhale the sweetness of the air surrounding her, only to end up on a bed that snatched the rest of her life. 2200 was the year that the government of Yokoma assured of clean air and a hassle-free life. As Lara's mom said, thousands of children and animals lost their lives breathing in the poisoned air.

2200 is the New Year of Hope, as Lara always believes. She told her mother every day. Still lying in bed, Lara thought about Yokomo, her home; as the morning sun rose over the city, its rays glistened on the ocean's surface. Offshore wind farms spun rhythmically, harnessing the power of the wind to generate clean and renewable energy. The city's skyline was adorned with lush green rooftops, covered in thriving gardens that absorbed carbon dioxide and released oxygen into the air. The air was noticeably cleaner, and the city's residents going to breathe deeply, free from the pollution that choked the skies.

While the dried-up wells and lakes yearned for rain, humans loathed it. The water was never clean and transparent. It tasted and smelled and burnt their bodies more than any other concentrated acid. Lara thinks about how her mother and neighbors collect the water and filter and purify it. Then only then, may it be able to drink. Sometimes we have to store the water and wait until the government provides the new water cans, and the amount for getting half a bottle is enormous. Lara always sees her parents counting the coins and saving them to get water. After the heavy rain for the last few days, almost all the houses have stored plenty of water after long days without paying any sought of money; it can be used without any long struggle or bargaining, and there should not be any filtration and purification process. 

Lara and her friends danced in the rain because it was the first time Lara had danced in the shower. Her parents still say they enjoyed playing in the rain during childhood. But for Lara, it was all about to be a dream. Still, she had hope. Lara's parents did not allow her to go during rainy days, mainly because they feared acid rain. In Yokomo, all animals and plants were affected once there was heavy acid rain. After that, no one was allowed to leave their home during the rainy days.

Electric vehicles whizzed silently through the streets, powered by advanced batteries that could be charged in minutes. Charging stations were ubiquitous, powered by renewable sources, and fossil fuel-powered vehicles were a thing of the past. The air was no longer filled with the acrid smell of gasoline; the incessant honking of horns had been replaced by the gentle hum of electric engines. Lara thought about how happy she could travel with her parents without any smoke or sound, which polluted her senses. 

Lara loves travelling 2200 brings her more travel memories with her parents and friends. There needed to be a proper place for a picnic. Her parents in their childhood went on a picnic with their parents, and they had a lot of fun eating and playing. Still, the Yokoma government collected an amount from them, and they had to get permission to conduct a picnic or outdoor function. Lara came to know the reason behind it was because it created more number waste. There is no proper place to dispose of the trash. But 2200 government of Yokomo had ensured a completely free waste city after the environmental campaign happened, and there was a proper place to segregate and dispose of the waste and waste plantations were there in the city. Primarily, people reduce the use of plastic and use biodegradable things like using cloth bags to carry items.

Lara has seen her mother struggling inside the home with many bottles and plastic to sort out. Her father worked with electronic waste, which was dumped inside the room because once it was taken outside the home, they were caught by cameras erected in each city. The fear made the people dump the electric waste inside their homes. But from 2200 onwards government encouraged the people to make various arts and crafts from leftover materials. Lara still remembered how her dad made a beautiful seat using the tire and placed it in her room, where Lara always sat, read her book, and watched the sky during the night. 

In the countryside of Yokomo, once barren lands had been transformed into thriving carbon-absorbing forests. Trees of various species stood tall, their leaves rustling in the breeze. The woods were teeming with life, as endangered species once on the brink of extinction now roamed freely in their natural habitats. The rivers flowed crystal clear free from pollution and were home to fish and other aquatic creatures that had made a remarkable recovery. Innovation has led to technological breakthroughs, and renewable energy sources are now the primary means of powering homes and businesses. Solar panels adorned rooftops, and geothermal power plants tapped into the Earth.

Carcasses, big and small, piled everywhere. It was unbreakable when Lara lost her dearest pet dog last summer when the fire broke next to their home. Life was loathsome and miserable. Lara always wanted to play out with her friends. She wanted to go out and bask in the sunlight, holding her friends along.

Hope always had a chance in Lara's mind. But she had always wished for her ailing grandmother's prophecy to come true. In all the stories that she told Lara, this was the year that the world was waiting for. For a peaceful life on the Earth, owning all they deserve and keeping it up for their children. And there came the day. Lara was no less thrilled than her friends. Stilling lying in bed she almost tore her thick protective sheet banged open the door, and ran to her corridor, her arms spread wide to intake the whole of the new year's clean, warmly excellent sunlight and the pristine wind that still carried the lazy dew drops in it suddenly with loud voice Lara said

Yes, IT'S NEW YEAR

2200 THE YEAR OF HOPE

2200 THE YEAR OF HAPPINESS

2200 THE YEAR OF SMILE AND LAUGHTER 

2200 THE YEAR YOMKO AND THEIR PEOPLE