December 1986
Dear Diary:
The magic man has come again and shook our world completely. A new version of us came with him. “Ostronats” Gaston calls them. They are the apple of his eye. I’m so jealous to share my kid with them. They are just like me! What is it that he sees in them? Their shiny clothes? Their weird swords and vessels? Oh yes! They’ve come with a vessel. No sails though. Strange looking thing. Horrible really.
Gaston always said I was going to have my own ship, where I could travel my private sea, and be Captain of my own crew. But I haven’t gotten it yet. Maybe it’s still at the docks under construction! Maybe soon I’ll have my ship. I hope I have my ship!
But these big-headed ones already have one, and Gaston loves it, and loves them too. I get to sleep a lot and rest lately. From time to time I get to see them play. I wish I could join them, but there seems to be no place for me in the game.
I watch. I sleep. I smile.
May 1987
Dear Diary:
I’m glad that I survived. A few days ago, after too much” being in the trunk”, we felt the trunk moved. The lid was opened and light came in. We saw his face looking down at us. We were extremely happy to see him again but we all stood still, eyes fixed in front, steady smile.
But he wasn’t alone and they took us all out. “We are going to play again” we thought! They divided us in two groups. Gaston gave a group to his friend and he took the other. He kept me on his side and I thought I was going to be captain of my own army at last! They made two fortresses out of shoe boxes and stuff. They were at each side of the room. They placed us all strategically in our fortresses.
“I should be in front, for I’m the captain of this army!” I thought. But he took me and put me at the back, hidden, where I was hard to spot. “He cares!” I thought. “He doesn’t want me to be hurt”
And then they aimed and started to shoot! Real canon bullets! The point was to leave no one standing up. And so I got it. I was the easiest to fall down, for my only leg. So I got to be at the back.
One by one my friends were hit. One by one they fell. I couldn’t help but watch. I couldn’t help but hear the laughter.
I fought hard against it but I couldn’t help but smile.
November 1989
Dear Diary:
We must locked up somewhere else now. It’s very dark in here and sometimes stuffy and too hot. It’s very rare to see him around. He looks quite different every time we see him. His factions got harder, and his hair longer, but he has the same look in his eyes. The same look that my kid had.
I miss him so much.
The playing days are all gone and done. The “ostronats” are here as well. All cramped. All together. All the same.
And so time stopped.
Smiles did not.
